Where Have All the Critical Thinkers Gone?

Hot take.

Thanks to FiveThirtyEight for the inspiration.

Critical thinking is at an all-time low, it seems.

Our reptilian brains aren’t equipped to handle the ongoing level of stress of this global pandemic.

We’re reverting to base behaviors, like mistrust of the ‘other,’ selfishness, jumping to conclusions and acting on old biological defaults.

We’ve removed obstacles to information with the Internet and social media.

BUT.

Some of those obstacles were actually helping prevent misinformation from spreading.

Were there books and articles written and available at libraries, at bookstores and on newsstands that were deliberately or accidently misleading? Absolutely.

BUT.

Now, with the click of a button, anyone, from anywhere, can say pretty much anything and have it be seen by hundreds, thousands or millions of people. And even if social media platforms or website fact-checkers bring the content down… it exists in perpetuity. People have saved it, taken screenshots and disseminated it already. And sometimes, the more difficult it can be to find a particular piece of information, no matter how patently false, the more of a siren song it is to those that want to believe.

It feels like The Circle. Like Atlas Shrugged. Like 1984. Like A Brave New World.

I’m not one for wallowing or complaining. I’m interested in moving forward in a positive and constructive way.

I’m all-in for updating curriculums and approaches to learning for children and adults. I’m pro-curiosity. Pro-conversation. I operate with a growth mindset, where there’s room for everyone, and together we can create more opportunities.

Some of the things that I find helpful are checking the accuracy and political leaning of sources before sharing with others, picking an appropriate time and channel to engage with others that have different perspectives and being choosy about my areas of deep focus and engagement. I also dedicate my entire business to the growth and development of skills like emotional intelligence, conflict management, accountability, leadership, teamwork, communication, contextual intelligence and more.

I would love to hear YOUR thoughts.

How can we move forward?

What is working for you in your organization? Your family? Your community?

What do you recommend to others that are concerned about the current state of events?

As always, I'd love to hear your feedback, and I welcome any other resources you'd like to share!