Ask Questions About Yourself: What is your attitude toward the issue? What are your pre-judgments about the issue? Does your attitude affect how receptive you are to the author's viewpoint? What preconceptions do you have about the topic? What past experiences have you had that are pertinent to the issue? Monitor your own emotions as you read. Do certain sections make you feel pleased? Guilty? Angry? Annoyed? Smug? Saddened? Do you think the author intended to create that effect? If not, where did that emotional response originate?