4 barriers that prevent us from thinking critically
“When your mind is full of assumptions, conclusions, and beliefs, it has no penetration. It just repeats past impressions.” – Sadhguru
In my last post, I suggested that we can use the RED Model for critical thinking to help Gen Zs navigate complexities in the workplace by:
- Recognising assumptions
- Evaluating arguments
- Drawing conclusions
I came across a video by BBC Ideas titled, “5 Simple Strategies to Sharpen Your Critical Thinking” that discussed the barriers preventing us from thinking logically with clarity and precision. Here’s what I learnt:
1. Confirmation Bias
Confirmation bias refers to the tendency to seek, interpret, and remember information that confirms our pre-existing beliefs/opinions and ignore information that contradicts them. We’re much more likely to accept information that we already know. For example, horoscopes: we usually find interpretations that support our own perspectives.
How to counter this: Acknowledge we all have confirmation bias. Don’t be too quick to jump to a conclusion. Question the situation and be prepared to change your mind.
2. Nuances
Nuances often introduce complexity and ambiguity into a topic. When there is an overload of nuanced details to consider, it can be challenging to discern the most relevant information and draw accurate conclusions. For example: Different interpretations of the same religious texts have led to diverse practices.
How to counter this: Embrace nuances. While they can introduce complexity, they also offer opportunities for deeper understanding, refined analysis, and more well-rounded and informed conclusions.
3. The Need to be Right
When faced with challenges to our beliefs or ideas, individuals driven by the need to be right may become emotionally invested in defending their position and respond defensively. For example: Someone who strongly identifies with a particular political ideology may engage in debates not to understand other perspectives, but solely to prove their own viewpoint.
How to counter this: Practise intellectual humility by trying to put yourself in the other person’s shoes. Really understand where the other person is coming from.
4. Fallacies
Fallacies are errors in reasoning that may seem convincing at first glance but actually lack proper logical support. For example: "Two employees have become more engaged after taking public speaking classes. That proves that we should get the whole company to attend public speaking classes to improve our company’s employee engagement scores.”
How to counter this: Don’t be too quick to make decisions. Check the source, seek out reliable evidence and consider different viewpoints.
As the video suggested, engaging our minds to think critically isn’t as easy as picking up a pitchfork and feeling like we’re fundamentally right. Critical thinking takes time to master but is an essential skill to help us to cut through the clutter of today's information-rich and rapidly changing world and make higher quality decisions. ●