To all our highly valued clients and acquaintances:
Many people that I speak with are taking stock of our year so far, with many unforeseeable twists and turns and then working to determine how will we make the best and most fulfilling/rewarding use of the months that remain.
It seems to me that the evidence and the need for Better Critical Thinking is all over the place. As we work to collect our thoughts and freshly get our bearings, it may be obvious that it’s time to do a rethink as we plan ahead.
With all the rapid-fire changes that are flying around, never mind what we can’t really anticipate in the months & years ahead, I keep hearing about an Urgent Need to Improve Our Critical Thinking Abilities and Processes.
There are great quotes that highlight the importance of critical thinking’s role in self-improvement and a functioning society, from people such as Martin Luther King Jr.’s emphasis to foster critical thinking and Albert Einstein’s call for continuous questioning. Others (see below) stress the importance of actively challenging our assumptions to increase awareness.
“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively & think critically. Intelligence plus character. That is the goal of true education” MLK
“The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them” – Albert Einstein, who famously said, “I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious”. He saw curiosity as the driving force behind his own discoveries & progress, rather than innate intellect. “The important thing is not to stop questioning.”
“The way we see the problem is often the problem” – from Stephen R. Covey’s perennial best-seller, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
On Self-Awareness and Critical Thinking, Stoic Philosopher Marcus advocated the act of considering other perspectives, which requires both self-awareness of our own biases and a critical approach to information. Aurelius encouraged people to scrutinize both their own thoughts and the statements of others to understand things clearly and avoid being swayed in the moments by personal biases or emotions.
This all sounds like a “Trust but Verify” approach. To look before we leap – to deep dive to get to bedrock root causes via a comprehensive diagnosis and completely thorough situational analysis approach, before jumping to any conclusions about our perspectives, responses, decisions or plans.
In medicine, prognosis without proper diagnosis is malpractice??
This is largely accurate; giving a prognosis or treatment plan without a correct diagnosis can lead to improper care, worsening conditions, and potentially constitute medical malpractice if harm results from the professional’s deviation from the standard of care. We can do likewise.
Many know of the classic parable of the blind men and the elephant, whose essence is that individual perception is limited and incomplete.
It goes like this: several blind men touch different parts of an elephant and describe it based on their limited experience – one feels the trunk and calls it a snake; another feels the leg and calls it a tree. The essence of this story is that no single person understands the complete truth of the elephant; their individual perspectives are valid but partial. The story highlights the importance of humility, recognizing that everyone has a limited view, and the need to combine different perspectives to grasp a fuller picture of reality. As we all listen and learn, we discover together.
Nowadays, many people are using a “pause button” or counting to 10.
The concept of a “pause button” between a stimulus and a response refers to creating a mental space to choose a deliberate, thoughtful response instead of an automatic, impulsive one. This is a simple, powerful practice.
This “pause” allows for greater self-control, emotional regulation, and informed decision-making, fostering personal growth and freedom, according to a famous quote from Austrian Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl.
What is the Pause Button?
- It’s the moment of agency you create between something that happens (the stimulus) and how you act (the response).
- It’s the opportunity to take control of your reaction, rather than being controlled by your emotions or impulses.
Why is it Important?
It gives you a chance to calm down and think more objectively, especially when feeling overwhelmed or stressed.
It allows you to move from automatic reactions to thoughtful decisions.
It can help prevent misunderstandings and conflicts that arise from jumping to conclusions or reacting impulsively. It’s in this space that you can choose actions that lead to growth, freedom, and more effective outcomes.
On a final note, as we all plan to Optimize our 4th Quarter and beyond.
I personally have been stopped in my tracks on innumerable occasions with incredibly disheartening news and unwanted, demoralizing setbacks, as I’m sure you have also. Many times, I needed to calm down before reacting too quickly and de-stress before determining helpful next steps.
I’ve found that high trust productive dialogue, within my various networks of relationships and communities of support, I can generate enough personal power to develop a mindset of curiosity, fascination, discovery and wonder in the face of any heart-wrenching situations that would normally shut me down, never mind completely overwhelm me. From there, I’ve been able to learn and creatively brainstorm my way forward. It continues to this day.
It is my intent for us to strengthen our abilities to think more critically, to make better choices/decisions/plans and to expand our fulfillment.
For the betterment of your quality of life and for the betterment of all.
May you go on to amaze yourself with all your growth. Shall we talk?
Until the next time, wishing you only the best. At your service – Don.