Critical Thinking Limitations and Dealing with Real People (Not the Whimsical Well-Wishers)

The Question:Take some time to reflect on the current state of your critical thinking competencies. Consider your thinking processes when you started the course. Have they changed at all? Have you been able to internalize any of the techniques and concepts you have learned? What will it take to make lasting, positive changes in the way you think?

The Answer:

One of my lowest critical thinking competencies is in intellectual trait or virtue. In reviewing my intellectual habits, I realize that I lack a lot of the traits which compose critical thinking. I believe I actively practice intellectual courage, as I am excited to question the status quo and long-held beliefs within a system. A reply to a question noting, “Because it’s always been done this way,” lights a fire within me. I also believe I exemplify intellectual autonomy, as I enjoy thinking independently about questions and problems. I can see multiple sides to an issue, and usually have many options on how to solve a problem, as well as the consequences and benefits for each possibility.

I believe my weaknesses are within intellectual integrity, fair-mindedness and humility. Intellectual integrity espouses an understanding of similar expectations between what a person’s standards of thinking and behavior are and their perception of other’s thinking and behavior. I do not believe others hold themselves to as high of a standard as I do, which is why I am also poor in intellectual fair-mindedness. I believe that others are always working in their own self-interest, and are not blind to the truth of others, but choose to act as if they are ignorant of these vantages. Particularly, I find those with more cultural capital are far more “ignorant” in the ways they assume the world works; these people cannot be trusted to act in the best interest of all people, only those who align with their status. I also realize that the collective with more things in common will either assimilate or oust the other. Because I know they are looking out for themselves, I look out for my interests.

Intellectual humility is the ability to see one’s own biases and ignorance, and acknowledging them. Though I know I do not know everything, I am defensive against others because I know those with more ascribed or achieved status believe they know more than I do. They assume they have had better access to knowledge that I have; that I have not been given the opportunity to communicate or travel outside of my perceived bubble; that I could not comprehend the multifaceted dynamics of any thematic or concept. It is shown in questioning about concepts they only just grasped, in hopes of shining knowledge on an unfortunate dark mind.

Though I have been able to study the mental roadblocks I have that make true critical thinking difficult, I believe some are necessary for survival. I do not expect others to consider my feelings. I do not expect others to treat me as an equal. I expect people to be rude. I expect people to withhold information from me and use me as a scapegoat. It is like a human and a lion in the brush: though I may not be looking for him or desiring to hurt him, it does not mean he will feel the same about me. Though I avoid being rude, being lied to and not being understood emotionally, I can avoid giving people ammunition to use against me. Several quotes come to my mind when I think about the strategy of protecting oneself:

“Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt." - Abraham Lincoln

I do not know everything, but in the tests people give me to show ignorance, I know they will mentally tally my correct answers versus my incorrect answers. As soon as I answer a question incorrectly, I am labeled an idiot. I would rather not play the game at all and have them assume I do not know than to prove I do not know.

I recently saw this on Facebook and it also rings true: 

The naivety to that intellectual integrity takes to put into practice is irresponsible to me. You cannot befriend those who are your competition. It is far easier to assume everyone is your competition than to believe everyone is a friend. Those who think you believe you can trust and depend on anyone will be the first to prove you otherwise and take advantage of your ignorance.

Another Lincoln quote: “Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?” Think of the destruction that must occur to break down someone’s wall they have against an individual. The person must go out of their way to show the person who hates them the good in they could not see before, which means intentionally avoiding the display of the depraved portion of oneself… and we all have a depraved side. It was the display of this sour face that caused the person to feel ill towards them (or some assumption of such). What is the goal of destroying that wall? To use them for our personal goals.

“But hire a former enemy and he will be more loyal than a friend, because he has more to prove.”

Robert Green notes this in The 48 Laws of Power (2004). In winning over an enemy, the former foe, if completely and authentically “defeated,” will do everything to keep the relationship copacetic to prove the legitimacy of the friendship. However, assuming a friend to be the end-all-be-all to success is a foul assumption. Green continues, “To have a good enemy, choose a friend: He knows where to strike.” Friends get jealous of your success. While a successful person with assume sharing the limelight allows them to shine as well, they also feel like the wingman; no one wants to be known as the default support.

What I have internalized from the study of critical thinking is to create an alternate or mirror self, perhaps an office self, versus a family self and a relationship self. Protection of thoughts and beliefs is necessary. At times it does not pay to be innovative, forward thinking or open minded, and the theory of critical thinking does not give notice to this.

References
Basler, Roy P. (1953) The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. Springfield, Illinois: The Abraham Lincoln Association
Green, Robert (2004). The 48 laws of power. London : Profile Books Ltd.
Paul, Richard; Elder, Linda (2012). The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking Concepts and Tools

    for Critical Thinking Press. Accessed at www.criticalthinking.org