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critical thinking

Critical Thinking vs. Denialism

The subject of critical thinking is important. It’s important enough that it drives all of science and discovery and has given our modern culture great power and ability. Everything we have that makes our life easier and better: our technology, our system of government, our entire way of life, is founded on good critical thinking that was and is done by very smart people. It’s important that we have a clear understanding of what critical thinking is, but it’s also important that we show what it’s not. Just because someone says they are a critical thinker doesn’t mean they are. This is a label that actually means something. So let’s talk about this.Read More »Critical Thinking vs. Denialism

The End of Endless Flat Earth Videos

There appears to be an increase in the number, or at least the volume level, of people who have fallen into believing the Earth is not a spherical planet but is instead flat like a pancake. Video after video is appearing on YouTube with supposed proof that the earth isn’t round, while celebrities like rapper BoB, UFC fighter Eddie Bravo and YouTube personality Tila Tequila have been in the news recently supporting this view, causing actual scientists like astrophysist Neil deGrasse Tyson to talk about why this nonsense isn’t supported by anything like real world evidence.Read More »The End of Endless Flat Earth Videos

Do Emotions Impede Critical Thinking?

Today we’re going to talk about emotions and logic and critical thinking.

There are lots of videos and talks out there about logic vs emotion and how these are two different kinds of thinking, or how emotions mess up critical thinking and make it difficult for people to make good decisions or form accurate opinions. I disagree with that analysis because let’s be real: emotions are not something you can separate out or take away from people. Despite having very strong feelings on lots of different topics, people have been able to make perfectly valid and reasonable decisions about all kinds of things. Even Mr. Spock from Star Trek, the ultimate logical thinker, experienced a full range of emotions. He just suppressed the crap out of them because his people adopted a philosophy that emotions were bad. They had good reasons to think so, but as I think any psychologist would tell you, suppressing or denying how we feel only gets us into some real psychological messes and is not much of a solution for critical thinking.Read More »Do Emotions Impede Critical Thinking?