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Hello Thinkers, Each week I present my letter as A Trilogy of Thoughts: Thought 1: Philosophical quote. Reflecting on philosophical ideas can help us become critical thinkers as often they hold a profound depth of meaning just through a few words. Thought 2: A critical thinking (CT) idea discussed originally by me. Today’s topic: Biased Critical Thinking: A Common Oxymoron Thought 3: CT actions to implement. You MUST put in the work to be a good thinker. Statistically speaking, out of the thousands of you reading, only a handful will put in the practice starting today.
Note: I do not write in a way that suits everybody. I am not sure who does. Just know I do know what I am talking about. I have seen the outcomes over and over. I write as I would speak if you were at one of my lectures. I am sharing all this for free so you can become a better person, friend, parent, colleague, boss, leader, and more. The future needs you, do not lose focus and bow out early. The critical thinker sticks out the most tedious of tasks and then even comes back to do it over and over again. *Underlines are links that take you to view people, places, talks, and books I decide to include. Look them up as you go, do not be lazy. Focus. Think. THOUGHT 1: A QUOTE "The human understanding, when it has once adopted an opinion, draws all things else to support and agree with it." (Francis Bacon 1561–1626, English philosopher, statesman, scientist, and lawyer). Francis Bacon was known as ‘the father of empiricism’ a branch of philosophy that views knowledge comes primarily from sensory experience. This quote highlights how once we form a belief, our minds are inclined to seek evidence confirming it, illustrating the pervasive nature of bias in human thinking. E.G. Two different social scientists (humans first) could see entirely different meanings represented in the same statement/data. Bacon’s ideas emphasise removing personal biases and prejudices in the pursuit of knowledge. His seminal work remains influential in modern scientific and CT practices. THOUGHT 2 Biased Critical Thinking: A Common Oxymoron You can’t make good decisions if you’re constantly battling through the thick forest of biases to reach the raw issue you’re trying to address. You need to clear the path. At the end of today’s letter, I’ll share a list of how to use your biases to enhance your interactions effectively. Applying the ethics of scientific CT to the human experience means being flexible, transparent, open, balanced, self-aware, and intellectually sound. I was none of these once and rightfully so due to my youth and inexperience, until I learned CT. It has transformed my mental health and my ability to engage with anyone, reduce barriers, and progress conversations in any domain. BIAS AND ME In this week's letter, I address bias. I’ve discussed bias many times, but for CT training, it needs to be revisited repeatedly. All interactions, conversations, and relationships are affected because of problematic biases. A few of my posts went viral this week and as I read comments, ironically, even when the conversation is about self-awareness and examining our thought processes, people express their ideas with a lack of self-awareness and overt unconscious bias (click and read this!). I encounter two extremes—those who are highly self-aware and regularly try to practice CT, and those who, despite believing they are healthy thinkers, are blinded by deeply entrenched biases and can not see their own thinking flaws. Our biases are clear in our comments/words/ideas. These biases will keep obstructing your ability to think clearly and intelligently. We are all biased, but we need to make sure our biases make our lives better, not worse.
In the modern world, due to the internet, our biases are being used as unconscious weapons, rapidly dividing our communities and societies. The world needs cognitive training as a foundational skill. BIAS, DEMOCRACY, AND THOUGHT-POLICING As a social scientist, my worst nightmare is seeing the democracies that have provided social freedom, systemic opportunity, and human rights come under threat. If you want to learn more about how democracies fail, I recommend you listen to a conversation between neuroscientist and philosopher Sam Harris and historian and journalist Anne Applebaum on ‘how democracies fail’ here, or you can read Anne’s book Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism. Democracies fail because of a lack of self-awareness by those in society who believe themselves to be doing good. This bias can become dangerous and it happens because of extremist thinking. The lack of general CT in society is immediately relevant to this conversation about the health of democracy. In contemporary liberal democracies, Anne Applebaum’s insights are highly relevant. Populist leaders often exploit societal divisions, presenting themselves as defenders of ‘the people’ against perceived elites or outsiders, eroding the democratic norms that ensure order/cohesion/unity. The rise of echo chambers effectively sustained through group bias on social media fuels both disinformation as well as polarisation, making it easier for conspiracy theories and groupthink to thrive and harder for citizens to find common ground. These are not issues to be complacent about. If you aim to be a critical thinker and uphold the ethics of CT, and you have opinions on democracy or politics, it’s crucial to explore a broad spectrum of ideas. This means reading viewpoints that align with your stance as well as those that challenge and oppose it so that you really know what you are talking about. The answer to disinformation and societal division is not censorship, it is to teach CT at a societal level. PROVE YOURSELF RIGHT BY TRYING TO PROVE YOURSELF WRONG FIRST Many people think CT is about a totally objective and unbiased analysis of an issue but if the human is doing the thinking, you can not be unbiased. And our diverse human lens brings character and diversity to thoughts. CT is about voluntarily attempting to prove yourself wrong. This act is first-hand awareness that we are probably always biased. Ask yourself, have you read a book in long-form from the mouth of someone you do not like but have a strong opinion about? Have you listened to long-form talks (explanations with nuance—vital!) with someone you do not like to hear their perspective? While you may not always succeed in proving yourself wrong, though more often than not you will, the process often uncovers new information that can strengthen your position, shift ideas, and deepen understanding. If you’re certain about something and react defensively when challenged, it’s a sign you should try to prove yourself wrong more often. And no, it doesn’t matter how moral you believe your position is compared to someone else’s. If you want to be a democratic critical thinker, the rules apply to all ideas. We are the ones who apply and then fail to separate ourselves from the barriers to our thinking. DIVISIVE IDENTITIES: YOU AND ME ARE NOT THE SAME Those with strong allegiances to certain identities are the most vulnerable and exposed to a lack of CT. This one sentence may offend some of you which is fantastic as you are the one who needs these lessons most. If you cancel someone as soon as they say one thing you oppose, you are not using CT. During scientific CT, we read oppositional ideas all day long, we do not cancel them, we include them in our analysis! If you truly want to be a critical thinker, you must learn to sit in the discomfort of an idea. Your growth in CT happens right there—in the discomfort of having your thoughts challenged. A healthy democratic society offers oppositional ideas. This is why many democracies have multiple parties and diverse viewpoints—without being challenged, we can’t think better or improve our understanding. Healthy democracies thrive on a variety of political perspectives, not just a strict two-party system. If you want to act as a true democratic citizen, you should welcome opposition with the goal of winning through logic, reason, and information—not by silencing, canceling, prejudice, or bias.
In my viral posts this week, some of the most popular types of questions were: How do I speak to people when they just won’t listen, even though I’m using CT skills? How can we use CT skills with the Alt-right when they’ve destroyed the very notion of CT and liberal democracy?
When I see these statements posed as questions, I often take a quick look at the self-appointed bios/biographies of those asking, and often, I observe a clear allegiance to a specific view, ideology, or identity. In a multicultural society, amidst a sea of diverse perspectives, when you choose to loudly showcase your differences, you’re making an overt statement about the biases that you have chosen to personify. Interestingly, I’ve noticed that those most deeply committed to a certain identity—and therefore to a specific way of thinking—are often the most confident in their CT abilities. The language used by people with strong alliance to an identity is heavily biased. UNCONSCIOUS BIAS & POWER I’ve studied and taught about power for ten years, even writing entire chapters on the subject. My thesis and theoretical contributions won an award for adding new knowledge to my analysis of institutions. While I have much to learn on the topic, I know at least how easily power may pervade any one of us if we are not fully conscious of our biases. We should pay attention to those trained to think critically and deeply about knowledge. In our democracies, those who can speak freely without fear of censorship are often the most politically privileged. Read that again. When individuals are given a platform without earning it through good character or service, and their biases are evident in their speech, they are at risk of corruption and abusing power. Remember, if you want to develop a powerful mind, you can’t impose your thinking on others. I urge those with strong allegiances to certain identities you must read more broadly about how this divisive behaviour may seriously impact democracy. While some of you have very good intentions, you are simply not well-read on this very complex but important topic.
Critical thinkers recognise thought extremism as a threat to liberal democracy. Non-critical thinkers do not. Many followers with extremist tendencies convince themselves that the morality of their social and political beliefs justifies their advocacy, activism, and demand for thought obedience from others. As a trained CT educator responsible for teaching people how to think, I strongly oppose anyone who believes they should set boundaries on what others are allowed to think. If an idea challenges you, it’s a call to think deeper. What do I mean by challenge? Well, if your reaction is to quickly comment, respond emotionally, unfollow, or cancel when you feel challenged—whether you feel annoyed, irritated, angered, or frustrated—then you are not using CT. You are reacting based on subjective emotion. OBJECTIVITY VS SUBJECTIVITY The entire point of CT is to be objective about thinking. That is, a true critical thinker will think about the purpose of thinking, a topic I wrote about last week—you can access that here. Critical thinkers know that objective thinking is fundamental to CT. To truly apply CT to your own thoughts, you must try to be as objective about your thinking as you can. The moment you choose to view the world through your own divisive lens and impose that lens onto others, you're not engaging in CT. While it's natural to use your personal lens for issues that are close to you and your family, it becomes a problem when you apply your subjective perspective to others' comments, ideas, or thoughts. Critical thinking requires stepping beyond your own biases when interacting with others who have their own unique perspectives. Here are some reasons we need to use subjective and biased thought: Risk Assessment: For example, if we feel intuitively wary of someone in a dark alley, we know to leave the situation rather than approach them and offer a biscuit. Personal Preferences: To feel good about our choices, such as wearing shoes we like because we prefer pink over black or choosing a favourite restaurant, book, or movie based on your tastes. Personal Values: Making decisions based on your individual beliefs and preferences, like choosing to support a cause you believe in, even if it's not universally agreed upon. Moral Judgments: Making decisions based on what you perceive to be right or wrong according to ethical principles, like choosing to support a cause because you believe it represents justice or fairness not personal gain or popularity.
However, imposing your subjective thoughts and ideas onto someone else, who is also trying to make their own subjective sense of the world, reflects a profound lack of consciousness, self-awareness, and intellectual empathy. This behaviour directly contradicts the principles of CT, which require us to recognise and challenge our biases rather than project them onto others. THOUGHT 3 Activity for the Week: The Ten Steps to Keep Your Biases in Check Recognise Your Biases: Acknowledge that you have biases. Seek Opposing Views: Deliberately expose yourself to perspectives that challenge your beliefs. This helps you avoid echo chambers and broadens your understanding. Do not think you are immune to this. Question Your Reactions: When you feel defensive or irritated by an opposing view, pause and ask yourself why. Emotions often signal underlying biases. Practise Charitable Translation: Enter conversations with good faith. Assume the best intentions of others, even when you disagree, and try to understand their perspective fully before responding. This is a great way to get through to conspiratorial people! (But you need to keep an eye on what I said in #3 above). Focus on Evidence, Not Emotion: Base your arguments and decisions on facts, data, and logic rather than emotional reactions or preconceived notions. Embrace Discomfort: Growth happens in discomfort. Allow yourself to sit with ideas that challenge your worldview instead of rejecting them outright. Check Your Language: Be mindful of the words you use. Language loaded with bias or negativity reveals unconscious prejudices and can shut down productive dialogue. Engage in Active Listening: Truly listen to what others are saying without planning your response. Listening fully can reveal nuances and reduce misunderstandings. Reflect Regularly: Take time to reflect on your thought processes, especially after engaging in discussions. Consider whether biases may have influenced your reactions. Commit to Lifelong Learning: Critical thinking and managing biases are ongoing practices. Continually educate yourself, remain open to new ideas, and never stop questioning your assumptions.
Look up all the words, concepts, people, and places I mentioned this week and make your own mind up about them but remain flexible as you learn. Remember these ideas are from my perspective as well as my biases. You just have to make up your mind about how logical they sound to you. 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. Until next Sunday, take care. Dr. Esha
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