How should you treat people who disagree with you? In particular, how should you interpret their claims when you find them offensive?

Critical thinkers practice the principle of charity, which means trying to interpret other people’s claims in the way that makes the most sense in context and is most likely to be true.

In short, try to treat other people’s arguments the way you want them to treat yours. This is a challenging skill, but fortunately you can improve with practice!