Contrastive inquiry is such a fascinating concept. Whenever a statement is made with certainty, ask yourself the opposite and challenge the accuracy of the statement.
“The best burgers in town.” It’s a simple analogy, but a common enough one that you have probably seen it somewhere before. I’ve always questioned these statements but never fully knew why. It always seemed without fail that a city would have one burger joint that makes this statement, then when you drive across town, there is another joint making the same statement. Are they BOTH the best burgers in town? Was one once the best, now the other is, and the first just refuses to accept it?? I digress.
A statement as simple as such, though, could be used to help you explore how contrastive inquiry works. First, let’s define contrastive inquiry:
Contrastive Inquiry (CI)- a structured approach that refines traditional Socratic questioning by focusing on direct contrast to clarify inquiry scope and enhance understanding. By systematically transforming contrasting statements into questions, we can uncover hidden nuances, challenge assumptions, and achieve a more balanced understanding of any subject. (https://jala.nlainfo.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/The-Contrastive-Inquiry-Method-An-Equation-for-Better-Understanding.pdf)
So a statement as simple as “Best burgers in town” could be contrasted into a question such as “Best burgers according to whom?”
Another statement that has often perturbed me but never fully understood why until I learned about CI is when you see a news article that says, “60% of Americans think *insert outrage bait*.” I always asked, “I don’t remember filling out any survey…” “Where do they get the numbers to support this?” Ask yourself honestly next time you see an article making such claims, and be honest with yourself if you really think such bold claims are true by asking yourself when the last time a survey was sent for you to fill out.
The magic of CI isn’t in having the right answers; it’s in asking better questions. When you apply it to bold or emotionally charged statements, you begin to see how often language is used to steer your perception without your consent. Statements like “Most people agree…” or “Experts say…” are often designed less to inform and more to persuade or provoke. CI helps you slow down, step back, and ask: Compared to what? According to whom? What are they not saying?
This isn’t about becoming cynical or distrusting of everything you read; it’s about becoming clear-eyed. CI isn’t the enemy of belief; it’s the ally of intentional belief. It gives you a mental filter not to reject ideas, but to understand them more deeply. To see the scaffolding beneath the headlines. To make sure that what you believe wasn’t simply the loudest voice, but the most thoughtfully examined.
So the next time someone claims to have the best burger, the majority opinion, or the ultimate truth, try asking a simple contrastive question. You might find the real insight lives not in the claim itself, but in what it reveals when challenged. Remember: Truth doesn’t mind being questioned. A lie does not like being challenged. Challenge what you believe to be true, and you will quickly learn what is true and what you’ve been lied to about.
