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Gidday Friends, Each week you will get a ‘Trilogy of Thoughts’ from me, which are three sections that cover: Thought 1: Philosophical quote or idea: Reflecting on philosophical ideas help us become critical thinkers. Thought 2: A critical thinking (CT) idea discussed originally. Thought 3: CT actions to implement: You must put in the work.
THOUGHT 1: A QUOTE “As we tell stories about the lives of others, we learn how to imagine what another creature might feel in response to various events. At the same time, we identify with the other creature and learn something about ourselves,”… by Martha Nussbaum, American, contemporary philosopher, and author of ‘Not for Profit’. Hearing the stories of others is fundamental as it renders people's personal experiences real. Martha discusses that this type of process helps us feel the other person's feelings, and we often either resonate or we do not, triggering reflection, self-awareness, and empathy. This is why reading a well-written book or watching a well-directed movie can be so emotionally powerful. Both are story mediums which you have to get to the end to ‘find out.’ You must hear the story in its totality in order ‘to know.’ The best part is that you cannot argue with anyone on the way, as you are alone only with the reflections of your mind. Your final summary and reflection occur only after the very last page. The internet age has ruined the beautiful journey of storytelling as people through premature lynch mob commenting, argue and resist the stories of others through a lack of patience and self-control. Social media is perfectly marketed to humans' intrinsic capacity for instant gratification, rage, resistance, aggression, and ignorance. This is why intellectual empathy is fundamental in our contemporary society. THOUGHT 2 TOPIC: Intellectual Empathy in Online Communication and the Real World This week I am exploring a concept that's becoming increasingly critical in our digital age: Intellectual Empathy. With communication largely happening online, we miss the important nuances that face-to-face interactions give us which trigger us to improve our thinking skills. Intellectual empathy is the ability to understand and appreciate another person's perspective, which is crucial for fostering constructive, compassionate, and intelligent dialogue. Intellectual empathy requires us to step outside our own experiences and consider the thoughts, feelings, and viewpoints of others. Right now, people seem to believe this to mean everyone needs to understand MY viewpoint and MY experiences and give ME empathy. This view is entitled and selfish and does not reflect intelligence or empathy. The experiences of others must be equally important as yours. This does not mean you have to care about everything about others, it just means you understand people have experiences that are important. The skill of intellectual empathy is particularly important when we are harshly judgemental, which human beings are very ready to do, as seen in one viral post this week, which I will use as an example. A soon-to-be grandmother expressed her disappointment that her son and daughter-in-law did not inform her of the time of their c-section. The internet erupted, labeling her as selfish and a "mother-in-law from hell." Within a few hours, there were almost 4000 comments! A critical thinker would attempt to understand the grandmother’s experience and perspective and of those 4000 comments only a handful displayed intellectual empathy. A critical thinker is someone who rationally attempts to use real-world human experiences as a method to understand all sides. If we applied intellectual empathy here, we might see a grandmother eager to support her family and discuss the intergenerational significance of interconnected families. Empathy would allow us to see that she as a grandmother has valid feelings and was feeling excluded from a significant moment and that these emotions deserve space in the experience of being human. Instead of reducing her role or worth and emotions, understanding her perspective could lead to a more compassionate intelligent conversation about identity, family, social well-being, and life. It seemed the internet lynch mob thought empathy meant to empathise with her son and daughter-in-law and that she as a grandmother should also totally and utterly step aside and feel nothing. They are right, it is very true, that all people need to be aware and empathic of all viewpoints. The rule applies to the lynchers too. People are unable to connect the dots between micro (individual-relevant) behaviors and macro (population-relevant) problems in Western societies. This is not easy but a little bit of thoughtfulness and rational thinking can connect those dots. Right now we are witnessing increasingly fragmented Western societies and communities where people are less connected with extended family or one another. Isolation and loneliness are catastrophic consequences of a lack of social connections, the value of community and family networks, and their significance in holding important social roles. The repercussions on happiness and sanity are significant, causing huge social problems that we see every day. Some social consequences: Suicidality Anti-social personalities and behaviors Alcoholism and drug-taking Reliance on pornography Violence against women Children and at-risk families
Read more about isolation and loneliness here or do your own research but use critical thinking when you’re engaging with info!!! (i.e. remain curious, open, flexible, ask questions, reflect). Despite economic prosperity increasing in the West, mental ill health is rapidly increasing and social health is decreasing, affecting younger and younger generations. The single story of a grandmother’s yearning for connection is natural and better yet it is important as it is a story about society and health. Martha Nussbaum is referencing exactly this in the chosen quote. In non-Western societies, attitudes would embrace a grandmother’s desire for connection as the personification of ultimate love and warmth and intergenerational maternal instinct. As a sociologist, I see the interconnections between extended family and strong communities and better societal health and individual mental health. Intellectual empathy practice doesn't mean we have to agree with everyone, but it does mean we recognise the complexity of human behavior and the diverse factors that shape it. We are all complex, just in the same way as the grandmother in this story is, yet most are not intellectually humble enough to admit it. It is a short-sighted, problematic social status-elevating endeavor. Being empathic does not mean accepting behavior without questioning it. It simply means awareness of others’ perspectives and attacking and belittling is not the correct method. There are many elements to becoming a critical thinker, and this is simply one of them. Read past newsletters for more on other skills in your journey to learning HOW to be a critical thinker or see the letter ‘how to get others to be better critical thinkers’ to learn how to encourage CT during convos with others. We learn to question our assumptions, broaden our understanding, and engage more thoughtfully with differing viewpoints. This shift not only improves our online interactions but contributes to a more empathetic and understanding truly democratic society. THOUGHT 3 Activities to Implement to Improve Your Thinking Skills: Learn a little about Martha Nussbaum this week. She writes about the connections between learning intellectual empathy through critical thinking through formal education and how this creates more democratic societies. Right now university education is creating more division and less democratic citizens. She talks about why that may be! Read the article I linked on loneliness and isolation here. Next time you have a strong judgment about someone’s behavior as they are telling a part of their story, try to get more information and learn more before reacting and responding. Most people react and don’t ask, critical thinkers ask and don’t react. Try to use self-control when responding to short-form ideas on the internet as you are not aware of the full picture.
Stay tuned for the Sunday Synapse, which will be delivered to your inbox every Sunday! Get ready to take on a new week better than you were last week! If it does not bring value to you, just hit the unsubscribe button below. Send me an email with feedback, what you like, don’t like, want more of, or just to say hi! Until next Sunday, take care. Dr. Esha.
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