Critical thinking, or lack thereof.

[A & B]

Critical thinking is how intelligent people approach topics. Learning how to think and read into events and articles is what critical thinking is all about, but I get the feeling that nobody here cares.

For example:

In the thread regarding how Gitmo is a "paradise", right-wingers who refuse to believe any of the torture allegations, don't doubt for a moment it's legitimacy. They don't ask questions regarding the source. They don't take into account it's only one source. They don't doubt that he's telling the truth. They don't doubt that he represents a true opinion.

Whereas in any of the previous "torture" threads, any testimonies of detainees who were tortured are ignored. You guys complain about the credibility of the witness, and such. You complain that this is only one source and so on.

And Libs are the exact same, only vice versa. Welcoming as the absolute truth the "torture" allegations, and dismissing the "paradise" testimony.


Or using examples from the media. Many people accept without question the objectivity and truthfullness of the US media, but cast 101 accusations and allegations on say Al Jezeera.


What I'm getting at, is that a lot of people are good at pointing out weaknessess in things they don't agree with. You ask 101 questions, regarding the context, reliability, agenda, sources and so forth when you don't agree with what's being presented.... But for some reason, when you read something you agree with, all of this critical thinking is conspicuously absent.

Why is that?

Why don't we apply our criticisms and critiques equally to everything, regardless of whether or not we want to agree with it?

[TranceNRG]

Critical thinking is how intelligent people approach topics. Learning how to think and read into events and articles is what critical thinking is all about, but I get the feeling that nobody here cares.

What I'm getting at, is that a lot of people are good at pointing out weaknessess in things they don't agree with. You ask 101 questions, regarding the context, reliability, agenda, sources and so forth when you don't agree with what's being presented.... But for some reason, when you read something you agree with, all of this critical thinking is conspicuously absent.

Why is that?

Why don't we apply our criticisms and critiques equally to everything, regardless of whether or not we want to agree with it?


First of all, very well said.
Second of all, people have too much pride and ego. Their pride is also linked to their parents, culture and country. So, if they change their minds regarding issues, they see it as a weakness in what they have been taught, and how they have been raised.

Moreover, most people choose convinience over reason. It is always easier to follow the path of least resistence and of course again, this depends to your surroundings, how you were raised and who your friends are.

From a muslim prepectives, I can tell you that most muslims also lack the ability to think critically and independently.

[Couldbebigga]

First of all, very well said.
Second of all, people have too much pride and ego. Their pride is also linked to their parents, culture and country. So, if they change their minds regarding issues, they see it as a weakness in what they have been taught, and how they have been raised.

Moreover, most people choose conviniece over reason. It is always easier to follow the path of least resistence and of course again, this depends to your surroundings, how you were raised and who your friends are.

From a muslim prepectives, I can tell you that most muslims also lack the ability to think critically and independently.

Yep. It so much easier for people to just believe. Spinoza suggested (and it was later confirmed through experimentation) that people have to first believe something is true before they can believe it false. So the process goes STIMULI-TRUE-ASSESSMENT-OUTCOME.

So I guess it's just lazyness or inattentiveness that stops people going through the assessment process.

[xer0xed]

Either way, the new source creates an effect of net ambivalence, throwing a spoke in some of the arguments for "omg let's ban Guantanamo Bay!"

[coontang]

good thread. this should be a sticky. Wait.. Nobody reads the stickies. Nevermind :D

[A & B]

Apparently nobody even cares to think about critical thinking, let alone put it into practice here.