Rene Descartes's cogito ergo sum, "I think therefore I am," is generally credited as the foundation of rational thinking. Unfortunately, it is also viewed as a rejection of belief. However, true rational thinking would never discard any concept as being unworthy of deep analysis. "Deep interpretation" is an expression of a belief that if we want our messages to stick, to have lasting value, they have to be able to penetrate the belief system of the recipient. When this fails to happen, the message may still be highly informative, wildly entertaining, even memorable, but it will not have a high likelihood of being provocative. Without provocation, interpretation fails its primary mission of encouraging change-change in appreciation at a minimum, but hopefully, change in our desire to learn more, to challenge, and to become advocates.
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