The importance of the critical thinking

Knowledge is the power along with critical thinking!

If you are not too strong enough about your "Why", chances are that you might waste your time just wandering around.

We are living in an era where outside voices are too strong than our inner voice which usually always whispers what is right and best for us. But we tend to lean on other things sometimes, rely on other people than ourselves. If you have a good analytical mind, you might find that sometimes what others tell you what is right, is not always right.

So here I wanted to raise the topic of importance of the critical thinking, which will be useful for each individual’s life, in their social life, work, and relationships. Especially when you feel lost, I think, it is good to sit, get time for yourself, and understand what is triggering you.

1. Recently I was reading my favorite blog by Seth's Godin. In his latest blog he shared, he started with the question :

"Are we cannibals?"

Part of the challenge of hanging out with cannibals is that it’s very difficult to get a good night’s sleep.

The math of finding a group of people that cares about community is pretty compelling. While individual selfish choices might feel productive in the moment, if they undermine the health of the community, they’re ultimately self-defeating.

As our world has gotten more crowded and more connected, it’s easier than ever to step on someone’s toes.

Why I took this example, because I think, sometimes we hang around people who distract us from our goals. We get tempted by some sort of pleasures, we might miss our sleep for parties let’s say despite knowing that we have an important day tomorrow, we have difficulty saying NO to the things that don’t serve us. We put our own priority in the second place.

2. Here comes Mass manipulation. How does it work?

I took this example from a science article.

The herd behavior is observable when social animals gather in groups large enough that the individual becomes no longer significant.

Seeing people you trust act or think in a certain way also makes you more likely to accept it as being right, much like you tend to trust family and friends more than complete strangers. In addition to that, some people perceive the wider community as being more knowledgeable than themselves and, because of this, they tend to accept the common consensus as being correct.

Another reason people conform to the majority is that they perceive it as being the norm. Consider a young boy, Tom, born into a fascist family in a fascism-dominated country. He has always been subjected to fascist propaganda and media. As a result of his polarized nurturing, Tom considers fascist ideals to be absolutely normal and righteous.

3. Here comes a third point. Should we really live like everyone else living? Doing things in a way that everyone is doing? Comparison won't let you explore your own true nature and potential. Below is another opinion from Psychological science sources.

We are not equal in our data and talents. And this is good. Modern left movements say that we are all equal, which in their interpretation means rather “we are all the same”. But it's not. We are really different. And not everyone can be everyone.

Someone is stronger, someone is better at counting, someone is better at learning languages, someone is more empathic, someone is more callous, someone is able to burst into tears from a beautiful dawn, and someone can withstand the terrible conditions of trench warfare. We are different. And there is no need for everyone to be top models, there is no need for everyone to be alpha males, there is no need for everyone to look good in a suit, or to joke well.

You will never win a game by someone else's rules. Never become the best at something that is not exactly your nature.

And therefore, much more important is not an attempt to mold yourself into a “correct” person, a “successful” person, in the coordinate system of others; You can't become the best by playing by other people's rules. No need to fit yourself to other's requirements, or expectations. But to know your nature, accept all your features, formulate your own rules of the game based on values and meanings, and become the best in your game, according to your own rules. Discover, understand, accept, reveal and boldly live your nature. Fall in love with yourself and make others fall in love with you. You can find who are in tune with your nature.

This is what originality, authenticity is all about.

These 3 points of view from different perspectives are deeply described my thoughts. My experience living in a megapolis country as an example, with diverse nationalities with different backgrounds, and cultures where everybody can tell you what is correct and share opinions, their wisdom or advice doesn't mean all of them are correct and can be applied to your own life experience. It doesn't have to affect your future decisions and you shouldn't set your future based on their loud talks. Because we have lived different pasts and we should find our own pass way which is best suited for ourselves. We already know what is best for us.

From my observation, I can surely say how one person can disperse in a crowd very easily without strong power and access to true knowledge.

So how to resist manipulation and not get lost?

Taking everything into account, it seems hard not to fall victim to the flow. So, how do you avoid becoming a mindless follower? It’s crucial to always be skeptical and inquisitive when reading or receiving information and learning about new things. Always check if what you’re being told makes sense logically. Especially at the times when you feel lost.

I was given advice to do certain things as everyone is doing or adapt myself to the market of the place which actually dictates how you should live your life if you want to be accepted or if you want to win or succeed. But actually, all those loud voices have a tendency to distance you from your own true nature and abilities, or from your own wants. Also, we tend to compare ourselves to others. that the damage from that to our self-esteem is so enormous.

You can flow by your own flow, but at the same time, you need the right community and society around that truly will help you to grow your true nature and potential. And for the individual, it is so important to have your own strong sense of "WHY" in order to not get manipulated in many different ways. Because our world is so complex, especially if you live in big cities. It is normal to get lost. You as a tiny creature in this big world where ringing bells are from everywhere. That is why exposing ourselves to true knowledge, critical thinking, and finding the pure community around us is so crucial.

I hope you will find it useful and I would like to hear your thoughts and opinions about what I covered above! Or maybe if you find yourself resonating with the above topic, feel free to share your opinion and how you overcome the challenge of finding yourself lost.