Category: Cognitive Bias

The Core Critical Thinking Skills Necessary For Independent Thought

2/14/2021

I was recently interviewed by Brittany Polat about the core critical thinking skills necessary for independent thought on her website, Living In Agreement, and how Stoicism can help us to think more clearly about the world.

We discuss logic, being slow to form opinions, having standards of evidence, separating truth from falsehood, being able to accurately evaluate other people's arguments, being open-minded, not being afraid to be wrong, changing your mind in light of better information, thinking with a degree of detachment, (rather than from a dogmatic or emotionally driven mindset) and a knowledge of cognitive bias and group dynamics.

Is there any group in which you automatically agree with all the opinions of the group? Are you in any group which views the “opposing” groups as evil, stupid, or weak? If so, some examination of your beliefs is probably in order. I suggest several ways to dig deeper and to think more independently throughout the course of this interview.

Books and resources to learn more about critical thinking:
https://www.commonsenseethics.com/blo...
The Well-Trained Mind book I mention: https://amzn.to/3jLpAHq *affiliate link http://www.triviumeducation.com/study...

Support the channel to see even more videos like this:
https://www.patreon.com/commonsenseethics?fan_landing=true
https://ko-fi.com/commonsenseethics

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Read These 5 Books For a Deeper Understanding of Politics

7/31/2020

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This being an election year in the United States, and given the dismal state of political discourse, I felt inclined to share this list of 5 books that have changed my perspective on politics.

These books are part of the reason that I stopped looking at politics in partisan terms. (The other reason is that I've worked to develop a more Socratic temperament where I try to look at the other side(s) of any argument.)

A partisan perspective is actually a severe handicap when it comes to examining politics, because partisanism creates a false dichotomy where we tend to ignore alternative or conflicting information. When we think that "This is my party/preffered media outlet and I agree with what they do and say," this mindset compels us to just scratch the surface of what is really going on.

If we want a real understanding of politics, we need to dig deeper, and that's where this list comes in. Here are the best 5 books to read for a deeper understanding of politics:

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How to Change Your Mind

7/3/2020

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The Socratic Method is a way of thinking which helps you to become more open-minded and less afraid of being wrong. Socrates felt that we are more ignorant than not, so to achieve excellence, we can’t be satisfied with what we already know, we should keep striving to gain knowledge and get closer to the truth.

Changing your mind is more Socratic than dogmatically clinging to your beliefs throughout life. But it's not always easy to do, and that is what I discuss with my guest Justin Vacula.

We cover the important point that free speech - even controversial free speech - is essential for true critical thinking and for Socratic Dialog and therefore must be protected. Without free speech, we have what happened to Socrates himself - he was imprisoned for speaking freely and committed suicide. Human knowledge cannot be advanced without open discourse, without which, we remain in ignorance.

Support the channel to see even more videos like this: https://ko-fi.com/commonsenseethics

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How Can We Overcome Our Biases?

4/4/2018

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Why is it so hard to for us the change our beliefs or to get other people to change their minds? A new documentary film Right Between Your Ears, examines the science and psychology of how people form convictions. According to producer Kris De Meyer, a neuroscientist, certain aspects of human psychology make it very hard for us to be objective or unbiased.

People usually form beliefs by accepting what they've been told by someone they trust: parents, teachers, media and so on. Our beliefs can change when we learn new things. But when we become convinced of something, it is similar to a religious belief in the way our brain operates. We may react with anger when challenged. This human tendency often leads us to seek out information which confirms what we already believe and ignore everything else - it's a cognitive bias actually - called confirmation bias.

It seems obvious why confirmation bias can be a problem - it can prevent us making good decisions. It makes us rigid thinkers. Someone can easily fool us by simply appealing to our established belief systems. The good news is that there are some practical strategies to overcome this natural human shortsightedness that I'll let you in on at the end of the post.

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How to Get Rid of the Need to Be Right

1/29/2018

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In a frenzy of excitement over the December release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi (yes, I'm a nerd like that), I have been reading a lot of interviews and criticism of the film. This interview really got me thinking. Adam Driver (the actor who plays villain Kylo Ren) states: "In a lot of ways I don't really feel...as connected to my generation...I feel like there's need for discipline and not having a right answer and not having immediate access to everything." [Emphasis mine.]

Not having a right answer? Do Millennials really think that we are always right and that we know everything? Is this trait exclusive to the younger generations, or something common to humanity in general? Is being a know-it-all the result of being college educated? Propagandized? Am I guilty of this too? (Yes I must be...look at what I write about!)

Always thinking that you are right is a fault to be sure. It annoys others, inhibits curiosity and promotes myopia. If you think you already know something, then you are less likely to seek more information or to think critically, especially about your entrenched belief systems. So is there any way to avoid this personality flaw of know-it-all syndrome? What qualities can we cultivate in ourselves to combat always needing to have the right answer?

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