Practice Arena

    The Five Lenses

    Most arguments persist not because people disagree, but because they’re having five different conversations at once — using one word for all of them.

    Warm-upClear-cut statements to build your lens instincts.

    Truth

    What can we rely on together?

    Verifiable, evidence-based, open to revision.

    Untruth

    What should we recognise as incorrect or deceptive?

    Conflicts with strong evidence — through error or deception.

    Personal Truth

    What is real for me, even if you can't measure it?

    Real in someone's inner life, not externally verifiable.

    Choice

    Given what we know, how do we want to live?

    Values, preferences, and trade-offs — not discoveries about reality.

    Hypothesis

    What are we still testing?

    A structured guess we haven't yet confirmed or ruled out.

    “CO₂ levels are over 50% above pre-industrial.”Truth
    “Vaccines cause autism.”Untruth
    “My faith gives my life meaning.”Personal Truth
    “We should have open borders.”Choice
    “Social media is destroying teen mental health.”Hypothesis