4.

RELEVANCE
• This is about what is related to problem.

• Do not think or speak about things that are

not related to the issue under enquiry.
 MEASURES TAKEN TO BE RELEVANT IN OUR THINKING (In your
own case)

• You need to be thorough about the problem.

• You need to consider each possible related
issue through asking questions (How is this
connected with my main problem?).
• You should not lose sight of the main problem
under scrutiny.
• Always review your course of thinking
• Write down all important points and sub-points
• Make summaries and outlines
• Understand the various concepts involved in
the enquiry (use concept maps).
• Sift for the relevant issues among all the
peripheral one.
MEASURES TAKEN TO BE RELEVANT IN OUR
THINKING (In the case of others)
• Seriously consider what the audience
considers relevant to the enquiry.
• Clearly indicate what we consider as related
and also clarify what the audience considers
important by asking questions, summarising
and analysing.
 IMPEDIMENTS TO RELEVANCE
• Feeling that the more we write or say, the
better we have handled the problem.
• Emotional attachment with one aspect of a
problem causing one to ignore its other
pressing aspects that in fact need more
attention.
 5. DEPTH
• This is looking beyond the surface and getting
to the heart of a matter.
• A mind that can comprehensively analyse
issues and thoroughly understand them has
achieved the desired depth.
• This is a thorough investigation of all the
underlying concepts and theoretical
underpinnings of the problem.
MEASURES TAKEN TO HAVE DEPTH IN OUR THINKING (In our on
case )

• Investigate the underlying basis of things

• Do not ignore any lead as irrelevant without
making a thorough enquiry of it.
• Prepare for complexities that may arise during
your investigation into the phenomenon under
scrutiny.
• Employ your analytical ability to master the
complex concepts that are involved in the
analysis.
 MEASURES TAKEN TO HAVE DEPTH IN OUR THINKING (In the case of others)

• Always provide a detailed analysis of the

problem to audience before coming out with
your own solution.
• Consider the audience’s opinion on the lack of
details in your own expositions.
 IMPEDIMENTS TO THINKING DEPTH
• Finding great comfort in simplicity.
• If the mind fights complexity and also poses
an intellectual challenge to it.
• Sloganeering
 BREADTH
• Breadth is about how an issue has been
comprehensively handled.
• A study has achieved the desired breadth
when it has considered all the relevant
aspects of the problem and have not left any
important details unattended.
• To achieve a desired breadth, all the different
aspects of the issue must be looked at using
alternative approaches.
MEASURES TAKEN TO ACHIEVE BREADTH IN
OUR THINKING (In our own case)

• Ask yourself whether you have considered all

the aspects of the problem at hand.
• Try to think of alternative standpoints that
may be taken on the topic of discussion .
• The topic must be as exhaustive as possible
 MEASURES TAKEN TO ACHIEVE BREADTH IN OUR
THINKING (In the case others )

• Encourage audience to offer alternative

approaches on the issue that we are
discussing.
• Provide all the relevant details to the audience
and be ready to come up with as many
illustrations and examples as you can.
• Be prepared with counter examples that the
audience might come up with.
 LOGIC
• This is how all the parts of your reasoning
make sense.
• It involves arranging all your facts and
arguments in a way that they fit into each
other.
• Avoiding contradictions in your argument or
presentation.
MEASURES YOU CAN TAKE TO BE LOGICAL
(Self)
• Group all your key points under major
headings.
• Establish the connection between your key
points.
• Evaluate all your reasons based on the
evidence available.
• Use connecting words appropriately when
moving from one idea to another.
• Provide a comprehensive summary.
MEASURES YOU CAN TAKE TO BE LOGICAL
(Others)
• Encourage your audience to point out any
contradictions in what you are saying.
• Stop to ask them if your audience are
following your argument/line of reasoning.
• Indicate clearly how each of your key points is
related to the other.
 SIGNIFICANCE
• This is about whether what you want to say is
important to the subject under discussion.
• Some arguments, examples, or point of views
are may not be necessary to a discussion.
• We must weigh how a point we want to make
will affect our argument in the end.
• We must ask ourselves if it is really important
• Take the context of the discussion into
account.
• Take the sensitivities of the audience into
account.
• Focus on the ultimate aim of the discusion.
 FAIRNESS
• Fairness implies the treating of all relevant
viewpoints alike without reference to one’s
own feelings or interests.
• It is looking at all aspects of an issue without
considering one’s own interests and biases.
• Every point of view is important.
WHAT TO DO IN ORDER TO BE FAIR TO ALL

• Ask yourself if you don’t have any vested

interest that makes you tilt towards a
particular view.
• Identify your biases and deal with them.
• How does that serve the common good?
• Avoid distorting facts in order to make your
point of view acceptable.