What is the purpose of critical thinking and skepticism? Why bother to engage in all this mental exercise and hard work?
“If everyone is thinking alike, then no one is thinking.” -Benjamin Franklin
The purpose is not to get you and everyone else to think the same way. There are very few “absolute truths”. Variety is not only the spice of life, it is also the thing that drives life forward and makes it interesting.
Critical thinking is all about being rational and logical. But for some people, these words make them think that critical thinking is boring, lifeless or dull. Or that you can’t be emotional or passionate or really care about what you are talking about. Yet scientists can be some of the most passionate and caring people you’ll ever meet.
Being a critical thinker isn’t some dry, unemotional approach to life. Unfortunately, it’s gotten kind of a bad rap in some popular shows because people like Mr. Spock on Star Trek (a show which I love, by the way) seem so cold-hearted and unattached. He’s always says that he finds things fascinating, but frankly he’s not exactly the life of the party.Read More »Logic is Fascinating
It is an easily observable fact that the human mind excels at pattern matching. We do it all the time. We see patterns or shapes that are familiar to us. There is nothing wrong with this – it is a crucial element in our very survival to be able to recognize things we have seen before, to have on file the traits and characteristics of things which we need to get along in life.Read More »Why Labels are Dangerous to Thinking
Critical thinking skills are very important for getting along in life. They allow you to analyze problems or situations you find yourself involved in that don’t always have an easy or obvious answer. We all run into problems in relationships, work, school, etc. Wouldn’t it be easier if we could understand why things were happening around us and more easily see what we could do about them? That’s what critical thinking is all about. It’s not just for winning arguments!Read More »Using the Scientific Method in Everyday Life
Critical thinking is not difficult. Like any other subject, there are certain basics to it, fundamentals upon which the rest of the subject is based. If you know these fundamentals, the rest comes a lot easier. So the first thing we’ll go over are three basic facts about critical thinking that you should know.Read More »First Things to Know About Critical Thinking
Every single day, each one of us are assaulted with information. Facts and figures are thrown at us by the news media, advertisers, our boss, our subordinates, friends and family. Data comes in all different forms and varieties, from commercials claiming 4 out of 5 dentists recommend a particular toothpaste, to rumors about celebrities, to “facts” being taught to our children in schools. Just about every single person you run into or see or hear is feeding you information and claiming it is true.Read More »What is Critical Thinking?