Definition of Thinking - To Think - What Is Rational Critical Thinking?
- By Bahram Maskanian - May 17, 1983
We, the humankind learn and accumulate our knowledge base, logic and wisdom in our life span, through the interpretation of our observations. Through the interpretation of our observations, we therefore built and form our perceptions, we make use of our perceptions to conduct deductive reasoning, followed by rational thinking, to rationalize in order to make well thought out decisions.
Perception is a sophisticated self-organizing information system. - Perception is the recognition and interpretation of our sensory stimuli, based chiefly on our ability to remember the perceived subjects. Perception is the neurological processes by which our recognition, observation and interpretation are affected and made possible.
Fact is that 95% of our judgment errors and of our thinking and decision-making errors are due to the errors of our perceptions. But culturally, we have always blamed the logic, not the means of deceptive presentation, which brought us the wrong logic.
For example; if we were to observe a subject, without having sufficient prior background knowledge of that subject, chances are we are going to take the given information without any examination. And if the information given is misleading and deceptive, we therefore will end up forming our perceptions based on lies and deceit.
Rational thinking is an exciting discovery process in an infinite space of possibilities. We are able to think rationally to find and reach the optimum solution for any given problem, or hypothesis in a reasonable space of time. The process of deductive reasoning, or good guessing should not be mistaken as rational thinking.
Hypothesis is a tentative explanation that accounts for a set of facts, which can be tested by further examination, a theory of something taken to be true for the purposes of deductive reasoning, assumption and investigation. Hypothesis is the precursor of a conditional statement. - Must be noted here that many advanced cultures have been ruined, due to the lack of creative thinking.
A healthy rational thinking requires; an adequate attention span, patience and the ability to focus, to observe, interpret, perceive and consequently develop logic.
Mathematician, philosopher: René Descartes said: 'cogito ergo sum' - 'I think, therefore I am' in 1637.
Generally there are 3 types of thinkers; some people are analytical, some are reflective and some are imitative.
1-When it comes to making any kind of decisions, an analytical and or critical thinker questions and utilizes all that is available: all conclusions, all information given, before making a final decision.
2-The next are the talking mirrors, or reflective intellectuals, who just like a mirror reflect what they hear, read and see in life, without really comprehending and questioning any of it. And for obvious reasons large majority of the reflective thinkers, or talking heads never have a single original thought of their own in their life.
3-The imitative people are easily influenced by: 'Power of Suggestion'. The criminal elites use their media, press, movies, dumbing down full of lies elementary to college education, plus reflective talking heads to create the widespread public perception. People everywhere behave based on their perception; 'human sees, human told, human does'! That is the unmatched: 'Power of Suggestion'.
And by putting stupid people in charge at all levels of the society, the criminal elites maintain and prolong this dreadful system.
They imitative folks imitate everything they see on television and movie screens, professional athletes, pop music, singers, rap, hip hop, and generally idolize dim-witted celebrities and popular culture sheepishly. Sadly the large majority of people all over the world are imitative ignorant people. They don't know how to think, they don't read, they imitate and follow.
The dumbing down cultures and educational systems allover the world, constantly produces ignorant and imitative people. The only thing capable of waking imitative folks up is reality shock, informative and enlightening education. Also it helps if they turn off their Cellphone, TV and Radio. And start reading thought provoking, enlightening nonfiction books instead.
What Is Thinking? And How To Think?
To think is to analyze, examine and sort out information and form in one’s mind ideas or opinions, to perform any mental operation, to reason, to bring to mind or recollect, to determine, resolve and to work things out.
Thinking is to conceive thoughts and ideas by reasoning, to form an opinion, to judge, to consider, to employ and to bring one’s intellectual faculties to work, to concentrate one's thoughts on any given subject.
Thinking is the act of reasoning from factual knowledge and or evidence. Thinking is to use the mind for processing imagination and information, to arrive at logical conclusions, from premises known and or assumed to be true for making imaginative decisions.
To think is to reason about or reflect on, to ponder. Think how complex is our Milky Way Galaxy. Think the matter through creatively. To decide by reasoning, reflection or pondering, thinking what to believe, what to say or what to do.
To think is to judge or regard, look upon. To think is to learn of, or from, by analyzing what one could learn by thinking about the newly acquired knowledge, thought, suggestion and or idea, in order to learn and accept as truth.
Thinking is to call to mind, to remember, to visualize and recall the images of what was once known to the mind. To think is to have creative thoughts, to bring a thought to mind by imagination or invention to devise or evolve to invent through imaginative thinking.
Thinking is to bring one’s mind into a given condition by mental preoccupation, to exercise the power of one’s mind by reasoning and by conceiving ideas, drawing inferences, and using or arriving to a judgment.
Common sense should be the guide, based on which one could lead a fruitful, thoughtful and exciting life journey. One should never make decisions nor implement one’s decisions under extreme euphoria, sadness, resentment or anger.
The best condition conducive for rational thinking is a calm relaxing environment.
To think is to care and have consideration. What do you think.?
