Critical Thinking: The Skill They Don't Want You To Have
Resisting the war for your thoughts.
Life is noisy. We invite persistent messages through the devil in the palm of our hands, allowing the constant bombardment of narratives that fight for the space in our brains.
Thought.
This pandemonium in my opinion only allows for the confusion of our understanding of the world around us and the important societal issues that face us. It can be difficult to remain diplomatic and rational.
In March 2020 I decided to remove myself from Facebook, I’d noticed that apart from the consistent message that people’s lives were perfect, everyone seemed to be looking for a fight. Their politics had become aggressive and common sense, rationality and critical thinking had completely evaporated.
Be Your Best Defence
Nowadays there seems to be a plethora of permissions for what is ‘correct.’ You’re not allowed to make a simple judgement on what you think you see for fear of being ‘cancelled.’
Out of nowhere, it’s felt like we are now not only fighting each other but have heightened fear and anxiety that we are not going to be seen as right! We suddenly always need to win. There are no in-betweens. This surely is not sustainable, and this division brewed by false narratives feels like it’s destroying our ability to think critically.
I’m pretty sure this level of indoctrination was used by wicked forces in the past. That shit destroyed nations and millions of lives. It’s bewildering as to why people are so willingly going down this path of discourse again.
We have to wake up to this manufactured confusion and as individuals go against what is truly going on.
The war for your thoughts is real. You are your best defence.
Thoughts On Wokeism
You only have to look back at the last 100 years and you’ll see how fearful, divided people are easier to manipulate. A culture of fear is the concept that people may incite fear in the general public to achieve political or workplace goals through emotional bias. Even the Bible tells us that a house divided cannot stand. There surely cannot be wisdom in constantly fighting to be right.
So why are people so hell-bent on doing it?
Wokeism is a dangerous weapon that is being used by fear-mongering people and organisations with agendas that do not benefit us as a whole. It has created elevated levels of fear, and bigger polarisations than ever before.
Every day people like you and I are being used as fodder. Divide and conquer is in action on a social media platform near you!
This Way Please
At the risk of sounding all doom and gloom, we find ourselves at this fascinating critical juncture. It’s all happening at lightning speed and it might be time to reflect on what really matters to us.
Where do your core values stand? What do you believe really matters for you and those around you?
Nearly three years later I have come back to Facebook, but I’m taking much better care of how I operate both there and on any other social media platforms. I don’t take part in arguments; I don’t even read the comments. If I see someone is in need I’ll respond and I’ll certainly like the photos of your grandma's 90th birthday party.
But in terms of critical thinking, it is time to show personal leadership and exercise legitimate change. Never has it been more important to question narratives and have reasonable discussions instead of heated screaming matches.
Here are my 7 ways to better equip yourself to critically think and take back the power of your thought.
· Question everything. Not everything we think we know or are told is the absolute truth.
· Commit to developing your astuteness and critical thinking skills. Practising patience and tolerance will give you a bigger ability to think widely.
· Trust your gut. Using your intuition is the key to tapping into your core values. Turn off the TV, and the radio and switch off your phone. Take time to quietly think and feel in your gut what is right.
· Be intelligent and draw on your own experiences. Common sense will direct you when others are attempting to sway you from something you know to be right.
· Remember that opinions are not necessarily facts, you can still respect other people’s perspectives, but keep this in mind.
· Read and learn. History is important. There is so much to learn from what has happened in the past and apply to how it relates to today.
· Nurture yourself to be compassionate, kind and loving. Without anger and resentment, you will be more introspective and able to find viable solutions.
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Gioia is a freelance journalist and documentary maker based in Merseyside. You can visit her work on Muckrack.
