The Critical Thinking thread

[kat (1)]

We all have opinions on matter's such as politics, current events, religion, lifestyle choices, etc....., but do we really look deep into the matter's in question? It's easy to say what we think about something that we "believe" we know and understand, but do we actually sit down, and use empathy by attempting to "put ourselves in another person's shoes or do we go with our unconscious biases, stereotypes, prejudices, human irrationality, taboos, etc... to form our opinions?( do you even belief that empathy still exists this day and age)

Are we aware of our own misconceptions and, and as a result, we don't even question the issue's that lay beneath the topic at hand? Do we recognize our biases, at all? Or is everything just black and white?

I am highly interested in why we think what we think? Is it because of a textbook? Or what out parent's or someone else tells' us to believe? Do we hide from love, from life, based on past experiences? Is everything and everyone the same, generic, version of one another? Are we really as special and unique, and complex as we think we are? Were we put on this planet for a purpose, or has every step we have taken since our existence been a test, a test that we have proved to have fucked up majorly on, or just some terrible experiment gone horribly wrong? Are we parasites that mean nothing to this world?

So, What do you think, why do you think it?

[bean]

I think many people do not put themselves in another person's shoes and tend to go with their unconscious biases, stereotypes, prejudices, etc to form opinions.

I think empathy still exists, but to me it feels as though less and less people possess this quality.

I think most people aren't aware of their biases, and they don't really bother to question what they believe and just take whatever has been spoon fed to them.

Some people think what they think because of what they've been raised with, what society tells them, or what their peers believe, while others develop their own thoughts.

Complexity varies from person to person. Some people are very simple, while others are very complicated.

I think every person on the planet has their own purpose in life, and it is up to him/her to make the right choices in life to fulfill that purpose. I'd like to believe that because I have a hard time thinking that life has not purpose or meaning. It's a preservation of self, because if we have no purpose, what's the point of existing?

[kat (1)]

I think that with the increase in socialization via technology it is destroying the ability to show empathy, and that scares me because what are these kids who were raised on the internet, going to be like when they grow up? Text, and talking through a computer is so matter of fact, there is no speaking to show infliction in one's reaction, we express love, hate, all emotions through emoticons. What happened to a hug in person, rather than writing out the word hugs when someone is in need of that? in all honesty, would we be hugging that person at all in real life? Is it just a generic statement? Do we even give a damn at all anymore?

We LOL at everything, when most of the time, we know we are not even laughing, in fact I believe, "LOL" really is the equivalent of "I am through with this conversation".

[bean]

I agree with you completely.

I am concerned about the direction we are heading. For example, the company that I work for is looking to do more phone counseling. I get that it is more convenient for some clients, but I think that so much is lost when you do therapy over the phone. You're missing out on body language, facial expressions, and the over all presentation of the client when you don't see them in person. I rely so much more on a person's body language than what they say most times.

I reserve my "hugs" for people that I would actually hug in that given situation, and I "lol" when I really do lol.

Technology really has started moving people away from speaking to each other and instead, texting. It is so hard to read tone in text.

[Black Jack (1)]

First off nice conversation you have here. Second anyone to mostly all I have talked to has mostly been offline due to the personal matters one have shouldn't be brought to light on the Internet, more so to know any opinion(s) I may have, had, given or taken has been from my own bad/good experience(s) in which upon enlightening others of such path and options that differ in terms of situation. Let alone that being totally in someone else shoes is impossible empathizing is most someone can do or such as I nor have anyone spoken to me has or hasn't acted or implied the same. Although as I grow in time personally and socially e-friends can be a real pain in terms of actually feeling(s) are concerned. So the device theory is a definite no no for all my friends know if anything happens truth be told at any given day or time that I will be there for them. As far as e-friends go you can text and die with callus on your fingers and still be in the same situation so it is hard to learn and utilize if you never experience it in the first place. Ye' be told and not showed is the new way of life and to me it is sickening. Edited October 27, 2010 by Black Jack

[bean]

I will say that I do text quite a bit and chat with people online through here and other places because it is convenient, since I am at work most of the time, which does not allow for talking to people over the phone.

I do prefer having conversations over the phone or in person with people though.

[phee]

I think I am a better typer these days then talker.

[Troy Spiral (13)]

Somehow I missed this topic. Awesome post honestly. *swoon*

Unfortunate i have to run out the damn door.... but i could talk about this subject for hours on end. 1 800 Troy !! *waits for call* lol

GRR dang doctors appointments. *runs out door*

[kat (1)]

It is scary, like Bean said the direction we are headed in, also, especially with what she is saying in regards to the field of social work, people have no clue if someone on the other end of the phone is even giving 100 percent of their time to the speaker, even doing social work in an office setting does not let the helper gather the full amount of data needed. That is why, in social work, community work is very important, going right out to the homes, the community, the shelters, right to the person's social environment is where you can learn the most about a person's true life.

Now, in terms of our daily, social interactions in general, we are really, IMO, missing out on true, genuine, emotion, I want to feel a hug, I want to see a person's eyes when they are speaking to me, the eyes say so much. I am concerned about the kids the most, I feel that people are falling further and further from human emotion and, well, it almost reminds me of the movie, "The Surrogates", of course at this point to a lesser degree, but who knows what the future holds.

[st_masey]

I just don't like seeing mediocrity rewarded.