This week I had an early morning walk in the mountains. There is something magical and transcendent about an elevation away from “the hustle and bustle” of humanity. The sounds and smells are always awe-inspiring and remarkable. My sojourn into nature’s embrace was also so blessed. A sense of peace pervaded my thoughts. I stopped and remarked on this. This stream of consciousness, (1) my thoughts, are uniquely my own: my universe, my personal and inner reflections, can be accessed by no one but me. I am alone: there is no one but me and my connection with infinity, with God as I see him. This idea produces a sense of naked and unvarnished terror in many people; they do not know how to deal with this freedom — hence the phenomenon of the unrequited life. (2) This does not have to be.
There is a profound distinction between thoughts, as described above and thinking and analyzing – what is called quite aptly critical thinking. This is, clearly, thinking that is evaluative and analytical. This separates a jumble of intentions and images into a series of cogent premises and ideas. Thoughts could be best described as a freshet of beliefs coursing through your subconscious. If you make little attempt to collect them, they flow on unimpeded. Thinking, as in the critical genre, is very different. It can build an argument, frame a premise, etc. It requires training as with any expertise. It, sadly, does not come naturally. World politics can only reinforce this claim.
“What does it mean to think critically? You must begin by basing your beliefs upon actual evidence; as opposed to what you believe ‘may’ be true: this is known as wishfulthinking. Examine all of your premises or beliefs. Analyze, in great detail, all of the facts that you assume or think are true. Many of them may be unreliable or totally fallacious: they may be assumptions that are just not correct. You may be deluding yourself. How do you know whether they are true or not? Scrutinize your logic. Is the reasoning you are using legitimate or is it flawed in some way? Is it systematically biased in a certain direction? (Think about the repetition of the belief that we live in a violent world – do we? I don’t nor do you.) We are all extremely good at rationalizing beliefs when we have a desire to believe in a certain conclusion. Understanding your own motivations will help you to ‘deconstruct’ that process, and it will give you the skills to lead to conclusions that are more likely to be true, as opposed to the ones you just want to be true.” This has been paraphrased from numerous sources. (3)
So there we are – as we continue on with our day-to-day lives, we can be as free as we “think” we can be. Freedom, however, has its own curse, doesn’t it because “freedom is not free.” It requires effort, study, training and an element of luck. Given these factors, nonetheless, individuals have a better chance at accessing the four key portals to success in life – those of happiness, peace, love, and curiosity or seeking – if they take the critical thinking path. Few, strangely, seem willing to put in the intellectual exertion: why? I recommend more walks in nature. Wonderful reflections are presented when the sun comes over the horizon.
The great scholar, polymath, and Nobel laureate, Lord Bertrand Russell (1872-1970), leaves us with a reflection: The opinions that are held with passion are always those for which no good ground (4) exists; indeed the passion is the measure of the holders lack of rational conviction. Opinions in politics and religion are almost always held passionately.
A closing thought: It is essential that we promote the idea of critical thinking and analysis, in general. Many believe that the yellow journalistic (5) trends we see in all media simply want to “dummy down” the population and make it more compliant, but is that true? (6) The responsibility lies with me. It is overly simplistic to blame someone or something else for my “lot in life” or how I see the world. I must develop the abovementioned skills if I want a chance at personal freedom in my life. It is a wonderful life, but this is not realized without work — the work on my personal development, that is. Remember the saying: nothing is ever free, not even freedom. (7)
To sum up: This week, we spoke about walking as a way to develop the skill of thinking.
A small joke: One police officer to the other, “What a mess! A hyperbole totally ripped into this bar and destroyed everything.”
Just for fun – The Two Cellos
This week, on your introspective stroll, please reflect on your own powers of thought.
Every day look for something magical and beautiful.
Quote: It is a great day when you can feel the shafts of morning light.
Footnotes:
4) Here, “no good ground,” means a lack of a rational basis – no intelligent reason.
5) Yellow Journalism: The “Fake News” of the 19th Century
6) Why we shouldn’t blame the world’s woes on the stupidity of others