Eric Wilson - 2012
Thinking in itself is nothing special, and we literally have little human ability to stop it.
Thinking – more specifically the lack of critical thinking – impacts almost every aspect of our lives. Let’s examine some of those impacts on three basic parts of human living.
Public Life
Imagine a citizenry that only absorbed the facts that were fed to them at face value. In time, they would become so conditioned that they would be almost brainwashed into believing there was only ever two choices. People would quickly begin to stop rationalizing what either side believes but instead just blindly object to the “other” guy’s argument.
Imagine a republic that conditioned dependence and criticized initiative in its population. The natural consequences would be a nation of victims, dependents, and fewer and fewer producers. The result would be continual loss of freedoms and people forgetting the principles of liberty.
Imagine a judiciary who allowed biases or became reactionary and legislated from the bench. The blindfold of the courts would be removed, and citizens would become subject to their rule. The rule of law would continue to be shifted to an aristocracy.
Now imagine what would happen if a large group of the population began thinking for themselves, stopped aligning themselves with parties or politicians, and started studying, analyzing, and coming to their own conclusions. Then imagine that they began to become less dependent on bureaucracy and started holding their government accountable. Finally imagine the revolution that could occur with the critical thinking voter and a not just informed but “thinking” citizenry. Critical thinking employed by an informed citizenry is a necessary condition for the success of a republic. It impacts all aspects and is essential for democratic institutions and for competitive free-market economic enterprise.
Professional Life
As much as companies attempt to decentralize, tear down walls (and cubicles), and create flatter organizations, these are only efforts to fix the symptoms of a much larger problem. As critical thinking skills become forgotten and marginalized, employees tend to lose concepts and become more task-focused. With this, employees – and even many managers – develop narrower visibility and lose sight of the full impacts that decisions may have cross-functionally. With lack of multi-dimensional inputs, properly analysis, and critical thinking skills, we will naturally build silos and attempt to operate within them. Unfortunately many archaic companies not only stop thinking and innovating, but they seem to actively fight it and build internal layers of dependences that breed conformity andmediocrity.
The workplace must and will change, and the truth is – with the amount of information you will have to process going forward to continue to be successful – those that think will succeed. The market is already beginning to reward organizations who think creatively and innovate new ways of doing business. In the companies of tomorrow, everyone in the company – not just the boss – will be expected to think, adapt, and innovate. In these companies, it will be easier than ever to change, and individuals will have more influence and leverage than ever before. On the other hand, individuals without critical thinking skills will be quickly overwhelmed by information and unable to make judicious decisions. Individuals without critical thinking skills will not be able to succeed in this demanding workplace and will be restricted to menial tasks.
Personal Life
Emotional intimacy is the peak experience of being loved in a personal relationship. It occurs when we open up to someone, become vulnerable, and they in turn understand how we feel and empathize. It brings people closer emotionally, and makes them feel better about themselves. Such intimacy only occurs when you better understand yourself (and the way you think) and better understand your partner (and the way they think). Yes, critical thinking can and does impact every aspect of your life.
Critical thinking leads to critical listening and without either, there is no empathy (and we can’t even begin to tell you what happens when you fail to listen). Thinking does more than open up connections and communications; without it, marriages struggle and become reactionary instead of reasoned. Relationship and parenting conflicts combine with a lack of understanding and increase to the point that yelling replaces rational conversation. Worse yet, children are most apt to do what they are taught and see as an example. As we lose critical thinking skills and no longer provide our children a proper role model, we propitiate the cycle and continue to dumb down the family and society as a whole.
At the Brush Fire Forum, we aim to encourage critical thinking in every aspect of our lives.
Your brain is already staying busy with some variety of thoughts every waking second of the day. Why not use spend some of that time with us exploring the reasons behind the things you believe, the things you trust, and the things you place your faith in? Critical thinking is like any other skill you possess, in that it only improves when practiced regularly.
Consider us your personal online practice squad.
