Convinced

Someone can learn everything there is to know about a chair—the way it is constructed, the physics behind its ability to hold a sitting person, the way that it’s been used in different cultures and time periods. But that person’s knowledge is limited if they are not willing to sit in the chair. They can read experts that confirm the sturdiness of this particular chair, they can watch their friends sit in it, they can even push against it a little with their hand. But if they aren’t willing to...