Posted: Dec 25, 2014 10:20 pm
surreptitious57 wrote:I think that critical thinking should be mandatory in all schools however it is going to be taught. I think that everyone should apply critical thinking as a general principle in everyday life. I think that one should never be fooled into thinking that ones own critical thinking skills are so honed to perfection that they cannot be improved on. I think that the only way is to take absolutely everything you are ever taught to pieces and then start from scratch
I fool myself into thinking I am a critical thinker but this is not entirely true since it takes more to be one that just being an atheist and member of rational fora. It requires taking the time to understand a subject and learn it with as open a mind as possible. And on ones own also away from all fora where there is no external distraction. Now it goes with out saying that I love being here but I actually learn more when I am away from the forum on my own just reading because I am not trying to score points or follow the in group as it is just me and the author of the book I am reading and no one else
I also like the fact that I am surrounded here by members that are vastly more educated than I and who I respect even if I do not always show it by paying attention to what it is that they are saying. That niggle notwithstanding however for me they are an excellent sounding board for filtering out anything which is not acceptable. Unfortunately being only human I do not always do as I should but if enough of the heavy hitters gang up on me then I know they must be right and I must be wrong
So while I know that my critical thinking has improved since I became an atheist and member of rational fora four years ago [ seems much longer than that ] I also know that here is plenty of room for improvement. And so I hope I never fall prey to Dunning Kruger. Which by virtue of actually knowing about it tends to invalidate against it. Many of the members here are university educated with degrees in physics and philosophy and maths. I have nothing in comparison to that which stops me from getting egotistical about my capabilities because they are nothing special in themselves
This is bit off topic but everything is obviously quiet today on all rational fora since no one is really here and I get bored if I do not post for a long time and so I hope kenny will forgive me for clogging up the thread but if anyone has read this try to understand what I am saying even if you do not agree with me. Now I like it when others do agree with me but if it happens too often it can make me feel rather good about myself but mercifully that is not something that is ever going to happen to someone as uneducated as me so for that I should be eternally grateful. Right I am off now as I have said too much already
The fact that you are aware of dunning Kruger, and try to not fall prey to it is a huge deal! Simply being aware that others do not think like you, or value the same things is something most people aren't aware of. I remember the Aha! Moment when one of my profs stressed that in the first week of a psychology class. It seemed bizarre to go through school, and never be exposed to this simple principle. It seemed we were all expected to think alike.
It seems that Texas Conservatives want to do away with critical thinking. Have a read:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/johntharvey ... -platform/