4 ways to enhance critical thinking skills
Critical thinking is plainly in decline. Everywhere we glance, individuals are uncritically consuming and spreading data that’s distorted, deceptive, and generally deliberately misleading. Conspiracy thinking is rampant–QAnon, Alex Jones and the Sandy Hook taking pictures, Pizzagate, and unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud are just some of probably the most infamous examples. The very foundations of our democracy are arguably in danger when tens of millions are keen to consider irrational and unfounded claims.
Nobel prize-winning economist Daniel Kahneman (Thinking Fast and Slow) demonstrated that we’re usually inclined to draw conclusions primarily based on intestine instincts, thereby avoiding the onerous work of carefully analyzing proof. Psychologists and neuroscientists have proven that we’re topic to “confirmation bias,” the tendency to consider no matter reinforces our prior views and to disbelieve what challenges them. We are particularly susceptible to this bias if altering our views could be expensive–financially, to our status, or to our id. These pure tendencies, exacerbated by the pervasiveness of social media and the limitless entry to data on the web, go away us susceptible to being duped by disinformation.
But we’re not defenseless. There are some easy workouts we are able to use to fight each our pure instincts and the rising tide of digital misinformation.
1. Explore context. Whatever you learn comes from somebody with a specific historical past, perspective, and set of pursuits. Ask your self: Who is that this individual? Where are they coming from, actually and figuratively? What would possibly s/he stand to acquire by persuading us of this?
