Citizens epistemology

Hi All, sorry to be MIA.  I was away taking a course in Virginia, where they had the temerity to make us work late into the evening every day.  I have been reading the blog, but found no time to post.

On the question of "citizens epistemology", I admit my own internal conflicts.  I believe it is important to have well-justified beliefs and some level of commitment to them.  At the same time, I believe it is crucial to possess an open, inquisitive mind.  Every belief is subject to review when evidence comes along to give reason for that review.  The difficulty is to "see"  the evidence in a sufficiently unfiltered way so I notice it is actually challenging my world view and I need to reconcile something.  All along, I think we can develop principles of thinking, of behavior, of ethics, and so on that we might keep throughout.  Although, even these might require constant adjustment and sharpening.  Reconciling is work and perhaps my subconscious chooses the path of least resistance.  I know sometimes it is easier to just agree rather than take issue with someone.