Global connections
Research & archive
Different pictures
of one world
People can view the same events through different assumptions, concepts and sources. This concept helps us notice those differences and find space for dialogue.
What do we
take for granted?
Behind every explanation are ideas about what exists, what matters and whom to trust.
Within a familiar worldview, some arguments seem obvious and others hard to understand. Conversation becomes more difficult when participants overlook differences in their starting assumptions.
Three questions for any position
Sources
Where did the information come from? How can its origin and context be checked?
Assumptions
Which concepts and causal links are assumed? What could change the explanation?
Dialogue
What do participants understand in the same way? Where do facts, judgements and language differ?
Make differences visible
First understand how participants themselves explain the situation.
Agree what words mean and what exactly is being discussed.
Distinguish a verifiable claim from interpretation and judgement.
Find questions and observations that can be explored together.
A “bubble” is a metaphor for analysing perceptions. It is not a diagnosis and does not imply that one group is inherently less rational than another.
Keep exploring
Cognitive influence
The information environment, attention and critical reading.
Public dialogue in the digital age
How to read messages and discuss different interpretations.
Critical thinking workshop
Examining sources, arguments and context.
See the assumptions behind arguments
Let's discuss using the concept in research or a learning programme.