Critical Thinking Skills
Teach your kids to think for themselves and make up their own minds – teach them to research independent sources. Critical thinking skills need to be learned. Let them question things and show them how to figure it out. Think about it yourself, as well.
We used to have an encyclopedia to do research on as well as books and magazines, often from the library. Comparing information across them was usually similar and not contradictory – one may have added extra information than the others, which helped put a good report together. Like we were taught back then, try to act like it's police investigative work to put all facts in place.
Even if much information is outdated from them, it is because more has been found out since, or progress has been made that old information is no more applicable (like countries that no longer =exist, or new countries formed – but the history of them is still important – I have a piece of history connected to Prussia but Prussia is no more). There has been further research, more discoveries, and such which give newer perspectives, but it doesn’t mean the history or science was wrong then. It just was not complete and will likely never be complete because new discoveries can add to what we know now. If progress has pushed things along, the history of what they were, is still valuable to understand from their previous period of time.
Think about early telescopes and what they showed us. Later the telescopes were refined and looked further out than we could earlier imagine. We had the Hubble telescope for years, showing more than our personal ones, but the perspective of the James Webb telescope is even more detailed and impressive, (as well as personal programs for telescopes which can see further), which gives us new information (and some may counter previous theories, but without more information before, there was no way to know to think about it differently).
The same thing happens with history – while books were written from a perspective that did not include all we now know, more has been uncovered in various ways to complete the narrative better, even contradicting some earlier premises. It could be archeological digs finding new items that explain things further, or a flooded lake emptied with a town and relics, or more history from a different group of people who did not have their story included, etc.
It's not like previous science or history were all wrong, but more like incomplete, without all perspectives included. It was more like theories formed using all information given at the time. Science helps us know how to help our lives – from medicines and new surgeries to super foods, to knowing more of our universe, to battle fires, to predict weather, and much, much more. Science makes progress every day. History helps us understand what decisions were made and what civilizations did, which helped or hurt people. If we repeat the bad decisions, bad things will happen. If we learn from previous mistakes, we can benefit with new directives. Don’t be selective about history – try to get the complete narrative. For example, if you take a line from the Bible, without knowing its context in time or reading the entire passage around the line, you can come up with a completely different meaning than was meant. Embrace history and science. Critical thinking needs to help you discern what you learn and if it is truth or theory or a lie.
There is a lot of fake information now, as well, compared to what I used to research from. Try Googling for information and search from unbiased information – not from fringe sites which have an agenda (political or monetary or just lies to benefit a person or group if they can suck people in). If there is no agenda other than getting a truth out, then it’s a better source. If one person is the sole source of information, without looking at a different side, critical thinking suffers.
Discard wacky theories which are there to harm others – if critical thinking is not learned, people can lock onto absurd beliefs, like pizza-gate and politicians eating babies. Critical thinking will alert you to this being a big lie which is absurd. Critical thinking will have you research the origins of stories and causes – which often benefit the person who started it, who may have even had a mental issue. It might be started by a narcissist who refuse to see another view or listen to anyone who isn’t in line with him – look at the other side because only one’s person’s perspective is often wrong and discounts large numbers of people who have researched and do not agree. Do not let one person be your sole source of information – research for yourself.
I met a guy who said he was all-knowing and the sole expert at pretty much everything. He gaslighted his partner into thinking everything that was wrong was her fault and only he was right. He relished in stoking fear and saying he alone can fix people. It was all so outlandish with lie after lie after lie. The girl was starting to realize it and wanted to be saved from him. She was starting to do her own critical thinking to know there was a different “truth” than what he was spewing, which was not a truth.
When you see someone showing “evidence” of a situation being a certain way only, think about it and wonder – does it really prove what he said? Is it too general a piece of “evidence” that it really isn’t evidence – just a theory put out which may or may not “prove” itself? I am thinking of various theories of voting “fraud” – go straight to the source of the entities that processed the votes – the irregularities can be explained (not the lie that some have told). Our ballot drop box is at a rec center, so there is a lot of traffic of people in the area, plus parents or sitters dropping off and picking kids up, then going back to swim or work out. All are walking daily very near the ballot drop box. When I offered to drop off a ballot for my husband, I asked if he wanted photo proof that I actually dropped it in. He declined, but I would have. Once our ballots are delivered to the government offices, I get an email and text alert thanking me for my ballot. I see some others taking a selfie while putting their ballot in – just another way to take a selfie. When my vote is logged in after Election Day, I get a text and email telling me my vote was complete and logged into the system.
That is one example of people trying to convince you of something that did not definitively happen. Do your own research and critical thinking to realize some “proof” is not proof, and one person’s perspective is not necessarily correct and certainly not the only possibility. Critical thinking can help rule out the things that are not “proof” – look at it like a police detective would look at it – definitive proof or just an unproven theory? Would the result even be known from an unseen ballot – does anyone know they would be votes for one person or another? Too many holes are in many theories – which means it is not truth but just a theory. Critical thinking will lead you there.
Critical thinking needs us to understand history of various peoples – including Native American and Black histories, plus more. Without knowledge of how they were treated, we cannot learn empathy for them. Without books and history available, more prejudice exists. It doesn’t mean we get down and apologize for mistakes of ancestors – it means you see and understand that others before had a hand in harming their being. It means you understand the issues and hard feelings plaguing them. You did not commit the wrongs, so you are not personally responsible – except you are responsible for treating all people with respect. Everyone should have the same opportunities as others have and not continue to be penalized. Critical thinking should make you want to learn about others and how things got as they are now, with hatreds, with holding people back, with opportunities being held back. Be the better person and understand the issues knocking people down.
Critical thinking is a skill we all need to learn and embrace. Then we can take what is reasonable from a source and look at a different side and pull out the information to complete a narrative that makes sense, and whether a truth or a theory or a lie. PR
We used to have an encyclopedia to do research on as well as books and magazines, often from the library. Comparing information across them was usually similar and not contradictory – one may have added extra information than the others, which helped put a good report together. Like we were taught back then, try to act like it's police investigative work to put all facts in place.
Even if much information is outdated from them, it is because more has been found out since, or progress has been made that old information is no more applicable (like countries that no longer =exist, or new countries formed – but the history of them is still important – I have a piece of history connected to Prussia but Prussia is no more). There has been further research, more discoveries, and such which give newer perspectives, but it doesn’t mean the history or science was wrong then. It just was not complete and will likely never be complete because new discoveries can add to what we know now. If progress has pushed things along, the history of what they were, is still valuable to understand from their previous period of time.
Think about early telescopes and what they showed us. Later the telescopes were refined and looked further out than we could earlier imagine. We had the Hubble telescope for years, showing more than our personal ones, but the perspective of the James Webb telescope is even more detailed and impressive, (as well as personal programs for telescopes which can see further), which gives us new information (and some may counter previous theories, but without more information before, there was no way to know to think about it differently).
The same thing happens with history – while books were written from a perspective that did not include all we now know, more has been uncovered in various ways to complete the narrative better, even contradicting some earlier premises. It could be archeological digs finding new items that explain things further, or a flooded lake emptied with a town and relics, or more history from a different group of people who did not have their story included, etc.
It's not like previous science or history were all wrong, but more like incomplete, without all perspectives included. It was more like theories formed using all information given at the time. Science helps us know how to help our lives – from medicines and new surgeries to super foods, to knowing more of our universe, to battle fires, to predict weather, and much, much more. Science makes progress every day. History helps us understand what decisions were made and what civilizations did, which helped or hurt people. If we repeat the bad decisions, bad things will happen. If we learn from previous mistakes, we can benefit with new directives. Don’t be selective about history – try to get the complete narrative. For example, if you take a line from the Bible, without knowing its context in time or reading the entire passage around the line, you can come up with a completely different meaning than was meant. Embrace history and science. Critical thinking needs to help you discern what you learn and if it is truth or theory or a lie.
There is a lot of fake information now, as well, compared to what I used to research from. Try Googling for information and search from unbiased information – not from fringe sites which have an agenda (political or monetary or just lies to benefit a person or group if they can suck people in). If there is no agenda other than getting a truth out, then it’s a better source. If one person is the sole source of information, without looking at a different side, critical thinking suffers.
Discard wacky theories which are there to harm others – if critical thinking is not learned, people can lock onto absurd beliefs, like pizza-gate and politicians eating babies. Critical thinking will alert you to this being a big lie which is absurd. Critical thinking will have you research the origins of stories and causes – which often benefit the person who started it, who may have even had a mental issue. It might be started by a narcissist who refuse to see another view or listen to anyone who isn’t in line with him – look at the other side because only one’s person’s perspective is often wrong and discounts large numbers of people who have researched and do not agree. Do not let one person be your sole source of information – research for yourself.
I met a guy who said he was all-knowing and the sole expert at pretty much everything. He gaslighted his partner into thinking everything that was wrong was her fault and only he was right. He relished in stoking fear and saying he alone can fix people. It was all so outlandish with lie after lie after lie. The girl was starting to realize it and wanted to be saved from him. She was starting to do her own critical thinking to know there was a different “truth” than what he was spewing, which was not a truth.
When you see someone showing “evidence” of a situation being a certain way only, think about it and wonder – does it really prove what he said? Is it too general a piece of “evidence” that it really isn’t evidence – just a theory put out which may or may not “prove” itself? I am thinking of various theories of voting “fraud” – go straight to the source of the entities that processed the votes – the irregularities can be explained (not the lie that some have told). Our ballot drop box is at a rec center, so there is a lot of traffic of people in the area, plus parents or sitters dropping off and picking kids up, then going back to swim or work out. All are walking daily very near the ballot drop box. When I offered to drop off a ballot for my husband, I asked if he wanted photo proof that I actually dropped it in. He declined, but I would have. Once our ballots are delivered to the government offices, I get an email and text alert thanking me for my ballot. I see some others taking a selfie while putting their ballot in – just another way to take a selfie. When my vote is logged in after Election Day, I get a text and email telling me my vote was complete and logged into the system.
That is one example of people trying to convince you of something that did not definitively happen. Do your own research and critical thinking to realize some “proof” is not proof, and one person’s perspective is not necessarily correct and certainly not the only possibility. Critical thinking can help rule out the things that are not “proof” – look at it like a police detective would look at it – definitive proof or just an unproven theory? Would the result even be known from an unseen ballot – does anyone know they would be votes for one person or another? Too many holes are in many theories – which means it is not truth but just a theory. Critical thinking will lead you there.
Critical thinking needs us to understand history of various peoples – including Native American and Black histories, plus more. Without knowledge of how they were treated, we cannot learn empathy for them. Without books and history available, more prejudice exists. It doesn’t mean we get down and apologize for mistakes of ancestors – it means you see and understand that others before had a hand in harming their being. It means you understand the issues and hard feelings plaguing them. You did not commit the wrongs, so you are not personally responsible – except you are responsible for treating all people with respect. Everyone should have the same opportunities as others have and not continue to be penalized. Critical thinking should make you want to learn about others and how things got as they are now, with hatreds, with holding people back, with opportunities being held back. Be the better person and understand the issues knocking people down.
Critical thinking is a skill we all need to learn and embrace. Then we can take what is reasonable from a source and look at a different side and pull out the information to complete a narrative that makes sense, and whether a truth or a theory or a lie. PR
Critical thinking skills are important to discern truth from theory from a lie. The thinking skill is like police investigative work – put all FACTS in place to tell the story.
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