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Should there be a law against obstructions... | by Illiad | 2007-10-08 13:57:30 |
| Strong argument? |
by jdelphiki |
2007-10-08 18:34:56 |
That's a little vague and targeted to the unsaid assumption behind the question: that too many people are too stupid to think the right way.
Next is the idea that such folk should be reeducated (or somehow "enabled") to "think critically". It smacks of the notion that the aforemention assumption is being propagated against the aforementioned people by some unnamed, fill-in-the-blank institution.
The truly ironic thing is that the statement in the TLP is a perfect example of itself: too many people are willing to blindly accept that those who don't think the same way as they do...for whatever the reason...aren't thinking properly. In doing so, they are avoiding the critical thinking that might allow them to perceive that different ways of thinking do not necessarily preclude logic or intelligence. The TLP statement becomes its own self-fulfilling prophecy.
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If I haven't already bored you with my response, I'll get there soon. ;) You can safely skip my further analysis. OTOH, if you want to hear my theories on the social aspects behind this line of thinking, read on. But you were warned. ;)
The impetus behind the line of thinking in the TLP ties to a very basic aspect of human nature. Humans are social creatures and we are intrinsically geared toward clumping ourselves into social groups. We start early, looking at our childhood peers for ways to separate ourselves into various groups of "us" and "them". Much of the drama we experience in childhood social settings come from these tendencies, as we learn our social skills.
The thing is, we never really grow out of that quest for our social identities. Family, church, political affiliation...all those are fairly obvious. But there are also aspects of identity tied to our personal preferences. We cheer our favorite sports team and identify with other, like-minded fans. Let another fan show up at the game and it's an invasion to our territory. We identify the drivers in traffic who drive the same way we do and look at those who drive differently as dangerous outsiders.
It's such an ingrained part of us that most of the time, we don't even we know we're doing it. Even being aware of it, I constantly surprise myself, realizing that I'm subconsciously looking down my nose at some class or classification of people who are somehow different from me. It bugs the everliving s4 out of me when it happens. As I've gotten older, I've pushed myself to understand the mechanics behind those attitudes. It doesn't necessarily make me like people of different political pursuasion or of different driving skills, but it *does* serve to remind me that, even if I don't agree with someone...even if they're obviously being illogical or not thinking critically...it does not mean that they're somehow *less* than me. Given human nature, how can I trust that my own perspectives are accurate...that I'm being honest with myself? And beyond all that, what does it say about me if I judge an entire class of people based on whatever single attribute that I've decided makes them different or "wrong"?
I'm human, so I know I'll never get "over" the social selectivity of my nature. But at least I can try. So when I see a veiled implication that suggests a whole section of human society is irrationally causing the planet to ail, I want to step back and look at the bigger picture. And here's what I know for certain: I'm not nearly smart enough, or perfect enough, to judge the problems of the world as resulting from someone else's irrationality. It's not my place to do so.
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[ Reply ] |
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I wonder how hated I am by the critical thinkers? | by vetitice | 2007-10-08 21:04:32 |
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Making mistakes != Lack of critical thinking | by jdelphiki | 2007-10-09 05:30:40 |
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