Demand definitions before discussion

Before arguing or planning, force a precise definition of the key terms.

Why it works

Most disagreements and self-deceptions are sustained by terms vague enough that everyone can project what they want onto them. Forcing a definition exposes this immediately — the attempt to define "success," "fairness," or "respect" almost always reveals hidden assumptions and internal contradictions. Socrates began nearly every dialogue with "What is X?" precisely because the answer to that question determines everything downstream.

How to do it

1. When you find yourself using a value-laden word (success, respect, fairness, growth), stop and write a one-sentence definition.
2. Test the definition against two or three concrete cases — does it still hold?
3. If it fails, revise and test again.
4. Use the surviving definition as the working premise; revisit it if reasoning breaks down.

Evidence

Conceptual precision before deliberation is a foundational principle of critical thinking education; research on decision quality shows that vague goals produce vague (and worse) decisions. (mechanistic)

No direct trial of "definitional questioning" as a standalone personal practice; the supporting evidence is inferential from decision-making and argument-quality research.

Common mistake

Accepting the first definition that sounds reasonable without testing it — which preserves the vagueness the question was meant to dissolve.