5 Steps to Help You Practice Critical Thinking During This Election Year
Many people are currently sharing inaccurate political posts on social media. Are you one of them?
As Election Day grows closer, we are being bombarded with articles, ads, and comments aimed towards swaying our beliefs one way or the other. We see friends and family posting links or pictures that may not be truly based on fact without realizing it, and therefore, causing arguments on said posts.
Most of us have the tools available to help guide us away from biased comments and towards more informative content. Let’s dive in to discuss five different steps on how we can prevent ourselves from being easily manipulated into believing every statement.
“Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought. ” — John F. Kennedy
1. Don’t be Afraid to Ask Questions
Be curious about the world and don’t just simply accept what appears to make sense. You can do this by asking for justification on a statement when reading an intriguing post. Don’t be afraid to let the person know that you appreciate their point of view and would like clarification to further understand their stance. Respect is key when using this method to avoid emotionally charged arguments. Political posts often attract people to comment on them. Feel free to read through those comments to gain insight on different opinions and views. Most of the time, reading earlier responses will help you formulate better questions or to at least jog your brain towards new trains of thought.
2. Become Self-Aware of Any Personal Biases You Might Have
The second step towards becoming a critical thinker is understanding that you probably already hold personal beliefs that might not be based on fact. The environment we grew up in, our family and friends, and lifestyle all play a part in our own preconceived notions. Today, I ask you to challenge those beliefs. Learn to research facts and data to support your ideas so that they are not merely based on opinion. Challenge yourself to see things from both an equal and opposite perspective and everything in between. Naturally, we are skeptical of people we disagree with, but we should be even more skeptical of those we do agree with. Seek to KNOW and not just simply believe in an idea that has not been fully formed or supported by logic.
3. Empathize With Others
Now that you’ve challenged yourself and taken the time to understand different perspectives, you’re ready to impose your new-found knowledge on to others, right? Wrong! The purpose of becoming a critical thinker isn’t to dive into arguments with others but rather to ensure that you’re keeping yourself accountable in regards to taking in new information in an objective and clear-headed manner. You might pick up on emotionally charged arguments while reading a post, however, it is our responsibility to listen to comprehend. Remember that just as you were previously influenced by certain factors, other people are as well. Part of becoming a critical thinker is to be able to see things from a different point of view. This means listening to others is another valid way of learning new things about the world. Keep in mind, allowing yourself to listen to someone does not necessarily mean you agree with them, but that you are trying to understand where they are coming from and why they feel a certain way. Keep an open mind.
4. Do Your Research
You’ve asked questions, identified your biases, and listened to different perspectives. What’s next? Research. Take all the ideas you have discovered and find data points to support each one. Don’t favor one idea over another before properly collecting facts, this way, you are less likely to form new biases. Different methods of research include reading books, visiting reputable websites, watching videos, the news, documentaries as well as taking in lessons from history. Be very wary of biased content as a lot of the media available sneaks in opinion while presenting facts.
5. Develop Your Stance
You’ve done your research and gathered your facts. Now it’s time to choose your stance. Consider what’s important to you and why the side you’ve chosen best conveys your political views. A good way to do this is to think about what your virtues and values are. Remember, there are facts to support many ideas, so this is not to say your stance is the only right one. However, taking a stance does not mean that you are choosing to ignore facts but rather will use facts instead of opinions to support your stance. While it is okay to stay neutral in many circumstances, there will come a time where you must choose a side.
That time will be this November.
