Historians argue about evidence, not vibes. Try holding your opinions to that standard.

CREATIVITY

WHAT THIS MEANS

Serious argument about the past is an argument about sources: what a document says, who wrote it, what they had reason to leave out. A feeling about how things probably were does not count as evidence, however widely it is shared. That standard is what separates a historian from somebody with opinions about history.

Try holding one of your own positions to that test this week. Ask what would count as evidence, then ask what you actually have. If the honest answer is a general impression, say so instead of arguing harder.

A QUESTION TO SIT WITH

Which opinion of yours rests on a feeling rather than evidence?

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