Trance Forum \| Stats \| Register \| Search \| Parties \| Advertise \| Login

There are 0 trance users currently browsing this page

Trance Forum ť ť Forum Spirituality - Critical Thinking

Author

Critical Thinking

Kaz
IsraTrance Full Member

Started Topics : 90
Posts : 2268
Posted : May 4, 2010 14:13:53

This short lecture is food for thought and gives some insight as to how you may not only better explain yourself, but also helps to understand points which are outside your experience.

This is not as heavy as scientific method or as ineffectual as ivory tower philosophy, but rather an important tool that helps guide people on intellectual, spiritual and day to day matters.

I try to apply critical thinking and skepticism (and scientific method, when relevant) to any discussion I enter, but sometimes just ignore it all-together when in heated debates. Do you apply such sets of guidelines to your ways of thought and expression?

http://www.myspace.com/Hooloovoo222

Maine Coon
IsraTrance Junior Member

Started Topics : 12
Posts : 1659
Posted : May 4, 2010 16:06

Interesting lecture, thanks.
I have to apply these principles just as a professional habit. And this is one of the reasons I have not watched TV in many years - it either demands too much of your critical thinking or kills it altogether. Well, I've been watching "American Idol" for the last couple of months, but that's just a side effect of unemployment.

So, here is something that interests me and maybe would be interesting to discuss. We learn everything by association. When you explain something new to somebody (including yourself), you probably use some analogies from areas that are familiar to the listener. I've been criticized many times for using analogies, as they often don't really reflect what's going on and mask something. It can be an intellectual trap indeed. But it also can be quite enlightening because it shows common nature of seemingly unrelated things. I mentioned in a seminar once that genetic drift is very similar to volatility of penny stocks. I thought it was enlightening, but I saw nothing but blank stares in the audience. So, when is analogy appropriate? When is it enlightening and when is it confusing or misleading?

P.S. Later I realized what my problem was. I was speaking to biostatisticians, using examples from financial analysis. The analogy was fine. I just used it backwards. It would be useful, if I tried to explain genetic drift to stock analysts or penny stock trading to biostatisticians.

Trance Forum ť ť Forum Spirituality - Critical Thinking