Rediscovering Critical Thinking: the Lost Art of Discerning Fact from Fiction in a World of Automatons

Critical thinking has become a lost art today, as our society has become increasingly inundated with information sources that have taken the place of our own thought processes. We are inundated with data and sound bites from the media, politicians, and even friends, family, and co–workers. For many, the only avenue of research available to them is to rely on the opinions of others.

In the past, people had to think critically in order to make decisions. They had to take the time to research and evaluate various sources of information to make an informed decision. This type of critical thinking required people to use their knowledge, experience, and intuition to analyze the evidence. Unfortunately, the world today is much different. We are bombarded with an overload of information from different sources and it can be difficult to differentiate between fact and fiction.

For example, when it comes to political issues, it is easy for us to become entrenched in a particular point of view without really taking the time to research and understand the issue. We may accept what our political leaders tell us as fact, without taking the time to evaluate the evidence. We may also be influenced by the opinions of our friends, family, and peers, without stopping to consider if what they are saying is actually true.

Another example is the news. We often read or watch a news story, and simply accept what we are told as truth. However, it is important to remember that news stories are often biased, and that we should take the time to investigate and evaluate the evidence before accepting what we are told.

Furthermore, our reliance on technology has made it harder to think critically. We are so used to having access to information at our fingertips that we often take it for granted. We may accept the information we find on the internet as true without taking the time to actually verify it. We may make decisions based on what we read or see on social media, without realizing that the information may be inaccurate.

Critical thinking has become a lost art, but it is still an important skill to have. It is essential for making informed decisions and for understanding the world around us. We need to take the time to evaluate the evidence and make sure that we are not blindly accepting what we are told. We need to think critically so that we can make informed choices that will lead to better outcomes.