Things That Work / Critical Thinking

Michal Matlon

Impairment created by a continuous stream of negative information is rising.

Our information bubbles are damaging our ability to think, reason and make good decisions. These bubbles are creating a feedback loop that amplifies anger and hatred. Strong emotions hijack our ability to think critically.

Edutopia points out, when a continuous stream of negative emotions hijacks our frontal lobes, our brain's architecture changes, leaving us in a heightened stress-response state where fear, anger, anxiety, frustration, and sadness take over our thinking, logical brains.

Critical thinking is the act of deliberately analyzing information so that you can make better judgements and decisions. It involves using things like logic, reasoning, and creativity, to draw conclusions and generally understand things better.

So, who is the uncritical thinker?

They don't see critical thinking as a good value point. Pretend they know more than they do and ignore their limitations. They are close-minded people and resist criticism of beliefs and assumptions. Often base beliefs on mere personal preference of self-interest. May 18, 2021 tutsmaster

Children are not born with the power to think critically, nor do they develop this ability naturally beyond survival-level thinking. Critical thinking is a learned ability that must be taught. Most individuals never learn it.

Since critical thinkers are made, how do we promote that ability in children? Walden University came up with these seven ways of developing critical thinking skills.

Critical thinking exercises for elementary education

• Ask questions. ...
• Encourage decision-making. ...
• Work in groups. ...
• Incorporate different points of view. ...
• Connect different ideas. ...
• Inspire creativity. ...
• Brainstorm.

The idea is to teach children how to think rather than what to think.

Is it too late for adults? 

Indeed has come up with a list of ways to improve critical thinking.

Become more self-aware. ...

Understand your mental process. ...

Develop foresight. ...

Practice active listening. ...

Ask questions. ...

Evaluate existing evidence. ...

Meeting with a mentor. ...

Participating in team-building exercises.

Our Future Depends on Critical Thinking

Psychology today says, critical thinking is the skill that, among many things, enables you to tell a truly informed and researched opinion apart from an uninformed one. Employees with critical thinking skills benefit an organization because it makes them better able to develop better solutions. They go on to say, Thinking critically takes effort, study, and sometimes a struggle to understand and analyze an argument. It's a skill that is cultivated. Developing critical thinking skills allows us to resist the bombardment of misinformation and mount a positive argument for the truth.

Are We Pro Labor?

 

61%

The share of U.S. adults who say the long-term decline in the share of workers represented by unions has been bad for working people. Union membership hit an all-time low this past week.

(Pew)

Does this stat surprise you. It is surprising to me. What did not surprise me, this a partisan view.

Pew points out union support is increasingly partisan. Around seven-in-ten Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents say the decline in the percentage of workers represented by unions in recent decades has been very or somewhat bad for the country (71%), and a similar share say it has been bad for working people (76%). Among Republicans and GOP leaners, 40% say the decline of organized labor has been bad for the country and 45% say it has been bad for working people.

Among Republicans, there are sizable age, educational and income divides in views about the impact of the decline of union membership. The differences among Democrats are more modest.

Right to work states have lower wages for it's labor force. the Economic Policy Institute that found wages in right-to-work states were 3.1% lower than non-right-to-work states after accounting for differences in the cost of living.

And right to work states have higher poverty rates. According to IUPAT, Poverty rates are higher in states with right to work laws (14.8 percent overall and 20.2 percent for children), compared with poverty rates of 13.1 percent overall and 18.3 percent for children in states without these laws. The infant mortality rate is 14.2 percent higher in states with these laws.

Are fair wages and competitive advantage mutually exclusive?  Considering that workers who feel valued are more productive, even invested in their work, paying people what they are worth pays off.

Things That Work / Kindness

Andrew Thornebrooke

It's an attitude based on learned behavior.

"I stopped to get a coffee between students last week. The clerk miscounted and gave me too much change. At first, I wasn't paying close attention. Then it clicked. So I said, "I think you gave me too much." She seemed embarrassed at first, but I explained, I think you will want your cash drawer to balance at the end of the day acknowledging a simple mistake. She smiled and wished me a Happy New Year. I smiled back."

I was taught kindness. Most of the learning came from my parents. I credit them. They did a great job.

I was taught not to prejudge. I was taught to speak when appropriate and when to keep certain things to myself. If somebody disagreed, it was never to be taken personally. The idea was to focus on actions, not the person. It became so much easier to express ideas and reach consensus. There was so little to gain from scorched earth. The learning process continues to this day.

An example? Sexuality. They preached, "What consenting adults did behind closed doors was not for us to judge." Our judgement would just get in the way of valuing people for who they are. If you're thinking I was brought up with some sort of "wokeness," both of my parents were Republicans and pretty conservative. They understood if we eliminated people based of prejudice, we were leaving so much potential on the table.

The attitude starts with human kindness.

Kindness is defined with the qualities of being friendly, generous and considerate. According to menatlhealth,org,uk, acts of kindness can make the world a happier place for everyone. They can boost feelings of confidence, being in control, happiness and optimism. They may also encourage others to repeat the good deeds they've experienced themselves – contributing to a more positive community.

Berkeleywellbeing.com has a list of the  types of kindness:

• Giving compliments.
• Giving gifts.
• Saying kind words.
• Showing gratitude.
• Doing an act of service for someone else.
• Being respectful.
• Noticing good things that others do.
• Giving your time to someone else.

Kindness is not a one way street. Some people think kindness is a sign of weakness, those who are kind are losers who let others take advantage of them. Quite the opposite! The Mayo Clinic says kindness can change your life. Kindness has been shown to increase self-esteem, empathy and compassion, and improve mood. It can decrease blood pressure and cortisol, a stress hormone, which directly impacts stress levels. People who give of themselves in a balanced way also tend to be healthier and live longer. May 29, 2020

Bright before me the signs implore me
To help the needy and show them the way
Human kindness is overflowing
And I think it's going to rain today

Randy Newman

Things That Work / Being Happy

 

Tapio Haaja

The Happiest Place on Earth

Finland is the happiest country on earth for the fifth year in a row. To stay happy there are three things they do (or don't do)

Frank Martela, a phycologist says there three things Finns never do. It must be working because they've been the happiest country in the world for the past three years.

1. They don't compare themselves with their neighbors. There's a community humbleness. They don't use individual wealth to compare themselves with each other. 

Martela offers this happiness tip:

Focus more on what makes you happy, and less on looking successful. Don't compare yourself with others.

2. Don't overlook the benefits of nature. 87% of Finns feel that nature is important to them because it provides them with peace of mind, energy and relaxation.

Martela's tip? 

Spending time in nature increases vitality, well-being and gives a sense of personal growth.

3. They don't break the community circle of trust. Finnish people tend to trust each other. If you leave your laptop or phone at the coffee shop, you are likely to get it back. 

The Happiness Tip: 

Think about how you can show up for your community. It can be the small things like opening a door for someone or giving up a seat on a train.

You can read the full article here at cnbc make it.