RE: The Art of Critical Thinking part 1
A good introduction to critical thinking kitty ;)
I have found that the third point you listed has become most important to me in recent years: "What are the implications if...?"
If one goes on to remain a critical thinker, even of the things he thinks he knows, he (or she) will eventually have to start forming paradigm groups or probability avenues as I like to call them ;)
This is because we can not know all the facts pertaining to a single question or a group of them, and different answers will affect other areas of inquiry greatly. For fundamental issues this is most important, because it would be foolish to discard that whole other stream of probability altogether just because one is more inclined to answer a certain question the way he has....
hmmm.... an example would be good. Instead of making it too abstract.
Ok how about this:
If one is to analyze the dangers of the AIDS virus for example, it may have a great impact on his views about health, sexual choices and precautions. It may lead to all sorts of other inquiries, as well as to a variety of 'soft factors' like an increased sense of fear for engaging sexually with newly met strangers, heightened worries about coming into contact with other people's body fluids, etc.
But then, would you automatically discard anyone claiming to have evidence that the AIDS virus is an invention altogether?
If so, you are not a critical thinker, you are simply clinging to your new program thinking you have it right already. When in fact it may not be correct at all, just convincing.
On the other hand, should you stumble upon good evidence that the AIDS virus is in fact an invention or a hoax, would that automatically make you discard all the ramifications you have learnt from the time when you saw it as a major threat? If so, that might be equally foolish as it might preclude you from finding out more about the dangers of the Virus, the workings of the 'immune system', and so forth.
At a certain point it comes in handy, to know how your assumptions and probabilities interlink and interact, how they cancel or prove each other and what the ramifications of both paradigms are to you as a researcher. Holding both views in your mind in terms of current likelihood at the same time has really helped me to keep organized with all the input I have bombarded myself with over the years.
Anyway, amazing story of the refugees, thank you for sharing that. I can literally see them crying happy tears when their 'first' lightbulbs went off through the fruits of their own efforts, and inspiration from people like yourself.
Talk about a paradigm shift huh?
I like your thinking. Reminds me of Karl Popper's falsifying method on philosophy of science; Instead of aiming to verify a hypothesis, the aim is to test and attempt to falsify it. The more a hypothesis can take falsifying attempts, the more likely we can think of it as true. But 100% certainty is never there.
That sounds intriguing, I have not read Popper, will put that item on my list.
Holding (or rather considering) two ore more opposing views at the same time is often frowned upon in our society. Some claim it is an inability to take a standpoint. I disagree. It allows one to approach complex patterns of interconnections with the highest chance of eventually figuring it out, or getting close to the solution.
I could have never broken it down as eloquently as you have here though.
"The more a hypothesis can take falsifying attempts, the more likely we can think of it as true." is just a brilliantly simple way of putting it. Thanks man, will look into Karl tonight.
You got another follower ;)
No problem :D I haven't read Popper by myself but that particular idea of his remained on my memory from my high school's philosophy classes.
Thank you for the follow!
Intriguing. Popper is on my reading list also :)
Everyone, hop on to Popper!
I'm a closet quantum theory nerd to the 9th degree ;) Yet I'm one of the weird ones, I question the questions in a way where I am shunned by the physics forum mods ;) This Popper fella might be a refreshing view for me.
Little bit of Popper in their food would help them a bit, I'm sure ;)
I’m a bit this same way!
Holding both views in your mind in terms of current likelihood at the same time - I was just talking about this with my youngest son.
He is at the point in adolescence where he believes only one view is right. And, strangely enough, its always his view that is the correct one at the time ;)
I have been implementing various critical thinking techniques all his life, so I realize it is just that particularly difficult stage of teenagerdom that's talking, but I still gotta be Mama and have been trying to figure out a way to get him to be openminded and stop being black and white.
A week ago today he was arguing something for the sake of arguing. I said, "it is a sign you are taking steps toward adulthood when you can look at something from another perspective and realize there is more than one truth."
He grew silent, stared at me with his jaw down, flipped 180 degrees and proceeded to march right up to his room.
He has been thinking more carefully before arguing (sometimes) since then ;)
I have another story of how a certain little refugee changed a number of our lives, by just being himself :) https://steemit.com/lighttheworld/@arbitrarykitten/light-the-world-day-4
I'm so happy moms like you exist out there, makes me proud to be a human being.
I tend not to see that way of raising kids so much unfortunately - except in my hippie vacations at the dancefloor where parents are like you have just described here.
When I'm out, here, I am often confronted with moms treating their kids like little idiots at the supermarket or train station, yelling at them, forbidding things, shushing them with no good reason - and the kid will revert back to his smartphone instead. Gruesome and sad.
You can already tell that kid is somewhat numb by years of this, and has himself become a little nuisance because he had been treated as such for years.
High Five for open an minded raising of the next generation! You remind me of the way my mom raised me.
He has become a nuisance because he is hungry for attention. And at this point any attention is good attention.
My approach to kids is I am entrusted with raising someone's husband someday. Someone's father. Someone's brother in law... Plus, hell, I have to live with this creature for a few years ;) Might as well enjoy these people :)
Great motivational reframe for one's own sanity when he is twisting the dog's tail again for the 38th time this week!