Five simple strategies to sharpen your critical thinking | BBC Ideas

 

                                              

We’re lucky to live in an age where the sum total of human knowledge

is pretty much available at the click of a button.

We’ve never had access to so much information.

But not all of what’s out there is quite what it seems.

So here’s a few strategies to navigate your way through.

And avoid falling out with people along the way.

We all enjoy that sweet dopamine hit of feeling like we’re right.

In repeated experiments, psychologists have shown

we’re much more likely to accept something as evidence

if it confirms what we already think we know.

And much more likely to discount information

if it contradicts our views.

It’s what’s known as “confirmation bias”.

It’s one of the key “cognitive biases” that humans have,

and it operates at an unconscious level -

affecting our ability to process information.

This is especially true for issues which are emotionally charged,

or where our views are deeply held.

But it can come into play at any time.

So don’t rush to decide,

and be actively prepared to change your mind.

So many of our discussions take place on social media platforms

where algorithms reward our desire to see and hear our views confirmed.

But in life, most situations are nuanced and complicated –

acknowledging that can enrich the way that we view the world.

For example, what colour is the sky? Well, the obvious answer is blue.

But at sunrise or sunset, it can be red.

On a cold misty morning, white or grey.

At night, midnight blue or black.

But imagine for a moment the blue of the sky on a sunny day.

Is it really blue?

The colour blue has a short wavelength,

meaning it scatters more than other colours -

making it more visible to the human eye.

So the sky looks blue to us humans,

even though there’s a whole spectrum of colours out there.

Even something that seems totally self-evident

can be more nuanced than you think.

One approach to, well, arguing,

is to let go of the idea of being “right”.

Or at least seriously consider that you might actually be wrong.

Putting yourself in the other person’s shoes

can lead to much more productive outcomes.

Really try to understand where the other person is coming from.

It’s what’s called “intellectual empathy”.

It can be challenging, but that’s the point.

This can only work when both parties are engaging in good faith.

Arguing just to waste somebody’s time,

known online as “sea lioning”,

not only makes you that guy or girl people avoid at parties,

but we are intellectually, socially and politically worse off for it.

It’s more important than ever

to know where your information is coming from.

That sciency-looking graph about the dangers of feral Dalmatian puppies

might look very convincing, until you dig a little deeper

and find it was commissioned by fur-coat-coveting

Disney villain, Cruella de Vil.

Be on the lookout for ulterior motives and vested interests.

Becoming literate in the basics of scientific methodology,

the use of data and the way it’s presented

are all weapons in your arsenal when it comes to critical thinking.

Whether engaging in online debates or arguing with Uncle Frank,

it’s very easy to lose our cool and resort to some

less-than-sound tactics.

One common tactic is what philosophers call,

“The Straw Man” fallacy.

Instead of engaging with the actual belief,

you engage with a caricature.

For example, if I said, “I prefer hamsters to gerbils,”

you might respond, “Oh, so you want to drown all gerbils?”

A viewpoint that’s much easier to take down.

Another fallacy is the “ad hominem fallacy”,

where you discount an argument

because of your opinion of the person making it.

This can lead to ad hominem attacks,

which is basically Latin for name-calling.

In that situation, it’s fair to say that everybody loses.

Engaging in critical thinking isn’t as fun as picking up a pitchfork,

or feeling like you’re fundamentally right.

But in the long run, it leads to a more curious,

educated and harmonious society,

which ultimately is the biggest win of all.

English (United Kingdom)

https://youtu.be/NHjgKe7JMNE

This tool will help improve your critical thinking - Erick Wilberding

                                                               

Socrates, one of the founding fathers of Western philosophical thought,

was on trial.

Many Athenians believed he was a dangerous enemy of the state,

accusing the philosopher of corrupting the youth

and refusing to recognize their gods.

However, Socrates wasn’t feared for claiming to have all the answers,

but rather, for asking too many questions.

While he loathed formal lectures,

the philosopher frequently engaged friends and strangers

in lengthy conversations about morality and society.

These discussions weren’t debates, nor would Socrates offer explicit advice.

In fact, the philosopher often claimed to know nothing at all,

responding to his partner's answers only with further questions.

But through this process, Socrates probed their logic,

revealing its flaws and helping both parties reach a more robust understanding.

These insightful questions made Socrates beloved by his followers.

Two of his students, Plato and Xenophon, were so inspired

that they replicated their mentor’s process in fictional dialogues.

These invented exchanges provide perfect examples

of what would come to be known as the Socratic Method.

In one of these fabricated dialogues,

Socrates is conversing with a young man named Euthydemus,

who is confident that he understands the nature of justice and injustice.

Socrates probes the student’s values by asking him to label actions

such as lying and theft as just or unjust.

Euthydemus confidently categorizes them as injustices,

but this only prompts another question:

is it just for a general to deceive or pillage a hostile army?

Euthydemus revises his assertion.

He claims that these actions are just when done to enemies,

and unjust when done to friends.

But Socrates isn’t finished.

He asks the young man to consider a commander lying to his troops

to boost their morale.

Before long, Euthydemus is despondent.

It seems that every answer leads to further problems,

and perhaps he’s not quite sure what constitutes justice after all.

In employing this question-oriented approach,

Socrates described himself as a midwife,

whose inquiries assist others in giving birth to their ideas.

His method of questioning draws out an individual’s unexamined assumptions,

and then challenges those biases.

It doesn't always provide definitive answers,

but the method helps clarify the questions

and eliminate contradictory or circular logic.

And by following a line of inquiry where it logically leads,

both the question asker and answerer can end up in unexpected places.

This technique isn’t limited by the conversation’s content,

making it incredibly useful in numerous fields.

During the Renaissance, the method was used to teach clinical medicine.

Students proposed their rationale for different diagnoses,

while a doctor questioned their assumptions and moderated discussion.

In this model, the method could even produce conclusive results.

This same approach was later used in other sciences,

such as astronomy, botany, and mathematics.

Following the Protestant Reformation,

it was adapted to tackle abstract questions of faith.

In the 19th century, the method became an essential part

of American legal education.

Professors explored students’ understanding of judicial reasoning

by challenging them with unforeseen hypothetical situations.

This approach is still used today by the Supreme Court

to imagine the unintended impacts of passing a law.

The Socratic Method can be adapted to teach almost any topic

that relies on critical reasoning,

but its success depends on the teacher employing it.

An effective Socratic educator must be well versed in their subject.

Rather than bullying their students or showing off their superior intellect,

they should be modest, genuinely curious, and affirming of every contribution.

In this regard, Socrates himself

may not have been the most subtle Socratic teacher.

Historians believe he was deeply critical of Athens’ particular brand of democracy,

and known to pass those concerns onto his followers.

These subversive beliefs were distorted in public forums

and thought to have inspired two of his pupils to treasonous ends.

It was likely for these ideas Socrates was brought to trial,

and eventually, sentenced to death.

But even on his deathbed, artists depict a serene philosopher—

ever curious to explore the ultimate question.

English

https://youtu.be/vNDYUlxNIAA

Should you trust your first impression? - Peter Mende-Siedlecki

                                                                              

Imagine you're at a football game

when this obnoxious guy sits next to you.

He's loud,

he spills his drink on you,

and he makes fun of your team.

Days later, you're walking in the park

when suddenly it starts to pour rain.

Who should show up at your side

to offer you an umbrella?

The same guy from the football game.

Do you change your mind about him

based on this second encounter,

or do you go with your first impression

and write him off?

Research in social psychology suggests

that we're quick to form lasting impressions of others

based on their behaviors.

We manage to do this with little effort,

inferring stable character traits

from a single behavior,

like a harsh word

or a clumsy step.

Using our impressions as guides,

we can accurately predict

how people are going to behave in the future.

Armed with the knowledge

the guy from the football game

was a jerk the first time you met him,

you might expect more of the same down the road.

If so, you might choose to avoid him

the next time you see him.

That said, we can change our impressions

in light of new information.

Behavioral researchers have identified

consistent patterns that seem to guide

this process of impression updating.

On one hand, learning very negative,

highly immoral information about someone

typically has a stronger impact

than learning very positive, highly moral information.

So, unfortunately for our new friend

from the football game,

his bad behavior at the game

might outweigh his good behavior at the park.

Research suggests that this bias occurs

because immoral behaviors are more diagnostic,

or revealing,

of a person's true character.

Okay, so by this logic,

bad is always stronger than good

when it comes to updating.

Well, not necessarily.

Certain types of learning don't seem to lead

to this sort of negativity bias.

When learning about another person's abilities and competencies,

for instance,

this bias flips.

It's actually the positive information

that gets weighted more heavily.

Let's go back to that football game.

If a player scores a goal,

it ultimately has a stronger impact

on your impression of their skills

than if they miss the net.

The two sides of the updating story

are ultimately quite consistent.

Overall, behaviors that are perceived

as being less frequent are also the ones

that people tend to weigh more heavily

when forming and updating impressions,

highly immoral actions

and highly competent actions.

So, what's happening at the level of the brain

when we're updating our impressions?

Using fMRI,

or functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging,

researchers have identified

an extended network of brain regions

that respond to new information

that's inconsistent with initial impressions.

These include areas typically associated

with social cognition,

attention,

and cognitive control.

Moreover, when updating impressions

based on people's behaviors,

activity in the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex

and the superior temporal sulcus

correlates with perceptions

of how frequently those behaviors occur in daily life.

In other words, the brain seems to be tracking

low-level, statistical properties of behavior

in order to make complex decisions

regarding other people's character.

It needs to decide

is this person's behavior typical

or is it out of the ordinary?

In the situation

with the obnoxious-football-fan-turned-good-samaritan,

your brain says,

"Well, in my experience,

pretty much anyone would lend someone their umbrella,

but the way this guy acted at the football game,

that was unusual."

And so, you decide to go with your first impression.

There's a good moral in this data:

your brain, and by extension you,

might care more about

the very negative, immoral things

another person has done

compared to the very positive, moral things,

but it's a direct result

of the comparative rarity of those bad behaviors.

We're more used to people being basically good,

like taking time to help a stranger in need.

In this context, bad might be stronger than good,

but only because good is more plentiful.

Think about the last time you judged someone

based on their behavior,

especially a time when you really feel

like you changed your mind about someone.

Was the behavior that caused you

to update your impression

something you'd expect anyone to do,

or was it something totally out of the ordinary?

English

https://youtu.be/eK0NzsGRceg

3 tips to boost your confidence - TED-Ed

 

                                                           

When faced with a big challenge

where potential failure seems to lurk at every corner,

maybe you've heard this advice before:

"Be more confident."

And most likely, this is what you think when you hear it:

"If only it were that simple."

But what is confidence?

Take the belief that you are valuable, worthwhile, and capable,

also known as self-esteem,

add in the optimism that comes when you are certain of your abilities,

and then empowered by these,

act courageously to face a challenge head-on.

This is confidence.

It turns thoughts into action.

So where does confidence even come from?

There are several factors that impact confidence.

One: what you're born with, such as your genes,

which will impact things like the balance of neurochemicals in your brain.

Two: how you're treated.

This includes the social pressures of your environment.

And three: the part you have control over,

the choices you make,

the risks you take,

and how you think about and respond to challenges and setbacks.

It isn't possible to completely untangle these three factors,

but the personal choices we make certainly play a major role

in confidence development.

So, by keeping in mind a few practical tips,

we do actually have the power to cultivate our own confidence.

Tip 1: a quick fix.

There are a few tricks that can give you an immediate confidence boost

in the short term.

Picture your success when you're beginning a difficult task,

something as simple as listening to music with deep bass;

it can promote feelings of power.

You can even strike a powerful pose or give yourself a pep talk.

Tip two: believe in your ability to improve.

If you're looking for a long-term change,

consider the way you think about your abilities and talents.

Do you think they are fixed at birth,

or that they can be developed, like a muscle?

These beliefs matter because they can influence how you act

when you're faced with setbacks.

If you have a fixed mindset,

meaning that you think your talents are locked in place,

you might give up,

assuming you've discovered something you're not very good at.

But if you have a growth mindset and think your abilities can improve,

a challenge is an opportunity to learn and grow.

Neuroscience supports the growth mindset.

The connections in your brain do get stronger and grow with study and practice.

It also turns out, on average,

people who have a growth mindset are more successful,

getting better grades,

and doing better in the face of challenges.

Tip three: practice failure.

Face it, you're going to fail sometimes.

Everyone does.

J.K. Rowling was rejected by twelve different publishers

before one picked up "Harry Potter."

The Wright Brothers built on history's failed attempts at flight,

including some of their own,

before designing a successful airplane.

Studies show that those who fail regularly and keep trying anyway

are better equipped to respond to challenges and setbacks

in a constructive way.

They learn how to try different strategies,

ask others for advice,

and perservere.

So, think of a challenge you want to take on,

realize it's not going to be easy,

accept that you'll make mistakes,

and be kind to yourself when you do.

Give yourself a pep talk, stand up, and go for it.

The excitement you'll feel knowing that whatever the result,

you'll have gained greater knowledge and understanding.

This is confidence.

English

https://youtu.be/l_NYrWqUR40

How to improve your English speaking skills (by yourself)

                                                                                  

I think you already know that if you want to improve your English speaking skills, you

have to practice, right?

You have to speak.

Studying grammar will never improve your speaking.

Listening to English alone will never improve your speaking.

You have to actually speak.

But what if you don't have someone to talk to in English?

How can you practice then?

Well, there's a technique that allows you to learn to speak English by yourself.

No speaking partner is required.

This technique can help improve many aspects of your spoken English: your sentence structure,

your grammar, your vocabulary, and most importantly, your ability to express your thoughts and

ideas effectively.

So what is this technique?

Well, here's what it is...

Learning to speak English through imitation.

When I say imitation, I'm not talking about repeating after native speakers using the

exact same words to improve your pronunciation.

I'm talking about something a little more advanced than that.

Here's how it works: you listen to a conversation, a story, or some kind of speech, and then

try to deliver that speech in your own words.

Let's see this technique in action:

When I was a child

When he was a child

my parents liked to pretend, like many other parents

his parents liked to pretend, like many other parents

that Santa Claus would bring us presents at Christmas.

His parents liked to pretend that Santa Claus would bring them presents at Christmas.

So when my siblings and I would wake up on Christmas morning

So when he and his siblings would wake up on Christmas morning

there'd be a bunch of presents, from supposedly Santa Claus, sitting in front of the fireplace.

there'd be a bunch of presents, from supposedly Santa Claus, sitting in front of the fireplace.

So that's how it works.

But that's just one way to do it.

There're other ways too.

For example, instead of imitating small portions of speech like phrases and short sentences,

you can imitate larger portions of speech.

So in this case, you wait until the speaker completes a thought or an idea, then pause

and try to express that idea yourself.

Another approach is to simply listen to the whole speech and then try to deliver that

entire speech yourself.

So there are several ways to go about it, but what I recommend is to combine them all

together, and I call this approach easy-to-hard imitation.

Easy-to-hard imitation is based on the concept of progressive training.

The idea is that you start with something easy and then increase the difficulty of the

activity, forcing yourself to get better.

A number of studies have found this kind of training to be very effective.

Here's how you can apply this concept: start by imitating small portions of speech first

like phrases and short sentences, then move on to imitating larger portions of speech

like long sentences or even groups of sentences, and finally, try to deliver the entire speech

on your own.

This technique offers many benefits.

You get to listen and imitate correct English, which helps you learn to form sentences properly.

You get to learn idioms, expressions, and other speaking patterns that are used in day-to-day

conversations.

you get to learn grammar.

When you imitate other people, you're learning grammar through a process called implicit

learning.

This is the process where the learning happens without your awareness.

This is how babies and children learn the grammar rules of their first language.

When you imitate, you don't think about grammar.

You're not trying to understand why the present perfect tense is used in this situation or

in that situation.

Instead, you're focused on communication — on understanding and expressing ideas.

You're still learning grammar but you're not aware that it's happening.

This is one of the proper ways to learn grammar.

OK, that concludes this video.

To help you get started, I've put together a step-by-step tutorial on this technique.

If you're interested, click here to go to that tutorial.

English

https://youtu.be/CAU2zx2Ri_M