Are You Replacing One Talking Head for Another?
Our world contains a lot of corruption.
That being said, some of the content I see circulating online nowadays concerns me.
I’ve never been what would be considered a mainstream thinker. But some of the alternative viewpoints sound just as dogmatic and problematic as some of the mainstream narratives.
I am witnessing a search for truth and a desire for certainty—which is absolutely understandable.
My concerns:
- Cognitive biases are difficult to overcome.
- Alternative thinking does not necessarily equal FREE thinking. So, if that’s your goal, try not to conflate the two. If one replaces mainstream media sources with specific alternative sources or even multiple sources that get their information from those specific sources, then all we have done is replace one talking head for another. That is not free thinking, which involves flexibility, non-attachment, and a commitment to deconstruct unconscious biases, among other things.
- Critical thinking, defined as the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue, in order to form a judgment, is actually really difficult. Try not to feel insulted when you hear people discussing this collective challenge. It’s a skill we have to build—it’s not innate. Plus, there is a tremendous amount of disinformation that exists that impacts our ability to think critically.
- Actual research involves both critical thinking and critical analysis. Yes, reliable sources are important AND even reliable sources are sometimes incorrect (see #1). Even science, for example, has biases, which could impact fact finding.
And I applaud anyone who takes the time and energy to navigate their way through these four hurdles.
