Chapter 7

Evaluation

Evaluations make judgments about worth on the basis of standards that may be conscious or unconscious. It can help us react quickly to situation where our survival is a stake. Evaluations are not facts. Factual reports keep the distinction between facts and evaluations clear. Connotative words convey evaluations that can be used to sway our opinions. When we think critically, we recognize how these connotations affect our feelings so that we can choose or not choose to accept the opinions they contain.