Every day, a sea of decisions stretches before us. Some are small and unimportant, but others have a larger impact on our lives. For example, which politician should I vote for? Should I try the latest diet craze? Or will email make me a millionaire? We're bombarded with so many decisions that it's impossible to make a perfect choice every time. But there are many ways to improve our chances, and one particularly effective technique is critical thinking. This is a way of approaching a question that allows us to carefully deconstruct a situation, reveal its hidden issues, such as bias and manipulation, and make the best decision. If the critical part sounds negative that's because in a way it is. Rather than choosing an answer because it feels right, a person who uses critical thinking subjects all available options to scrutiny and skepticism. Using the tools at their disposal, they'll eliminate everything but the most useful and reliable information. There are many different ways of approaching critical thinking, but here's one five-step process that may help you solve any number of problems. One: formulate your question. In other words, know what you're looking for. This isn't always as straightforward as it sounds. For example, if you're deciding whether to try out the newest diet craze, your reasons for doing so may be obscured by other factors, like claims that you'll see results in just two weeks. But if you approach the situation with a clear view of what you're actually trying to accomplish by dieting, whether that's weight loss, better nutrition, or having more energy, that'll equip you to sift through this information critically, find what you're looking for, and decide whether the new fad really suits your needs. Two: gather your information. There's lots of it out there, so having a clear idea of your question will help you determine what's relevant. If you're trying to decide on a diet to improve your nutrition, you may ask an expert for their advice, or seek other people's testimonies. Information gathering helps you weigh different options, moving you closer to a decision that meets your goal. Three: apply the information, something you do by asking critical questions. Facing a decision, ask yourself, "What concepts are at work?" "What assumptions exist?" "Is my interpretation of the information logically sound?" For example, in an email that promises you millions, you should consider, "What is shaping my approach to this situation?" "Do I assume the sender is telling the truth?" "Based on the evidence, is it logical to assume I'll win any money?" Four: consider the implications. Imagine it's election time, and you've selected a political candidate based on their promise to make it cheaper for drivers to fill up on gas. At first glance, that seems great. But what about the long-term environmental effects? If gasoline use is less restricted by cost, this could also cause a huge surge in air pollution, an unintended consequence that's important to think about. Five: explore other points of view. Ask yourself why so many people are drawn to the policies of the opposing political candidate. Even if you disagree with everything that candidate says, exploring the full spectrum of viewpoints might explain why some policies that don't seem valid to you appeal to others. This will allow you to explore alternatives, evaluate your own choices, and ultimately help you make more informed decisions. This five-step process is just one tool, and it certainly won't eradicate difficult decisions from our lives. But it can help us increase the number of positive choices we make. Critical thinking can give us the tools to sift through a sea of information and find what we're looking for. And if enough of us use it, it has the power to make the world a more reasonable place.
每天,無數的抉擇攤在我們面前, 有些是芝麻小事, 但有些對我們的人生會有較大影響。 例如:我該投票給那位政治家? 我該試試最新的熱門減肥餐嗎? 或電子郵件會讓我成為百萬富翁嗎? 我們不斷受到那麼多抉擇的轟炸, 致使無法每次都作出最適當的選擇。 但有許多方式可提高這可能性, 一個非常有效的技巧, 就是「明辨性思維」。 這是一種處理問題的方法, 讓我們能仔細地解析狀況、 揭露其潛藏的問題── 例如偏見及操弄, 從而作出最好的決定。 如果「明辨」感覺很負面, 從一方面來看它是如此。 不同於因為「感覺對」 而選擇那個答案, 一位運用明辨性思維的人, 會察看所有可行的選項, 而後加以詳察與質疑。 運用這可掌握的工具, 可去蕪存菁, 只留下最有用的及可信的資訊。 要做到明辨性思維有許多的方式, 但以下五個步驟, 可協助你解決不少的問題。 一、有系統地提出問題: 也就是說,知道你在尋找什麼, 這並不總是像聽到的那麼簡單。 例如,如果你正在決定 要不要嘗試最新熱門減肥餐, 你要嘗試的理由 可能是被其他因素掩蓋了, 例如,它宣稱在兩週之內 你就可看到成效。 假如你處理這種狀況, 有一個清晰的概念 知道你減肥真正想達到的目的, 不管是不是減重、 較好的營養 或是精力更充沛, 如此將使你具備有 審慎地篩選資訊的能力, 找到你所需要的資料, 然後決定這個新時尚 是否真的吻合你的需求。 二、收集資訊: 現在隨處都有許多資訊, 所以清楚了解你的問題, 有助於決定哪些是相關資料。 如果你正試著選擇 一種改善你營養的食譜, 你可請教專家的建議, 或是尋找其他人的見證, 資訊匯集可協助你衡量不同的選擇, 讓你更貼近符合你目標的決定。 三、應用資訊: 藉著問些重要問題來進行。 面對選擇時,問自己: 「我用什麼概念做選擇?」 「會有哪些假設?」 「我對這些資訊的理解合不合理?」 例如,一封郵件承諾給你上百萬元, 你需要細想:「有那些因素 影響我處理這個情況?」 「我認定寄件人說實話了嗎?」 「根據現有的證據, 『我會得到錢』這事合理嗎?」 四、考慮所帶來的影響: 想像現在是競選時期, 根據他們的政治承諾, 你已選定一位候選人, 他保證汽車駕駛人加油會更便宜。 乍看之下,太棒了! 但長期對環境影響會怎樣? 如果因油價 致使汽油使用受限變更少, 這會導致空氣汚染急速加重, 這非預期的後果需要慎重考慮。 五、研究其他的觀點: 問自己,為何那麼多人 支持反對黨候選人的政策。 雖然你對那位候選人 的各種說詞都不贊同, 但探討他各方面的觀點, 也許能解釋你不認同的政見, 為何其他人會認同。 這讓你去研究其他的選擇, 同時也評估你自己的, 最後協助你做出更合理的決定。 這五個步驟只是個工具, 它當然無法完全免除 生活中困難的決定, 但它可以增加我們所做的正確選擇。 明辨性思維讓我們有能力 在瀚浩如海的資訊中搜尋, 找到我們所需要的。 如果夠多人運用它, 它有會使世界變得更合乎情理的力量。