Think Piece

Kinds of Thinking

KINDS OF THINKING 

It is ironic that humans have been assessing thinking for thousands of years but have spent very little time coming to terms with the criteria they habitually use in deciding which thinking to accept and which to reject, which to praise and which to criticize.  In fact, despite what humans profess, most respond to new or controversial or conflicting ideas as if they do not need to improve on their thinking.  That is, most of us respond to these kinds of ideas with a “mine is better” kind of mindset. Of course, once we recognize that the human mind by nature is deeply prone to self-deception and to using thinking in a highly self-serving way—then, we should not be surprised that the implicit standards that humans instinctively use to assess thinking are not only intellectually flawed but actually intellectually absurd.  We have in mind the following criteria:

· “It’s true because I believe it” or innate egocentricism: I find myself continually assuming that what I believe is true even though I have never questioned the basis for many of my beliefs

· “It’s true because we believe it” or innate sociocentrism (also known as ethnocentrism): I find myself continually assuming that the dominant beliefs in the groups to which I belong are true even though I have never questioned the basis for many of these beliefs

· “It’s true because I want to believe it” or innate wish fulfillment: I find myself believing in, for example, accounts of behavior that put me (or the groups to which I belong) in a positive rather than a negative light even though I have not seriously considered the evidence for the more negative account. I believe what “feels good,” what supports my other beliefs, what does not require me to change my thinking in any significant way, what does not require me to admit I have been wrong.

· “It’s true because it is in my vested interest to believe it” or innate selfishness: I find myself gravitating to beliefs which if true would justify my getting more power, money, or personal advantage and not noticing the evidence or reasoning against those beliefs.

These kinds of thinking are especially problematic when they block one’s ability to think critically or to entertain perspectives, ideas, or beliefs that differ from one’s own or from what puts a person in a better light or more powerful position.  Any of these kinds of thinking can distort our ideas or responses to others’ ideas and, ultimately, make us less effective as critical thinkers. 

 

MLA Citation: 

In Your Works Cited Page: 

"Kinds of Thinking." English 1B, Spring 2021, Riverside City College, 2021. 

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