this post was submitted on 10 Sep 2023
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Asklemmy
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Learning how to get better at critical thinking.
I study rhetoric and argumentation for fun. Rhetoric is for understanding how people persuade me, argumentation is for understanding the tactics they use to achieve that goal. I've developed a certain style of rhetoric and argumentation that I like a lot. Essentially, I think people should learn to identify their own assumptions and make them explicit. Far fewer misunderstandings would happen if people know wtf they themselves were saying.
That's a hobby?
Why wouldn't it be? It's not something I'm doing for school or work. It's purely for personal growth and enjoyment, like writing and/or reading.
Well, to me it sounds more like a skill rather than a hobby.
Getting better at a hobby makes it a skill. Get better at pottery and its a skill, doesnt mean its not a hobby.
Yeah, fair. What I thought was that critical thinking is a skill that everyone should have, which makes it a life skill rather than a hobby where everyone has a different one and its fine not to have.
Though something like learning multiple languages or even just a second language is another example where it could be classified as both hobby and crucial life skill in my books.
It shouldn’t be just a hobby. I think it should be taught in schools. It is the source of most of the world’s problems.
I got recommended to read Thinking Fast and Slow on lemmy and I've been really enjoying it, much of it is about hidden assumptions and critical thinking
How would someone get started doing this?
I really got started by reading Thank For Arguing. It was a quick and dirty introduction to rhetoric. But what struck me was quotes like
or
I grew up in a world were facts and logic were esteemed, but, for whatever reason, people don't even know basic logic and facts are selectively chosen. There was an obvious disconnect that this book explained really well.
And then it went on to explain how to do it yourself. So, that was nice, too.
Check out David McRaney if you haven’t already. I have the same interests. Most people don’t explore what actually motivates their beliefs. It’s a fascinating subject.
That articles reminds me of when I listened How to Talk to a Science Denier. They're fascinating because their beliefs are so obviously wrong even as they proclaim the real facts and flawless logic are on their side. It's a wonder how people end up believing what they believe.
And then I take a step back and wonder...what am I motivated to believe? And I get where some of my axioms come from.
In any case, that looks like a useful book! Thanks for the recommendation.