God made humans to be thinking beings. But there is a great difference between being a critical thinker and thinking critically. A critical thinker is able to parse information into logical segments, analyze those segments for self-consistency, and clearly conclude whether given items logically fit within the context of other known truth and data. In biblical terms, critical thinkers can exercise true wisdom. In sharp contrast, someone who is always thinking critically is all too often just a complainer or someone who always sees a cup half-empty instead of half-full.
Moms and dads play a major role in pre-determining how their own children will navigate through an ever more hectic and chaotic world: will they be critical thinkers or simply critical?
Here are a few examples how critical thinking might unfold.
It’s an Investment
Years ago, I was a technical manager type at a major defense contractor in Los Angeles. One Monday morning, one of the new hires recently out of college came into work and he was just beaming. I could tell that he had something that he wanted to share so I engaged him. One simple question launched him into recounting his weekend of adventure. He started off by saying, “I made an investment over the weekend!” I replied, “What kind of investment?” The young guy’s response was that he had bought a new car…to which I just began to laugh out loud. “That’s no investment,” I said, full well knowing that the value of the car was guaranteed to just go down, but never up.
A critical thinker would clearly see the new car as simply a purchase, rather than attempt to justify his actions by calling it an investment.
But I Don’t Make Any Ammunition
One other time, I got into a conversation with this same young engineer at this Los Angeles aerospace firm. I asked him how he decided to come to work at our company over others. During his explanation, he told me that he did not want to go to a defense-related company that made bullets, bombs, missiles and the like because he didn’t believe in all that. I couldn’t help it; a large grin came to my face and I eventually started laughing. I told him that even though we were not making any of the items which he listed, we were in fact designing and providing the communications equipment used by commanding officers to tell other military folks precisely where to shoot all of those armaments. My observation momentarily stopped this young engineer in his tracks, and then he blurted out, “Don’t complicate my life!” Here again, this young fellow was sugar coating reality to justify his internal comfort level; he was not exercising critical thinking.
Round Houses
Thirty-plus years ago, a few adventurous souls decided that building their home based upon a round circular floor plan was the way to go. Practicalities spoke louder though, so they never really caught on. Take for instance, dry wall, paneling, and most other building materials all come in flat sheets. It is very hard to position a lengthy piece of furniture up against anything but a flat wall. And when it comes to carpet, the best way I know to explode the price-tag is to have a circular floor area. Other items like computers with a myriad of cables coming out the back side are much less obtrusive when positioned up against a wall. And flat picture windows are much easier to find and afford than non-flat windows. Critical thinking counts the cost before starting the journey. Critical thinking says measure twice, cut once.
Pandas at the Zoo
We are privileged to have a spectacular zoo here in San Diego and “panda mania” has erupted on several occasions when these unique animals are the stars of the show. The subject of pandas came up one morning in the kitchen when I was talking with my then high school daughter about abortion and the whole topic of when a fetus becomes a human being in the eyes of the law. In providing my viewpoint, I pointed out to my daughter that if one of the prized pandas at the zoo became pregnant, there would be jubilation all across the media, certainly no confusion as to whether the the pregnant mother was carrying a baby “panda” versus “fetal tissue,” and if any visitor to the zoo brought harm to the unborn panda in any way, they would be severely fined if not incarcerated! Everyone seems to understand the principles involved here.
Somehow when a human mother is pregnant, however, it gets complicated and many in our society choose to hide behind words like “it’s a woman’s right to choose,” or “fetal tissue.” Somehow, the value of an unborn panda has completely trumped the value of an unborn child in much of our society. All objectivity is out the door because critical thinking is not present (e.g., car purchase versus an investment). God is not confused though; the “fetus” is a human being in the making, tailored, and growing in God’s own image. A critical thinker recognizes the root of the question being the value of a human life.
The American Revolution
America’s religious heritage has been pushed so far out of public education and the public square that it has led to a complete misunderstanding of why democracy has worked in America for well over 200 years, whereas our attempts at nation building around the world have been so difficult. Decades before 1776, public discourse was filled with the writings of phenomenal authors like John Locke, David Hume, Rousseau, and John Mill whose words resonated with what common men and women were reading in their own bibles. The American Revolution “worked” because it was based upon a foundation of Christian principles; the Ten Commandments, the infinite value of every individual (in God’s eyes), etc.
A critical thinker recognizes that there is far more to American democracy than the notion of “one person, one vote.” Without critical thinking being exercised though, an entire nation can delude itself in assessing the true scope of monumental matters like bringing democracy to a Middle Eastern society.
Critical thinking is synonymous with wisdom. With it, our kids easily connect the dots between attending to their school homework and a promising future. They understand that one day they will need to be financially on their own rather than depending on their parents indefinitely. Without critical thinking, pursuit of empty self-interest and self-indulgence trumps everything else. You cannot start teaching your children critical thinking skills too early! True wisdom begins with a reverence for God. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Proverbs 9:10.
