[jfarmer]

If you're admittedly ignorant, how can you tell whether the answer is ridiculous or there's something critical you're not understanding? What happens if the answer is not ridiculous but is utterly inconsistent with your current picture of the world?

[baddox]

> how can you tell whether the answer is ridiculous or there's something critical you're not understanding?

Did you read my responses? I explain why I think each quoted section is ridiculous. Most of the quoted sections are not empirical claims that I am disputing ("my current picture of the world"), but are rather claims about opinions or normative claims which I am disputing.

[jfarmer]

Sorry, I don't think you're understanding me. Ironically, this is a demonstration of the point I was trying to make. :D

You see/read/hear something. It doesn't make sense to you. It seems ridiculous. How do you know whether it actually is ridiculous or there's something critical you're not understanding?

Assuming you believe the theory of evolution, consider how fundamentalists think about it. They will say it's "obviously ridiculous" and have a million reasons why. Nevertheless, it's not ridiculous. Rather, there's something (many things) critical they're not understanding.

It "seems" ridiculous because it contradicts their prior understanding of the world. How can you tell when something is actually ridiculous or it's your prior understanding of the world that needs to be changed?

This is a more general and personal question. Feel free to divorce it from the issue of gender and privilege if you like, it's really a question of "personal epistemology."