Thread by @fatehshernu

Keep your Intuitive perceptions aside.

Start using Critical Thinking Standards & Intellectual Virtues instead.

----MEGA THREAD--- (not for lazy, sluggish minds or the faint-hearted)

https://twitter.com/getbacktowork99/status/1433348839214247940

"But but what do you mean by Critical Thinking Standards & Intellectual Virtues?"

Let's start with Critical Thinking Standards.

Spend some time Reading & Internalising the meaning of this picture.

Each point, one at a time.

"...ok..and what do you mean by Intellectual Virtues?"

Here's what I mean :

There are 8 Key Intellectual Virtues that must consciously be Nurtured, instead of simply lazily "following your Intuition".

1. Intellectual Humility

- What do I really know (about myself, about the situation, about another person, about my nation, about what is going on in the world, and about the issues in this news article)?

- To what extent do my prejudices or biases influence my thinking about this news piece?

- To what extent have I been indoctrinated into beliefs that may be false?

- ​How do the beliefs I have uncritically accepted keep me from seeing this news article in an unbiased way?

2. Intellectual Courage

- To what extent have I analyzed my beliefs?

- ​To what extent have I questioned the beliefs that guide my judgment about the news, many of which I learned in childhood?

- ​To what extent have I demonstrated a willingness to give up my beliefs when sufficient evidence is presented against them?

- ​Do I have the courage to seek alternative news sources to check mainstream news outlets for accuracy and reasonability?

3. Intellectual Integrity

- Do I behave in accordance with what I say I believe, or do I tend to say one thing and do another?

- To what extent do I expect the same of myself as I expect of others?

- ​To what extent do I expect the same high standards of “my group” as I expect of other groups?

- To what extent are there contradictions or inconsistencies in my life?

- ​To what extent do I strive to recognize and eliminate self-deception in all parts of my life, including the way I perceive the news?

4. Intellectual perseverance

- Am I willing to work my way through complexities in an issue,

or do I tend to give up when I experience difficulty?

- Can I think of a difficult intellectual problem in which I have demonstrated patience and determination in working through the difficulties?

- Do I expect learning from “the news” to be easy, or do I recognize the importance of working through complexities to find out what is really going on in the world?

5. Confidence in Reason

- Am I willing to change my position when the evidence leads to a more reasonable one?

- ​Do I adhere to principles of sound reasoning when persuading others of my position, or do I distort matters to support my position?

- Do I deem it more important to “win” an argument, or, instead, to see the issue from the most reasonable perspective?

- Do I encourage others to come to their own conclusions, or do I try to force my views on them? •

- Am I open to facts and evidence as revealed in the news media, or, alternatively, do I seek other information that may or may not be true in order to maintain my position?

6. Intellectual Autonomy

- ​To what extent do I conform to the views of others uncritically?

- ​To what extent do I uncritically accept what I am told by my government, the media, or my peers?

- To what extent do I confine my news exposure habits to well-written mainstream or alternative sources, or, on the other hand, to sources that routinely distort or misrepresent the news in ways that fit my perspective?

- Having thought through an issue from a rational perspective, am I willing to stand alone despite the irrational criticisms of others?

7. Intellectual Integrity

- Do I behave in accordance with what I say I believe, or do I tend to say one thing and do another?

- To what extent do I expect the same of myself as I expect of others?

- ​To what extent do I expect the same high standards of “my group” as I expect of other groups?

- To what extent are there contradictions or inconsistencies in my life?

- To what extent do I strive to recognize and eliminate self-deception in all parts of my life, including the way I perceive the news?

- To what extent do I seek news sources that hold all parties to the same high standards?

8. Intellectual Empathy

- To what extent do I accurately represent viewpoints I disagree with?

- Could I summarize the views of my opponents to their satisfaction? Can I see insights in the views of others and prejudices in my own?

- Do I sympathize with the feelings of others in light of their thinking differently from me?

Any questions?

Let me know.

Time to do away with your "biases & intuitive perceptions", and become a Rational Critical Thinker instead.