I look around today at the world, and I see many problems that need solving: Rights violations, world hunger, abuse, prejudice, discrimination, violence, misinformation, lack of education, et cetera. I could carry on, but you grasp my point. Despite the progress our species has made, there’s much more work to be done to get us to where we should be. And for every step we take, the longer it seems the path ahead becomes, but certainly there’s a final destination at the end of that path, right?
Well, here’s the catch: We won’t be solving a damn thing if we’re not committed to accepting the truth when we find it, even if we would rather believe something else. Truth is that which comports with reality, and if we’re going to be diving for cover whenever reality comes sauntering by, we’re not ever going to get anywhere. And I’ll say it here—and I’d say it to your face too—if you’re not open to considering other ideas, then you’re part of the problem. Not that we should abandon our skepticism, that’s actually the polar opposite of what I’m proposing. We need more critical thinking. We need to go so far as to apply critical thinking, and rational evaluation to what we ourselves believe, not only to what others believe.
“In all affairs, it's a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted.”
- Bertrand Russell
That’s why we should be teaching people not what to think, but how to think, to ask the tough questions, and to fulfill our curious nature. We as a species must set out every day to discover what is true, and follow the evidence wherever it leads. All of our advancements, be they in medical science, physics, biology, chemistry, technology, society, philosophy—you name it—any time we made an advancement, it was when we followed the evidence to the facts, and accepted the truth when we arrived there, regardless if that reality made us a little uncomfortable at first.
“For me, it is far better to grasp the universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.”
- Carl Sagan
Well, here’s another uncomfortable reality: There will always be problems that need solving. A perfect utopia is what’s at the end of that road that seems longer with every step, but it’s out of our reach; friction is in our nature, but that doesn’t mean we should give up entirely. Even if that distant world without conflict is utterly unrealistic, even getting halfway there would be an amazing world to live in. Don’t get me wrong, quality of life, human rights, education, healthcare, these things are improving. They’re certainly a hell of a lot better than they were a hundred years ago, and a hundred years from now, maybe we as a species will look back on 21st century society with complete disdain, just as we sometimes look back on past civilizations with the very same scorn.
But will they realize that whoever’s around, if anyone, in three hundred years might easily look back, and say the same thing about them? See, society is always trying to change for the better, even if we get it wrong sometimes. That’s why people should be taught how to think, not what to think. If we’re going to have more and more problems arise in the future, then what we need is a generation of activist thinkers, a generation of rational problem solvers, a peaceful generation that can learn to put their biases and presuppositions to the side for the well-being of everyone. That is how we get a running start on that long road.
What got me ranting on this subject all of a sudden? It’s not as sudden as it may seem. It’s a topic that’s been on my mind for quite a long time, but something happened that brought it blaring to the forefront of my thoughts. I held my baby nephew today. I made him smile. It’s a memory I’ll always hold close to my heart. But it’s bittersweet. He looked so vulnerable, his mind so malleable. In a world with so many bad ideas, his parents now have a responsibility as his stewards to teach him HOW to think. Not WHAT to think. He needs to know how to deflect those terrible, damaging ideas, or he could become one of the many to fall into a vicious and perilous mental trap, and be left with invisible scars. And I hope they as his parents understand how crucial this is. And I hope that you reading this also grasp why it’s so important. The next generations will be affected by what we do now, and we can only improve with an honest examination of ourselves.
So, ask yourself this: What biases are you holding onto? Can you rationally justify the things you believe? Can you demonstrate the validity of your worldview? Is your reasoning sound? How certain are you? Does your worldview cause harm to others? Is there someone you hurt because you’re holding onto unreasonable positions? Is there something about yourself that you need to change? And why haven’t you done it already?
Has your worldview boxed you into an echo chamber, locked you into a prison cell that you can’t think outside of? The key to that mental cage is right in front of you. What’s stopping you from taking the key, flinging that door wide open, and stepping out into the sunlight with everyone else?
As Alejandro Jodorowsky said: “Birds born in a cage think [that] flying is an illness.” And what I think he means is that if you’ve been indoctrinated with a set of required beliefs, you may end up thinking that anyone outside your little bubble has something wrong with them.
I encourage you to open the door to that cage. Examine your worldview critically, from an outsider’s perspective. Have honest conversations and discussions. Talk to others openly about how they see things, and—more importantly—listen when they answer you, while keeping that reasonably skeptical mindset active. Be better. Believe me, there’s a gust of fresh air under your wings when you do. And, if you make it your mission to find the truth, you just might fly.
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