Critical Thinking

Proverbs 14:15(ERV)

Fools believe every word they hear, but wise people think carefully about everything.

Acts 17:11(ERV)

The people in Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica. They were so glad to hear the message Paul told them. They studied the Scriptures every day to make sure what they heard was really true.

People who think differently or critically can be considered social outcasts or Pariahs.

We have to be part of this political mindset or that political mindset.

I’m a Christian but I try to respect other people’s beliefs and listen because we can learn from others.

Critical Thinking – The discipline to process and analyze information and evaluate subjects and topics to form reasoned, logical judgments, rather than simply accepting what is presented.

1. Question assumptions

2. Consider multiple perspectives

3. Apply reasoning

4. Solve problems

5. Come to your own conclusions

6. But come to conclusions based on facts as you know them, We should be willing to change our conclusion if we learn differently, or if new information presents itself.

We live in a day where so much information, so many podcasts, YouTube, blogs, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, plus we have our regular network tv news and radio station news programs.

We can fall into the processing information so fast that we can get lazy and come to conclusions about things and people so fast.

We can have our go-to people who feed us information, and we can get lazy and accept their few without thinking or investigating ourselves.

There is so much group thinking, and if we are part of a group we can’t think outside that group.

The other side can be totally right, but we refuse to accept it because they oppose our side. So many times, I have been wrong, mainly because I was too lazy to do research myself.

There is such a divide socially and political that most feel like they are forced to take a side. So we can fall into the attitude of only listening and receiving from people that think like us.

Even in Christianity and other religions, there are groups within groups, there is such a divide.

Probably always have been a divide but seems like more because of social media.

Social media is one of the greatest tools ever, but with progress also comes conflicts.

So let’s try to be better listeners, not just listening to reply but listening to understand, that can be hard to do, but can be done.

Do not just believe everything you hear just because it’s coming from your sources.

Great leaders and communicators should want you to think for yourself and not just blindly believe everything they say.

None of us are always right, we all can continue to learn and evolve.

One of the main purpose of media and social media is to keep dialogue happening, even if it is negative and divisive, it keeps the views and comments coming.

They want to keep us divided and arguing amounts ourselves.

Matthew 12:25(ERV)

Every Kingdom that fights against itself will be destroyed. And every city or family that is divided against itself will not survive.

We will never agree on everything, but we can all get along with each as much as possible.

Romans 12:8(ERV)

Do the best you can to live in peace with everyone.

Now, with some people, that may not be possible, but we can do our best.

Listening to a different perceptive, can help us grow.

Critical Thinking – let’s get back to that.