I learned by taking a logic and critical thinking class at our local community college not too long after I left TWI. It was a great class, and yes, it can be learned like math or science. I think of logic and critical thinking as the math of the language arts.
Most of us here share the common history wherein critical thinking was discouraged. I remember my erudite mother's horrified expression the day that I brought home and armful of books and other reading materials from a Bible class that were all written by one man. "I thought I taught you better", she said. Unfortunately, her alarm didn't raise many red flags in my consciousness.
Perhaps the best innoculation against simple mindedness, that virus turns inquisitive brain cells into circuit boards that only respond to the Program, is to make sure that you have a diversity of points of view to draw upon. Question everything and remember Plato's maxim, "The unexamined life is not worth living."
I hope this helps. I do not pretend to have mastered subject.
I agree with Oenophile. The worst thing about being in a cult or cult-like group is that you are not supposed to consider other viewpoints. I love T-bone's "signature" and have quoted it on a number of occasions:
"The most successful tyranny is not the one that uses force to assure uniformity but the one that removes the awareness of other possibilities, that makes it seem inconceivable that other ways are viable, that removes the sense that there is an outside." [from Closing of the American Mind by Allan Bloom]
In TWI we were either not told of other viewpoints, or told what the other viewpoints were in a way that misrepresented them. Rather than presenting valid arguments to prove their points, they would simply mock the other viewpoint. Similar tactics were used in the offshoot group I was with for a while. Not only did they misrepresent and mock other religious beliefs, they also misrepresented other groups that had similar beliefs but disagreed on a few points. Sadly, most of the followers of this offshoot took the leader's word for what the "others" were into, and followed him in his denunciation of those others. I decided to go to the source and ask the "others" what they were into, and that's how I found out that the leader was misrepresenting them.
When it comes to doctrine, if two people or groups have different opinions, it is vital to go to each one and find out what they really believe AND WHY (this is easier than it used to be, due to the internet). Do NOT take one group's word for what another group believes, as it is almost always misrepresented, whether intentionally or not. Consider both sides of an issue, and see which one makes a better argument. When I started doing that, it usually wasn't too hard to see where one side's logic broke down while another side's held up. And if both sides make an equally valid case, it's OK to say, "I don't know for sure." The majority of important issues in the Bible are pretty easy to see this way, and the stuff I say "I don't know" about is not as important and definitely not worth dividing with fellow Christians over.
When I took my logic and critical thinking class, we spent a lot of time breaking arguments down and looking for the fallacies. There are some examples on the website.
I am emailing you some classroom approaches that have worked with building critical thinking skills in students. There is nothing like hands-on techniques for students!
I agree, Rocky. Each poster on this thread is at a different place and has a unique perspective on applying critical thinking skills. Can't wait to hear more...
Please carry on! This is something I myself am still wrestling with. In a professional sphere where critical thinking skills are vital, all mine are (even now) still not very sharp. At one time immediately post-TWI, they were completely out of the window but they really need honing. Mine were crushed by being told, every time I asked a question, "You're leaning to your own understaning/that's five senses stuff."
T-Bone has done a lot of stuff about this and has made some good recommendations in the past which I am following through on. No doubt he will post later on this thread.
I found a book in my local library called something like Do you know what you think? which had lots of yes/no answers and then analyzed logical fallacies and moral/ethical dilemmas. It was very good and there is an associated website - if I find it, I'll post.
There wasn't any book that I ever read about the "how-to's" of critical thinking, it was just "do-or-die" in Bible college and Seminary. I guess the basics were taught without the students really knowing that we were being taught these things. But when you get your first paper back with so many red marks and questions by the professor, so that it looks like he committed hari-kari over your paper, you tend to read those comments and learn from them for the future.
Probably, the best way is to read many books on the same topic if you can, ask and write down your questions and compare, compare and do more comparisons. That's about it in a nutshell.
Great thread Water Buffalo and great posts everyone! Abigail, I like those Nizkor links you posted and have added them to my Browser favorites. Here's a couple of my favorites:
Can they be learned just like math, or reading, or any academic subject?...
...1- What works for YOU
and
2- How did you learn to think critically (was it information in a book, did someone teach you, etc.)...
I see critical thinking skills as a muscle. If it's not used, it will atrophy. I find one of the best ways to sharpen these skills is by reading/discussing stuff on Grease Spot. Some of that's simply due to the eye-opening power of another viewpoint. A good discussion on Grease Spot is like having a crack team conduct a survey of a mountain. They're all over the place, checking it out from different angles. Some of my favorite posters to read are George Aar, Oakspear, and GarthP2000 – who exemplify good critical thinking skills and have a quite different viewpoint than mine on Bible stuff.
Another viewpoint may not make me change my opinion – but it can certainly get me to re-think my position…perhaps uncover some areas where I've had faulty thinking or bring to the forefront an assumption I've never addressed before…or maybe just challenge me to finely articulate a belief I hold.
Yes, the skills can be learned – initially by reading up on it or taking a class – but just like anything else in life – book learning is a far cry from the actual skill, confidence, wisdom, etc. you acquire through application.
I've always been technical minded – very curious on how things work, proficient at troubleshooting a wide variety of systems, and keen on finding options to resolve technical issues [which makes me think the companion to critical thinking is creative thinking – or maybe the sum of the two is simply problem-solving]. I think everyone is good at problem solving in their area of expertise [a mother, musician, investor, carpenter, surgeon, secretary, writer, truck driver, manager, etc.] – but where we may falter is in seeing how to apply those skills in a different context.
This makes me think of my TWI experience. For some reason [probably thinking I was being spiritual minded] I didn't really use much of my critical thinking muscles when I got into TWI. After all, the "teacher" said you can't analyze spiritual knowledge. Real thinking was frowned upon anyway. After awhile anything to do with the Bible and life I just relegated to a growing pile of obscurity in the middle of my TWI-mindset – didn't wanna be ruled by the senses dontcha know. Oh, I memorized the Sunday Night Tape Carnal vs Spiritual!
It's funny, how some folks can be so sharp in one area but don't apply the same skills in another situation. I think of the research, questions and foot work my wife and I did in buying our first home [after we left TWI, mind you ]. If we would have been that discerning when it came to TWI – perhaps we wouldn't have bought into their bu11$hi+ in the first place.
Some books that have helped me:
The Art of Clear Thinking by Rudolph Flesch. It's an old book [1951] but still a very interesting read. It's not really a book on critical thinking techniques – more of a study on the way the mind functions. For instance on perception – what you see depends almost as much on you as on the object in view – your perception is linked to your personality…We usually think in concepts – as soon as we realize that two experiences have something in common. Concept is the sense of sameness. Broaden your experiences to broaden your concepts…Each person's experience is built upon their language. In learning another language, you form new concepts, discover similarities and differences…thinking is the manipulation of memory…Many rules in logic can be boiled down to two basic questions: So what and specify…Our opinions are as comfortable as old shoes – they have acquired exactly the right shape and form through continued use in all sorts of conditions.
Critical Thinking: Tools for Taking Charge of Your Professional and Personal Life by Richard Paul & Linda Elder and Changing Minds: Art and Science of Changing Our Own and Other people's Minds by Howard Gardner. Two very comprehensive books on understanding the process of thought, I talked about on other threads:
A book that I think is helpful to the Christian frame of thought is Decision Making and the Will of God: A Biblical Alternative to the TraditionalView by Garry Friesen & J. Robin Maxson. Discussed on this thread:
One of my favorite books on logic is a textbook – Introduction to Logic, Eleventh Edition by Irving Copi & Carl Cohen. It explains concepts and techniques of logic and gives great examples in a wide variety of contexts. Has things like the seven stages of scientific investigation, reasoning exercises, the three basic functions of language, and identifying fallacies.
Mindfulness by Ellen Langer. The nature of mindlessness is entrapment by category, automatic behavior, and having a single perspective. The key elements of a mindful state: creation of new categories, openness to new information, and awareness of more than one perspective...We become mindful during experiences as we create categories and note similarities/distinctions. Sometimes we feel trapped by absolute categories [created by ourselves or given] rather than accept the world as dynamic & continuous...Outcome orientation asks Can I do it? ...What if I fail? Process orientation asks How do I do it?....Mindlessness limits our control by preventing us from making intelligent choices...we may limit our options by attributing all our troubles to a single cause...Awareness of the process of making real choices along the way makes it less likely that we will feel guilty in retrospect...True process orientation is an awareness that every outcome is preceded by a process...The ability to transcend context is the essence of mindfulness and central to creativity in any field...Fatigue, conflict & burnout can all be a result from being mired in old categories, trapped by old mindsets.
Two others I like are Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking by M. Neil Browne & Stuart Keeley and The Thinker's Toolkit: 14 Powerful Techniques for Problem Solvingby Morgan Jones [a former CIA analyst].
I also think two important elements of critical thinking are honesty and humility. The two things I lacked in my TWI days. The older I get, the more I realize what little I know but I sure do get a kick out of exploring. It's a little scary at times – but a heck of a lot of fun!
At one leadership class offered at my work, they referred to "emotional intelligence," and an accompanying emotional intelligence quotient.
My current position as internal audit manager is the first ever management position. It's took 12 years out of twi to even consider that I might be able to truly lead people in a meaningful way in the real world. My twi years encompassed housecleaning and windowwashing, typing and filing :)
So thankful to be out.
Thanks for all the nice links and good information. It's sincerely appreciated. Agreed that emotional intelligence must be utilized and strengthened like a physical muscle.
I've always been technical minded – very curious on how things work, proficient at troubleshooting a wide variety of systems, and keen on finding options to resolve technical issues [which makes me think the companion to critical thinking is creative thinking – or maybe the sum of the two is simply problem-solving]. I think everyone is good at problem solving in their area of expertise [a mother, musician, investor, carpenter, surgeon, secretary, writer, truck driver, manager, etc.] – but where we may falter is in seeing how to apply those skills in a different context.
Interesting point T-Bone. I used to coach a team with a group called Odyssey of the Mind and then with Destination Imagination. Both programs are designed to teach kids how to work as a team to learn creative problem solving skills. We were very fond of the scene in Apollo 13 where a group of scientists have to come up with a solution for a serious problem that the astronauts could implement out in space. The best part was when a box of "stuff" was dumped on the table and they were told, "This is what they have to work with." (Paraphrased - I'll try to get the specific scene since it's really cool.)
Anyway, what I saw at first was that I had this team of really smart, really talented kids with a lot of skills - but they didn't know how to apply their knowledge in areas other than where they learned it. So when a musical solution was needed (like design a bunch of instruments and play a tune) it took a while for fall back on their more basic knowledge of beat, rhythm, timing, etc. Instead they complained that they needed a guitar. Once they saw that they had to MAKE it work - they were unleashed and amazing things happened.
I hate to sound like a broken record, but I've found that learning to draw helps to stimulate creative problem solving skills. Here's a link: Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain
There is something that artists do but don't even realize they are doing it until someone points it out to them. They use a wide variety of skills to solve a problem - but the problem is visual.
It's comparable to having a variety of alternate routes to get from Point A to Point B.
This is not the scene I intended to show, but it was entitled "Brainstorming, Active Listening, Facillitation" which are all components in creative problem solving and I would assume are necessary in developing in critical thinking skills.
Here is the scene I noted in my earlier post:
Actually, I highly recommend watching (owning!) the movie. It's full of this kind of thinking.
One thing I noted - problems were identified and openly discussed. If a problem is hidden there is no hope of solution.
I'm sure there's more... but I'll wait for someone smarter than I am to comment first.
Some great stuff you brought up, Dooj! I love the movie Apollo 13 for the reasons you've mentioned. Our family watched it recently – I first thought it wouldn't be our daughter's cup of tea, but she thoroughly enjoyed it – now it might just be cuz she likes Tom Hanks . IMHO, it says a lot for a movie – when, even though it's re-telling a familiar story and we all know how it ends – it can still hold an audience in rapt attention. A great movie with good actors, screenplay & direction – but as a technician, I'm fascinated by the problem-solving process that is showcased throughout the film – I'm thinking about the tragic fire on-board Apollo 1, early into the movie and the changes they made afterward.
Dooj, your creative thinking comments got me thinking about another book. I'd considered listing it in my post 13 – but thought against it as I know I do tend to ramble and go all over the map. But anyway, it's Pathfinders by Gail Sheehy. Gets into why some folks were able to overcome a crisis – often through uncommon solutions. From the book: Theories of creative imagination generally hold that images are stored in the unconscious mind; that over time they form streams of images; and that these can be juxtaposed to a picture in the mind's eye – something a person has never seen or experienced. But if we have to access these unconscious images, we must be in a state of relaxed receptivity. And for that reason it's always a good idea to "sleep on it."
Once the intellect becomes involved, or the emotions, our ego rushes in to censor or inhibit the formation of new images, or makes certain that they combine in known, stereotypical ways. Letting go of certainties, re-framing the central question, spotting wrong questions, using errors and failures – all these steps are fundamental in seeking the creative solution.
Recalling the book Pathfindersreminded me of another book on problem solving. Thinking Better by David Lewis & James Greene mentions two problem-solving strategies. The pathfinder strategy: covers the ground thoroughly, time-consuming but works if looking in the right places. The helicopter strategy: covers a lot of ground very rapidly – but one needs to be observant and sometimes lucky. The pathfinder tends to look for a single, correct solution; the helicopter prefers to search for multiple options.
Choosing between the two strategies – it may be wise to categorize the problem. Convergent problem – bring related facts together in order to achieve the required goal/answer. A pathfinder is usually successful on convergent problems. A divergent problem needs the helicopter approach. There is never a single correct answer to a divergent problem…
...Dismantle problems effectively by "creative carving" – it's easier to chop it up into two or more smaller problems and then draft "solution trees" showing possible routes to a solution for each problem…Logic is sometimes an ineffective means for solving problems. Insight to achieve a goal may only come by going beyond the info given. We must learn to think without using words. American linguist Noam Chomsky has shown language is essentially a logical structure which must inevitably impose its patterns of logic on human thought. When Einstein was asked how he came up with the theory of relativity he said he allowed his brain to play idly with all kinds of ideas & images. The experiments noted in this book seem to suggest that the key to success often lies in the mental playground of undirected images.
As a technician, I love what I do and over the years have sought ways to hone my skills – especially in the category of troubleshooting [technical jargon for "problem solving" ]. The sheer enjoyment of learning how things work [or ought to work] has been the driving force behind my insatiable desire to read anything on problem solving. It may be a funny way of putting it - but sometimes I phrase it as learning how a problem "works." That gets me into an investigative mode of identifying/articulating all the factors that must be in place in order for this problem to occur. I ought to include that tip in a book entitled Be the Problem .
All humility aside, I am good at what I do - and have been tasked to train technicians on occasion. When covering the troubleshooting aspects of our trade I have a three-word title for it: investigate, isolate, eliminate [i like it for the southern preacher cadence - and actually it's from an old Christian Counseling seminar I sat through in my TWI days – don't know where the seminar instructor got it – just let it be known right here and now – I'm fessin' up to some plagiarism ]. But it's great for summarizing the problem-solving process. Investigate – using an effective approach [pathfinder, helicopter], the portion of the show where you play detective. Isolate – identify the hitch in the giddy up, articulate the problem. Eliminate – draft options to resolve the issue.
Dooj, your creative thinking comments got me thinking about another book. I'd considered listing it in my post 13 – but thought against it as I know I do tend to ramble and go all over the map. But anyway, it's Pathfinders by Gail Sheehy. Gets into why some folks were able to overcome a crisis – often through uncommon solutions. From the book: Theories of creative imagination generally hold that images are stored in the unconscious mind; that over time they form streams of images; and that these can be juxtaposed to a picture in the mind's eye – something a person has never seen or experienced. But if we have to access these unconscious images, we must be in a state of relaxed receptivity. And for that reason it's always a good idea to "sleep on it."
Once the intellect becomes involved, or the emotions, our ego rushes in to censor or inhibit the formation of new images, or makes certain that they combine in known, stereotypical ways. Letting go of certainties, re-framing the central question, spotting wrong questions, using errors and failures – all these steps are fundamental in seeking the creative solution.
Interesting that you should say all this. When I teach how to access R-mode (the right brain or alpha mode) I frequently tell my students not to speak while they draw. Language is a function of the left brain and for most folks the left brain is so dominant that it will supply symbols instead of letting the right brain look for the "real" image. Once a person practices this kind of shift it becomes easier to make this shift even while speaking - hence "brainstorming" can be possible.
I've had the experience of drawing in front of the class in a particular way (blind contour drawing - in which I never take my eyes off the object I'm drawing - never look at the drawing until it is finished.) I'll try to speak and tell the class what I'm doing and invariably my voice trails off and I cannot finish until the drawing is done. It's a shift that is very apparent when you see it or feel it. It's not that you can't hear language - just that it feels like you'd have to swim through mud to go *all the way over there* to get the 'language decoder' and then *all the way over there* to pick up words just so you can answer the question. I usually tell folks that when I'm drawing or painting not to expect an answer or a conversation.
In life I'm not nearly as good with verbal skills. I tend to see things in images and try to speak too quickly to get those images into words - so I get tangled up with language.
I'll post a really good description of the shift from L-mode to R-mode soon. I think most folks have experienced it but just don't know what or why it happens.
At some point it becomes possible to shift quickly from L to R-mode and back without going through an exercise. Now you have both halves of the brain working to solve a problem. Now you have "creative problem solving skills." They need to be sharpened and used. The left brain still needs logic and data and will almost "feed" the right brain this data while the right brain processes as many possible solutions as possible. At least, this is how I've experienced how the process works in drawing and other areas of life.
Once again - I hope this makes some sense.
.
..Dismantle problems effectively by "creative carving" – it's easier to chop it up into two or more smaller problems and then draft "solution trees" showing possible routes to a solution for each problem…Logic is sometimes an ineffective means for solving problems. Insight to achieve a goal may only come by going beyond the info given. We must learn to think without using words. American linguist Noam Chomsky has shown language is essentially a logical structure which must inevitably impose its patterns of logic on human thought. When Einstein was asked how he came up with the theory of relativity he said he allowed his brain to play idly with all kinds of ideas & images. The experiments noted in this book seem to suggest that the key to success often lies in the mental playground of undirected images.
As a technician, I love what I do and over the years have sought ways to hone my skills – especially in the category of troubleshooting [technical jargon for "problem solving" ]. The sheer enjoyment of learning how things work [or ought to work] has been the driving force behind my insatiable desire to read anything on problem solving. It may be a funny way of putting it - but sometimes I phrase it as learning how a problem "works." That gets me into an investigative mode of identifying/articulating all the factors that must be in place in order for this problem to occur. I ought to include that tip in a book entitled Be the Problem .
All humility aside, I am good at what I do - and have been tasked to train technicians on occasion. When covering the troubleshooting aspects of our trade I have a three-word title for it: investigate, isolate, eliminate [i like it for the southern preacher cadence - and actually it's from an old Christian Counseling seminar I sat through in my TWI days – don't know where the seminar instructor got it – just let it be known right here and now – I'm fessin' up to some plagiarism ]. But it's great for summarizing the problem-solving process. Investigate – using an effective approach [pathfinder, helicopter], the portion of the show where you play detective. Isolate – identify the hitch in the giddy up, articulate the problem. Eliminate – draft options to resolve the issue.
From Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards:
A creative person is one who can process in new ways the information directly at hand - the ordinary sensory data available to all of us. A writer needs words, a musician needs notes, an artist needs visual perceptions, and all need some knowledge of the techniques of their crafts. But a crative individual intuitively sees possibilities for transforming ordinary data into a new creation, transcendent over the mere raw materials.
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Abigail
I learned by taking a logic and critical thinking class at our local community college not too long after I left TWI. It was a great class, and yes, it can be learned like math or science. I think of logic and critical thinking as the math of the language arts.
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oenophile
WB,
Most of us here share the common history wherein critical thinking was discouraged. I remember my erudite mother's horrified expression the day that I brought home and armful of books and other reading materials from a Bible class that were all written by one man. "I thought I taught you better", she said. Unfortunately, her alarm didn't raise many red flags in my consciousness.
Perhaps the best innoculation against simple mindedness, that virus turns inquisitive brain cells into circuit boards that only respond to the Program, is to make sure that you have a diversity of points of view to draw upon. Question everything and remember Plato's maxim, "The unexamined life is not worth living."
I hope this helps. I do not pretend to have mastered subject.
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Mark Clarke
I agree with Oenophile. The worst thing about being in a cult or cult-like group is that you are not supposed to consider other viewpoints. I love T-bone's "signature" and have quoted it on a number of occasions:
In TWI we were either not told of other viewpoints, or told what the other viewpoints were in a way that misrepresented them. Rather than presenting valid arguments to prove their points, they would simply mock the other viewpoint. Similar tactics were used in the offshoot group I was with for a while. Not only did they misrepresent and mock other religious beliefs, they also misrepresented other groups that had similar beliefs but disagreed on a few points. Sadly, most of the followers of this offshoot took the leader's word for what the "others" were into, and followed him in his denunciation of those others. I decided to go to the source and ask the "others" what they were into, and that's how I found out that the leader was misrepresenting them.
When it comes to doctrine, if two people or groups have different opinions, it is vital to go to each one and find out what they really believe AND WHY (this is easier than it used to be, due to the internet). Do NOT take one group's word for what another group believes, as it is almost always misrepresented, whether intentionally or not. Consider both sides of an issue, and see which one makes a better argument. When I started doing that, it usually wasn't too hard to see where one side's logic broke down while another side's held up. And if both sides make an equally valid case, it's OK to say, "I don't know for sure." The majority of important issues in the Bible are pretty easy to see this way, and the stuff I say "I don't know" about is not as important and definitely not worth dividing with fellow Christians over.
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Abigail
WB, here is a website that will give you a good overview of various logical fallacies:
http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/
When I took my logic and critical thinking class, we spent a lot of time breaking arguments down and looking for the fallacies. There are some examples on the website.
and this is a logical fallacy we see frequenty here at the forum: http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/straw-man.html
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Cindy!
WB,
I am emailing you some classroom approaches that have worked with building critical thinking skills in students. There is nothing like hands-on techniques for students!
Have fun!
Cindy
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Rocky
This, I believe, is a delightful subject.
And each post has contributed valuable insight.
Indeed, such skills cannot ONLY be learned, but must be practiced to maintain a level of skillfulness!
So, learn -- yes. Practice -- also.
:)
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waysider
Geeze!
Weren't youze guys payin' attention in session #7?
Eve stopped to "consider" and the whole World went down the crapper!
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waterbuffalo
I agree, Rocky. Each poster on this thread is at a different place and has a unique perspective on applying critical thinking skills. Can't wait to hear more...
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Twinky
Please carry on! This is something I myself am still wrestling with. In a professional sphere where critical thinking skills are vital, all mine are (even now) still not very sharp. At one time immediately post-TWI, they were completely out of the window but they really need honing. Mine were crushed by being told, every time I asked a question, "You're leaning to your own understaning/that's five senses stuff."
T-Bone has done a lot of stuff about this and has made some good recommendations in the past which I am following through on. No doubt he will post later on this thread.
I found a book in my local library called something like Do you know what you think? which had lots of yes/no answers and then analyzed logical fallacies and moral/ethical dilemmas. It was very good and there is an associated website - if I find it, I'll post.
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Twinky
Hey Cindy! Can I have some of that, too, please?
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brideofjc
There wasn't any book that I ever read about the "how-to's" of critical thinking, it was just "do-or-die" in Bible college and Seminary. I guess the basics were taught without the students really knowing that we were being taught these things. But when you get your first paper back with so many red marks and questions by the professor, so that it looks like he committed hari-kari over your paper, you tend to read those comments and learn from them for the future.
Probably, the best way is to read many books on the same topic if you can, ask and write down your questions and compare, compare and do more comparisons. That's about it in a nutshell.
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T-Bone
Great thread Water Buffalo and great posts everyone! Abigail, I like those Nizkor links you posted and have added them to my Browser favorites. Here's a couple of my favorites:
http://www.austhink.org/critical/
http://www.criticalthinking.org/
I see critical thinking skills as a muscle. If it's not used, it will atrophy. I find one of the best ways to sharpen these skills is by reading/discussing stuff on Grease Spot. Some of that's simply due to the eye-opening power of another viewpoint. A good discussion on Grease Spot is like having a crack team conduct a survey of a mountain. They're all over the place, checking it out from different angles. Some of my favorite posters to read are George Aar, Oakspear, and GarthP2000 – who exemplify good critical thinking skills and have a quite different viewpoint than mine on Bible stuff.
Another viewpoint may not make me change my opinion – but it can certainly get me to re-think my position…perhaps uncover some areas where I've had faulty thinking or bring to the forefront an assumption I've never addressed before…or maybe just challenge me to finely articulate a belief I hold.
Yes, the skills can be learned – initially by reading up on it or taking a class – but just like anything else in life – book learning is a far cry from the actual skill, confidence, wisdom, etc. you acquire through application.
I've always been technical minded – very curious on how things work, proficient at troubleshooting a wide variety of systems, and keen on finding options to resolve technical issues [which makes me think the companion to critical thinking is creative thinking – or maybe the sum of the two is simply problem-solving]. I think everyone is good at problem solving in their area of expertise [a mother, musician, investor, carpenter, surgeon, secretary, writer, truck driver, manager, etc.] – but where we may falter is in seeing how to apply those skills in a different context.
This makes me think of my TWI experience. For some reason [probably thinking I was being spiritual minded] I didn't really use much of my critical thinking muscles when I got into TWI. After all, the "teacher" said you can't analyze spiritual knowledge. Real thinking was frowned upon anyway. After awhile anything to do with the Bible and life I just relegated to a growing pile of obscurity in the middle of my TWI-mindset – didn't wanna be ruled by the senses dontcha know. Oh, I memorized the Sunday Night Tape Carnal vs Spiritual!
It's funny, how some folks can be so sharp in one area but don't apply the same skills in another situation. I think of the research, questions and foot work my wife and I did in buying our first home [after we left TWI, mind you
]. If we would have been that discerning when it came to TWI – perhaps we wouldn't have bought into their bu11$hi+ in the first place.
Some books that have helped me:
The Art of Clear Thinking by Rudolph Flesch. It's an old book [1951] but still a very interesting read. It's not really a book on critical thinking techniques – more of a study on the way the mind functions. For instance on perception – what you see depends almost as much on you as on the object in view – your perception is linked to your personality…We usually think in concepts – as soon as we realize that two experiences have something in common. Concept is the sense of sameness. Broaden your experiences to broaden your concepts…Each person's experience is built upon their language. In learning another language, you form new concepts, discover similarities and differences…thinking is the manipulation of memory…Many rules in logic can be boiled down to two basic questions: So what and specify…Our opinions are as comfortable as old shoes – they have acquired exactly the right shape and form through continued use in all sorts of conditions.
Critical Thinking: Tools for Taking Charge of Your Professional and Personal Life by Richard Paul & Linda Elder and Changing Minds: Art and Science of Changing Our Own and Other people's Minds by Howard Gardner. Two very comprehensive books on understanding the process of thought, I talked about on other threads:
http://www.greasespotcafe.com/ipb/index.ph...st&p=238498
http://www.greasespotcafe.com/ipb/index.ph...st&p=239770
http://www.greasespotcafe.com/ipb/index.ph...st&p=228633
A book that I think is helpful to the Christian frame of thought is Decision Making and the Will of God: A Biblical Alternative to the Traditional View by Garry Friesen & J. Robin Maxson. Discussed on this thread:
http://www.greasespotcafe.com/ipb/index.ph...st&p=310314
One of my favorite books on logic is a textbook – Introduction to Logic, Eleventh Edition by Irving Copi & Carl Cohen. It explains concepts and techniques of logic and gives great examples in a wide variety of contexts. Has things like the seven stages of scientific investigation, reasoning exercises, the three basic functions of language, and identifying fallacies.
Mindfulness by Ellen Langer. The nature of mindlessness is entrapment by category, automatic behavior, and having a single perspective. The key elements of a mindful state: creation of new categories, openness to new information, and awareness of more than one perspective...We become mindful during experiences as we create categories and note similarities/distinctions. Sometimes we feel trapped by absolute categories [created by ourselves or given] rather than accept the world as dynamic & continuous...Outcome orientation asks Can I do it? ...What if I fail? Process orientation asks How do I do it?....Mindlessness limits our control by preventing us from making intelligent choices...we may limit our options by attributing all our troubles to a single cause...Awareness of the process of making real choices along the way makes it less likely that we will feel guilty in retrospect...True process orientation is an awareness that every outcome is preceded by a process...The ability to transcend context is the essence of mindfulness and central to creativity in any field...Fatigue, conflict & burnout can all be a result from being mired in old categories, trapped by old mindsets.
Two others I like are Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking by M. Neil Browne & Stuart Keeley and The Thinker's Toolkit: 14 Powerful Techniques for Problem Solving by Morgan Jones [a former CIA analyst].
I also think two important elements of critical thinking are honesty and humility. The two things I lacked in my TWI days. The older I get, the more I realize what little I know but I sure do get a kick out of exploring. It's a little scary at times – but a heck of a lot of fun!
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anotherDan
nice thread
I recommend How to Read a Book by Adler
here's the link: Amazon listing
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waterbuffalo
Gosh, thanks T-Bone!
Dan, your book sounds interesting, also.
My library doesn't have Elder's book, but does have Stella Cottrell's Critical Thinking Skills: developing effective analysis and argument.
Has anyone read that and if so did you find it helpful?
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washn'wear
Abbi -- holy kamoley I love that website--- am sending to all my friends
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Kit Sober
At one leadership class offered at my work, they referred to "emotional intelligence," and an accompanying emotional intelligence quotient.
My current position as internal audit manager is the first ever management position. It's took 12 years out of twi to even consider that I might be able to truly lead people in a meaningful way in the real world. My twi years encompassed housecleaning and windowwashing, typing and filing :)
So thankful to be out.
Thanks for all the nice links and good information. It's sincerely appreciated. Agreed that emotional intelligence must be utilized and strengthened like a physical muscle.
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doojable
Interesting point T-Bone. I used to coach a team with a group called Odyssey of the Mind and then with Destination Imagination. Both programs are designed to teach kids how to work as a team to learn creative problem solving skills. We were very fond of the scene in Apollo 13 where a group of scientists have to come up with a solution for a serious problem that the astronauts could implement out in space. The best part was when a box of "stuff" was dumped on the table and they were told, "This is what they have to work with." (Paraphrased - I'll try to get the specific scene since it's really cool.)
Anyway, what I saw at first was that I had this team of really smart, really talented kids with a lot of skills - but they didn't know how to apply their knowledge in areas other than where they learned it. So when a musical solution was needed (like design a bunch of instruments and play a tune) it took a while for fall back on their more basic knowledge of beat, rhythm, timing, etc. Instead they complained that they needed a guitar. Once they saw that they had to MAKE it work - they were unleashed and amazing things happened.
I hate to sound like a broken record, but I've found that learning to draw helps to stimulate creative problem solving skills. Here's a link: Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain
There is something that artists do but don't even realize they are doing it until someone points it out to them. They use a wide variety of skills to solve a problem - but the problem is visual.
It's comparable to having a variety of alternate routes to get from Point A to Point B.
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doojable
This is not the scene I intended to show, but it was entitled "Brainstorming, Active Listening, Facillitation" which are all components in creative problem solving and I would assume are necessary in developing in critical thinking skills.
Here is the scene I noted in my earlier post:
Actually, I highly recommend watching (owning!) the movie. It's full of this kind of thinking.
One thing I noted - problems were identified and openly discussed. If a problem is hidden there is no hope of solution.
I'm sure there's more... but I'll wait for someone smarter than I am to comment first.
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Combination
Read both sides of the matter presented. Both Pro and Con. Then sift it thru and you should discern the general truth of the matter.
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T-Bone
Some great stuff you brought up, Dooj! I love the movie Apollo 13 for the reasons you've mentioned. Our family watched it recently – I first thought it wouldn't be our daughter's cup of tea, but she thoroughly enjoyed it – now it might just be cuz she likes Tom Hanks . IMHO, it says a lot for a movie – when, even though it's re-telling a familiar story and we all know how it ends – it can still hold an audience in rapt attention. A great movie with good actors, screenplay & direction – but as a technician, I'm fascinated by the problem-solving process that is showcased throughout the film – I'm thinking about the tragic fire on-board Apollo 1, early into the movie and the changes they made afterward.
Dooj, your creative thinking comments got me thinking about another book. I'd considered listing it in my post 13 – but thought against it as I know I do tend to ramble and go all over the map. But anyway, it's Pathfinders by Gail Sheehy. Gets into why some folks were able to overcome a crisis – often through uncommon solutions. From the book: Theories of creative imagination generally hold that images are stored in the unconscious mind; that over time they form streams of images; and that these can be juxtaposed to a picture in the mind's eye – something a person has never seen or experienced. But if we have to access these unconscious images, we must be in a state of relaxed receptivity. And for that reason it's always a good idea to "sleep on it."
Once the intellect becomes involved, or the emotions, our ego rushes in to censor or inhibit the formation of new images, or makes certain that they combine in known, stereotypical ways. Letting go of certainties, re-framing the central question, spotting wrong questions, using errors and failures – all these steps are fundamental in seeking the creative solution.
Recalling the book Pathfinders reminded me of another book on problem solving. Thinking Better by David Lewis & James Greene mentions two problem-solving strategies. The pathfinder strategy: covers the ground thoroughly, time-consuming but works if looking in the right places. The helicopter strategy: covers a lot of ground very rapidly – but one needs to be observant and sometimes lucky. The pathfinder tends to look for a single, correct solution; the helicopter prefers to search for multiple options.
Choosing between the two strategies – it may be wise to categorize the problem. Convergent problem – bring related facts together in order to achieve the required goal/answer. A pathfinder is usually successful on convergent problems. A divergent problem needs the helicopter approach. There is never a single correct answer to a divergent problem…
...Dismantle problems effectively by "creative carving" – it's easier to chop it up into two or more smaller problems and then draft "solution trees" showing possible routes to a solution for each problem…Logic is sometimes an ineffective means for solving problems. Insight to achieve a goal may only come by going beyond the info given. We must learn to think without using words. American linguist Noam Chomsky has shown language is essentially a logical structure which must inevitably impose its patterns of logic on human thought. When Einstein was asked how he came up with the theory of relativity he said he allowed his brain to play idly with all kinds of ideas & images. The experiments noted in this book seem to suggest that the key to success often lies in the mental playground of undirected images.
As a technician, I love what I do and over the years have sought ways to hone my skills – especially in the category of troubleshooting [technical jargon for "problem solving" ]. The sheer enjoyment of learning how things work [or ought to work] has been the driving force behind my insatiable desire to read anything on problem solving. It may be a funny way of putting it - but sometimes I phrase it as learning how a problem "works." That gets me into an investigative mode of identifying/articulating all the factors that must be in place in order for this problem to occur. I ought to include that tip in a book entitled Be the Problem
.
All humility aside, I am good at what I do - and have been tasked to train technicians on occasion. When covering the troubleshooting aspects of our trade I have a three-word title for it: investigate, isolate, eliminate [i like it for the southern preacher cadence
- and actually it's from an old Christian Counseling seminar I sat through in my TWI days – don't know where the seminar instructor got it – just let it be known right here and now – I'm fessin' up to some plagiarism 
]. But it's great for summarizing the problem-solving process. Investigate – using an effective approach [pathfinder, helicopter], the portion of the show where you play detective. Isolate – identify the hitch in the giddy up, articulate the problem. Eliminate – draft options to resolve the issue.
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doojable
Interesting that you should say all this. When I teach how to access R-mode (the right brain or alpha mode) I frequently tell my students not to speak while they draw. Language is a function of the left brain and for most folks the left brain is so dominant that it will supply symbols instead of letting the right brain look for the "real" image. Once a person practices this kind of shift it becomes easier to make this shift even while speaking - hence "brainstorming" can be possible.
I've had the experience of drawing in front of the class in a particular way (blind contour drawing - in which I never take my eyes off the object I'm drawing - never look at the drawing until it is finished.) I'll try to speak and tell the class what I'm doing and invariably my voice trails off and I cannot finish until the drawing is done. It's a shift that is very apparent when you see it or feel it. It's not that you can't hear language - just that it feels like you'd have to swim through mud to go *all the way over there* to get the 'language decoder' and then *all the way over there* to pick up words just so you can answer the question. I usually tell folks that when I'm drawing or painting not to expect an answer or a conversation.
In life I'm not nearly as good with verbal skills. I tend to see things in images and try to speak too quickly to get those images into words - so I get tangled up with language.
I'll post a really good description of the shift from L-mode to R-mode soon. I think most folks have experienced it but just don't know what or why it happens.
At some point it becomes possible to shift quickly from L to R-mode and back without going through an exercise. Now you have both halves of the brain working to solve a problem. Now you have "creative problem solving skills." They need to be sharpened and used. The left brain still needs logic and data and will almost "feed" the right brain this data while the right brain processes as many possible solutions as possible. At least, this is how I've experienced how the process works in drawing and other areas of life.
Once again - I hope this makes some sense.
.
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doojable
From Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards:
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