Think critically

The modern world is filled with huge amount of information. There are a countless number of sites on the Internet, new content appears every millisecond. If earlier people's main sources of news were newspapers and conversations with relatives and acquaintances, today such a stream of information is pouring on a person that anyone can easily drown and sink into it. And now, as never before, the most essential person's ability is

Critical thinking

According to Wikipedia, сritical thinking is the analysis of available facts, evidence, observations, and arguments to form a judgment. This is a very concise definition but it is quite enough to grasp the concept. Currently, people have more than one source of information: friends and relatives, groups and channels on social networks, bloggers and streamers (so-called influencers), etc. However, they often read a recent post in one of the channels, believing that everything published there is the purest truth. There is no question, no doubt in their minds. Just stop for a moment and ask a simple question: "Is this really true?"

Questions, questions, only questions

I am not suggesting that every message that comes from some source should be considered false. Not at all. I suggest thinking critically, that is, questioning the information received, if possible, checking it in other sources. For example, a person saw an advertisement on a social network about "the best razor in the world." However, after reading reviews and customer reviews in stores, the person realized that the razor is actually mediocre and expensive, i.e. advertising gives a wrong idea about the product. The example is trivial but people'd spit such a simple advertising hook these days.

More often, people blindly trust news agencies and channels, although they often mislead or exaggerate, make a storm in a teacup and deliberately making a "clickbait" headline. It's always worth keeping an eye on the news. Often a source of information is interested in his readers/viewers taking the news so that they form a certain opinion.

Is that what you really think, or what they would want you to think? "V" for Vendetta, 2005

Compare the portrayals of the same event:

1. The cost of bakery products in the stores of city X may increase: all stocks tend to zero. Clients are buying up everything, panic buying sweeps stores despite appeal for responsible shopping. A grain crisis awaits us soon.
2. Due to temporary interruptions in supplies from factory Y, the stores of city X are running out of bread supplies. The manufacturer assured that the problem will be solved tomorrow.

Without further explanation, I think it is clear where the "hogwash" is, and where it is normal. After reading the news from the first source, you should be wary and look for other sources to understand whether it is worth running to the store right now for the last loaf of bread or there is nothing to worry about.

Cogito ergo sum

Although all the examples shown in this article look simple but do not forget the main thing: always doubt the reliability of the information received, always try to check it, look for alternative sources. Think, form your own conclusions, shape your own personal opinion. Especially now, when there are so many different lies information in the world, so many different falsifications opinions. Be reasonable!

Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it. Henry Ford, 1863–1947

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