I Think, Therefore I Am Correct

"Never say 'I' in an essay. Ever."
-Guy Everyman, Ubiquitous English Teacher

In this modern day and age, a high school student who has never been told some variation of that rule is one in a million. And yet, today's discussion in my English class about the appropriate and effective use of the first person--namely the phrase "I think"--got me thinking about the nature of arguments, and people's unwillingness to acknowledge the validity of those that contradict their own.
The most widely preached model for a thesis is the one that boldly makes a declaration, leaving no doubt in the reader's mind about the confidence of the author, and no room for compromise. And yet the spoken argument that is most likely to leave listeners who have a contradictory opinion stubbornly clinging to their own ideal out of spite for the speaker's arrogance does exactly the same. I personally pride myself on my ability to interact with others, and I have always found that the first step to bringing someone around to my way of thinking is convincing them that their thoughts are valid and insightful, if not downright correct. And because the typical highschooler's essay follows the format of presenting an argument and supporting it, it is no less crucial to acknowledge the reader's right to disagree with the declarations; and there are few better ways to do this than simply inserting the phrase "I think" as a preface. Once the reader is satisfied that the author's opinion could potentially be naive, false, and in every way inferior to his own, his ego is satisfied and will sit the rest of the argument out, allowing his rational side to interpret the information objectively.