Something Everyone Should See

Originally posted by FutureThinker

Nice Video, I am well aware of this, especially since I've been a member of ATS.

I don't post very much, after reading some of the other members comments, it's pretty clear that they are not even reading the OP at all, they read the Headline and the first few words of the OP and then make some rude comment.

These people are NOT Critical Thinkers, they are Backwards Thinkers, even my 10yr old daughter knows you have to READ something to understand it.

My job requires me to continually go to school and take tests, one day in the lunch room, someone asked me if I was going to take some tests for everyone so they could get credit for them, I said NO, and I made the comment that everyone just has to do the required READING and then they could pass the tests on thier own, then the room went quiet, and they dropped the subject.

I'ts a pretty sad world that we live in.

A Critical Thinking Class starting in Elementary School should be a requirement for all students,

"Critical Thinking 101"



Peace

This is true. Critical thinking - if you don't employ it you are going to be easy to fool.

This thread has everything to do with everything. Just to answer one of those who questioned why it was even posted on ATS. Critical thinking is an absolute necessity to get through life with the least amount barriers, or shall I say...to maneuver easily around those barriers. Although, I have not mastered critical thinking and I doubt I ever will, I try to look at things from many different perspectives. For a simple example, on my way to work, I may decide it would save time to drive through a neighborhood to get there, but then...what time is it? Well, the school buses are running now and I know they should be in that neighborhood about now, so I will take an alternative direction. This is a simple example but I am just trying to get the point across. When we make decisions, we need to think about the potential consequences or possibilities involved, make sure all bases are covered and come to the conclusion that will have a positive outcome. When my wife and I have an issue we are discussing about in our relationship. I try to think of various ways to say something, so I will not hurt her feelings.

I was pulled over by a police officer two weeks ago for speeding, As he was calling in my tag, I was thinking about what excuse I was going to use. I thought," Officer, I was late to work"...but I knew that was a typical answer. I then thought," I didn't see the sign posted", terrible excuse. Then I thought, " Officer, I know I was speeding but I really wanted to talk to you about something, so I decided to speed up so you would pull me over." I decided to use that excuse. When he approached my truck, he said, "Good morning, sir. Can I see your license and registration, please?" I said, "Sure!" He asked," Do you know why I pulled you over? My reply," Yes, because I was speeding...but there is a reason. He said," And why is that? I replied, "Because I needed to ask you a question." With a puzzled expression on his face, he asked," What is that?" I replied,"This has really been bothering me lately and I was wondering if you or any of your fellow officers have ever taken a sip out of someones canteen when you suspected them of drinking and driving like the cop did in Dumb and Dumber?"

This officer busted out laughing and said, "That is the craziest excuse I have ever been given in 15 years!" He walked away shaking his head. He stopped half way to his patrol car, turned around, stared at my truck for a few seconds and walked back. He said,"Do me a favor and slow it down." I said," Thank you sir, but can you answer my question?" He looked at me for a few seconds, smiled, tapped the top of my truck and walked away.

Now that is critical thinking!!!!!! LOL

reply to post by emptyOmind


thank you
for the
refreshing reminder ∞

LOVE

Originally posted by maryjo44
reply to post by C-JEAN

 

This is excellent

Everyone should watch this. Thanks op for a great find. Just what a few ats members need to see for sure. I spend a lot of time reading comments and there are a lot of them that make me go

Fine little job op...

I was thinking this exact same thing. There are people whose opinions seem to be etched in stone.
Even reason does not budge them and in matters where the opposing side definitely has some valid points that can not be categorically dismissed they seem to be blinded to them and do not make accommodations for them. It is as if they IGNORE an opposing valid view point IT WILL GO AWAY.

Don't you always want to hear the opposing argument?
Ask yourself....Why are they against this?

I can't make a decision without hearing and considering that other side and I do not see how others can, but it goes on all the time. People trying to force thought without allowing people to investigate, discover and think for themselves. Like another poster says about people taking tests themselves. The learning and along the way is the adventure, the fun part...the curious thing called life and discovery.

Originally posted by newcovenant
reply to post by emptyOmind

 

It is a great video!
I hope people take the 5 minutes or so, it takes to watch it.

I think we should be required to watch it before we begin posting on ATS.

Just watching something doesn't guarantee that any random person would agree enough to implement it, and it's rather slow for those of us who already practice this to some degree.

Generally speaking, this type of video is not the place to use diagrams with specific "for instance" diagrams (like the ones that kept popping up on Evolution and surrounding mess). As soon as you put something that is that polarizing in a video, you often get a lot of people to shut down without watching the rest. They're too busy protecting their precious viewpoint at that moment to hear that they need to try to be more open. This is like inciting an intellectual riot, deliberately tripping people into their various neurosis, in order to make you look like a more open minded person, and having trapped the other person into answering off-kilter. It's a milder form of asking the question: "Have you beaten your wife lately?" and expecting this person to give a fair answer.

Originally posted by FutureThinker
A Critical Thinking Class starting in Elementary School should be a requirement for all students,
"Critical Thinking 101"

It's not going to happen, other than what little individual teachers teach of it. I'm sorry, we live with a system that teaches to a test, and there is little room for anything else. The only way is if they massively overhaul the system.

Plus, you teach little kids to think critically, the teachers then have to be critical thinkers (at the minimum) and the closest thing I've heard to a course in critical thinking was the logic course my dad took in college '79-'83? It was a voluntary course. So, most teachers themselves aren't taught the upper critical thinking skills well enough to teach it to these kids. Don't get me wrong, a lot of teachers are bright, and many have come to conclusions about the necessity of critical thinking skills, and can teach based upon what they've figured out themselves. (Reminder, I took the courses on scaffolding in child psychology and other various education courses, so I was introduced to the need to teach some of it, but it's very rarely taught on the level that this video states we need to practice.)

But this video is not on how smart you are, but how you go about thinking. Some of the brightest people out there are not always the most critical thinkers. Yes, intelligence makes it easier to think critically, so putting the kids who grasp concepts quickly with those that take a while to catch up is a good practice, but even the most intelligent thinkers can be wrong.

Originally posted by newcovenantThere are people whose opinions seem to be etched in stone.
Even reason does not budge them and in matters where the opposing side definitely has some valid points that can not be categorically dismissed they seem to be blinded to them and do not make accommodations for them.

There are people who appear this way who are not. There are people who have concrete ideas and decisions who come across as dismissing what you see to be as logical because you're the one not making full sense. This happens to the brightest of us. (Me? when I'm up at 5 AM in the morning, after not having slept, and my ADHD decides that I'm going to skip about 3 sentences that are required to set up a conclusion I'm trying to make. It's embarrassing as hell, but ah well.)

Don't you always want to hear the opposing argument?

There's more than not wanting to be outed as wrong. Some arguments require REAMS of defense, and in an online setting like this, there's plain not enough time in 1 lifetime to debate every single post--and there's a few threads I'm having to do this in, and I plain don't have the time to humor anyone--even when I'm right and can enlighten them, and most certainly in the areas that I'm wrong about that will NEVER have any importance in my life. This is where some, not all, of the comments that are so negative when "new ideas" pop up. The ideas generally aren't that new. The news-breaking story has about 12 different stories just like it. Many of us old grumps have "been there, done that". The only reason to stop by in such threads is there is a chance we can be wrong--and that chance is precious. The shame is when we are right and we don't say anything we're the most useless intellectuals on the face of the planet.

I can't make a decision without hearing and considering that other side and I do not see how others can, but it goes on all the time. People trying to force thought without allowing people to investigate, discover and think for themselves.

It's not always about not considering the other side. It's often that the other side has been presented umpteenth times, and still hasn't found the information (data) that is required to sway those who are against this idea. More on that later.

Also you literally don't see how others can make a decision without hearing and considering that other side because you haven't heard and considered WHO the person is you're talking to. I'm not saying you're at fault, I'm saying that if you cannot walk in this person's shoes, you won't understand how they came to their conclusions. Sometimes understanding each other is far more important than understanding the argument. Interrelational skills are paramount to communal critical thinking. The problem is for those of us who are fairly decent at this skill, we can still be wrong because there's a huge danger of reading in between the lines of what was actually said verses what we think this other person feels.

Now, I hope that made sense because I don't know if I can break that down further.

...............

Also, what is good to note is that this video is about making a SOLID CONCLUSION fully dressed in reality. What it is easy to assume after watching such a small video on critical thinking is that the Open Minded person will be swayed by each and every new source that arises. That's not how this works. We're setting aside as many of our biases/emotions/quirks as possible to try to parse pure logic through a sieve. That means that some threshold conditions have been met to come to our conclusions. Once we have a conclusion, this should be unwavering until data that meets the required threshold is introduced. For instance:

If A=B, and B=C, then A MUST = C. In this case, the required threshold for A=/=C is that either there's new evidence that A=/=B or that B=/=C. So any information that is outside of A=/=B and is outside B=/=C, and sometimes A=/=C is irrelevant and will be dismissed repeatedly. Otherwise known as someone who is fully open minded on the subject can fully dismiss a conversation as soon as it starts when it doesn't meet the criteria necessary to motivate a change in thought. (that was the "more".)

So, yes, you strive to understand even the weakest argument, but your conviction isn't necessarily going to waver into doubt mode every 5 seconds. you're understanding that you can be wrong, but that you're not always going to be.

Theoretical complication:
In a world that is ONLY black and white, that is populated with minds filled with colors, you wind up having to deal with only colored decisions. Those decisions will never be fully right, but they'll be approximate. How's that for frustrating in concept?

My education system taught me this long and hard.. long and hard.. and I'm really grateful!
It's helped in every aspect of life. Question everything, my friends. I think a great example of a cool critical thinker is George Carlin, who said just that, but could also form his views in ways that were profound and entertaining.

His charisma, and many others', has made it so that I'd have it no other way!

Cool vid.

reply to post by emptyOmind


Hey, thanks so much for pointing that out. I've been meaning to look into this for a while now.

reply to post by emptyOmind


Awesome vid! I see you updated the OP to add more text, thank you for that. I generally dont watch a youtube video unless something in the OP catches my interest, and your text did just that.

I also think its great that you employed the exactly critical thinking skills the youtube video is talking about by admitting to the flaw, and working to correct it.

Props!

DC

Originally posted by TeroK
My education system taught me this long and hard.

Omg where did you study?
Has for me, critical thinking has pretty much ruined my whole education since it seems it the last thing they want, especially if the critical thinking logically comes down to the teacher not really grasping the knowledge of what he is making us learn. I have made many intelligent friends trough school but I have made a lot of teachers enemies.

To bad friends aren't the one that gives you the grades. heh

reply to post by emptyOmind


a lot of people who like to call themselves >>sceptics

Great video.

I naturally function this way. My MBTI type is ISTJ.

Great great video. Im having a discussion with my brother right now about religion, and It's hard to explain to him when he is a Black and White thinker, and I am more of a Critical Thinker. (I.E. he is a devoted Christian, and I have no real "Religion") I posted this video on Facebook, so hopefully he and more people like him will pick this up and learn off of it.

Originally posted by User8911

Originally posted by TeroK
My education system taught me this long and hard.

Omg where did you study?
Has for me, critical thinking has pretty much ruined my whole education since it seems it the last thing they want, especially if the critical thinking logically comes down to the teacher not really grasping the knowledge of what he is making us learn. I have made many intelligent friends trough school but I have made a lot of teachers enemies.

To bad friends aren't the one that gives you the grades. heh

Absurd, without critical thinking teachers would struggle to teach maths and science, they actively prompte it within western cultures.

If your truely intrested read back a few where I described class room tasks.

One last point is that teachers , especially if your at college or university, do not want you to fail, they really dont but if you dont put your own time and effort into something your never going to get the grades you want ( in refrence to your quimm about friends giving grades).

PS, as a critical thinker, you should know that the grades you achieve are up to your self and it doesent matter if the teacher is retarted as from course books alone you can pass any exam, the teacher is there for referrence not to coach you through an exam.

Originally posted by Angelsoftheapocalypse
Great great video. Im having a discussion with my brother right now about religion, and It's hard to explain to him when he is a Black and White thinker, and I am more of a Critical Thinker. (I.E. he is a devoted Christian, and I have no real "Religion") I posted this video on Facebook, so hopefully he and more people like him will pick this up and learn off of it.

first of all, thanks everyone for your responses, i'm thoroughly glad that this thread reached some people and i hope the effect will be that this video spreads to as many people as possible.

also you said that you will be posting this video on facebook, i think that is a great idea, and i will be doing the same, i wanted to encourage everyone else who has participated in this thread and liked the video to do the same, share it through your social media networks, i think the effect will be wonderful. thanks for your time everyone! God bless!

edit: i just found the original poster of this video on youtube, its a user named qualiasoup and it looks like they have some other awesome videos, which i think deserve threads of their own, i will be checking them out for sure. here is the link to the original: www.youtube.com...

Originally posted by CynicalDrivel

Originally posted by newcovenantThere are people whose opinions seem to be etched in stone.
Even reason does not budge them and in matters where the opposing side definitely has some valid points that can not be categorically dismissed they seem to be blinded to them and do not make accommodations for them.

There are people who appear this way who are not. There are people who have concrete ideas and decisions who come across as dismissing what you see to be as logical because you're the one not making full sense. This happens to the brightest of us. (Me? when I'm up at 5 AM in the morning, after not having slept, and my ADHD decides that I'm going to skip about 3 sentences that are required to set up a conclusion I'm trying to make. It's embarrassing as hell, but ah well.)

Don't you always want to hear the opposing argument?

There's more than not wanting to be outed as wrong. Some arguments require REAMS of defense, and in an online setting like this, there's plain not enough time in 1 lifetime to debate every single post--and there's a few threads I'm having to do this in, and I plain don't have the time to humor anyone--even when I'm right and can enlighten them, and most certainly in the areas that I'm wrong about that will NEVER have any importance in my life. This is where some, not all, of the comments that are so negative when "new ideas" pop up. The ideas generally aren't that new. The news-breaking story has about 12 different stories just like it. Many of us old grumps have "been there, done that". The only reason to stop by in such threads is there is a chance we can be wrong--and that chance is precious. The shame is when we are right and we don't say anything we're the most useless intellectuals on the face of the planet.

I can't make a decision without hearing and considering that other side and I do not see how others can, but it goes on all the time. People trying to force thought without allowing people to investigate, discover and think for themselves.

It's not always about not considering the other side. It's often that the other side has been presented umpteenth times, and still hasn't found the information (data) that is required to sway those who are against this idea. More on that later.

Also you literally don't see how others can make a decision without hearing and considering that other side because you haven't heard and considered WHO the person is you're talking to. I'm not saying you're at fault, I'm saying that if you cannot walk in this person's shoes, you won't understand how they came to their conclusions. Sometimes understanding each other is far more important than understanding the argument. Interrelational skills are paramount to communal critical thinking. The problem is for those of us who are fairly decent at this skill, we can still be wrong because there's a huge danger of reading in between the lines of what was actually said verses what we think this other person feels.

Now, I hope that made sense because I don't know if I can break that down further.

...............

Also, what is good to note is that this video is about making a SOLID CONCLUSION fully dressed in reality. What it is easy to assume after watching such a small video on critical thinking is that the Open Minded person will be swayed by each and every new source that arises. That's not how this works. We're setting aside as many of our biases/emotions/quirks as possible to try to parse pure logic through a sieve. That means that some threshold conditions have been met to come to our conclusions. Once we have a conclusion, this should be unwavering until data that meets the required threshold is introduced. For instance:

If A=B, and B=C, then A MUST = C. In this case, the required threshold for A=/=C is that either there's new evidence that A=/=B or that B=/=C. So any information that is outside of A=/=B and is outside B=/=C, and sometimes A=/=C is irrelevant and will be dismissed repeatedly. Otherwise known as someone who is fully open minded on the subject can fully dismiss a conversation as soon as it starts when it doesn't meet the criteria necessary to motivate a change in thought. (that was the "more".)

So, yes, you strive to understand even the weakest argument, but your conviction isn't necessarily going to waver into doubt mode every 5 seconds. you're understanding that you can be wrong, but that you're not always going to be.

Theoretical complication:
In a world that is ONLY black and white, that is populated with minds filled with colors, you wind up having to deal with only colored decisions. Those decisions will never be fully right, but they'll be approximate. How's that for frustrating in concept?

I have to admit I am a little bit lost.