Learning to think

[Buddy]

anart, I do feel like I get what you're saying, but I need to ask a question or two. I hope this question is not intrusive, but if I were you, how might I have most likely responded to that example given? Or if you prefer, can you point me to an article (not too horribly long please) that you personally consider a model of critical thinking about an issue? I'd really appreciate that!

 

[anart]

anart, I do feel like I get what you're saying, but I need to ask a question or two. I hope this question is not intrusive, but if I were you, how might I have most likely responded to that example given?

I wouldn't have responded to it because I'm not a big fan of having discussions just for discussion's sake. Gurdjieff was constantly telling people to stop philosophizing (another term he used for wiseacring) because it's all a waste of time/energy. Until you really understand the self, it's all wasted energy and wasted time, just thinking (and talking) to please the self. Once you really understand the self (and how the mind works), you stop philosophizing, because, not only do you SEE what a waste of time and energy it is, you realize that your wiseacring doesn't amount to a hill of beans because everything you don't know far outweighs what you do know.

Or if you prefer, can you point me to an article (not too horribly long please) that you personally consider a model of critical thinking about an issue? I'd really appreciate that!

I think the reading we're doing right now on Strangers to Ourselves, Thinking fast and slow, etc. are all really clear explanations of how our brains work and how to think more clearly, and more critically. If you want my distilled take on it, critical thinking is a very, very simple thing - it is removing yourself from the equation, and all that entails.

 

[Buddy]

Thanks. I appreciate you.

 

[anart]

Thanks. I appreciate you.

It's mutual. :)