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

“The best way to understand the beliefs and desires of another person is to adopt the intentional stance: treat that person as a rational agent whose actions are governed by their beliefs and desires, and try to figure out what those beliefs and desires might be." - Daniel Dennett, 1987, in his book The Intentional Stance.

Really try to work out what this quote means to you. Be charitable in your thinking when you’re trying to do it. You can learn so much just by spending time on this one short quote.

The words really pushes one to accept that all people are intentionally attempting to rationalise something. It is important that we give people the right to figure out what that is. It does not mean we need to talk to everyone who irritates us it just means everyone has a right to think what they do.

Also, when you read anything that makes you instinctively resistant, sit with that and really reflect. Be charitable in your reflective process. The most learning happens there. I promise.

THOUGHT 2

TOPIC: A Charitable Approach to Thinking for Intellectual Progress

The hardest part about thinking is that it is easier to take the road of least resistance and that is usually the option with the least thinking involved.

The more difficult the thinking, the better the outcome will be for your intellectual growth.

Do this enough times over and over, and there is only one endpoint—you simply become smarter, more alert, and more articulate.

You can solve problems better than ever before and you simply move through life with cognitive confidence. This should be the aim.

One of the things that happens to us when we talk to people is that we encounter friction and misunderstandings because what is being said causes our minds to activate resistance. Good critical thinkers are often very charitable with their thinking, and this openness to hearing views and ideas from others means they are able to innovate better and progress intellectually—in workplaces, in families, and in society.

The best leaders, managers, parents, and people have these skills.

The charitable approach, also known as the good faith approach, emphasises interpreting others' arguments in the most reasonable and positive light.

The method allows for constructive dialogue and mutual understanding by assuming that people are mostly sincere, rational, and knowledgeable.

Warning: The moment a person discovers that someone is insincere or untrustworthy, all potential value is automatically lost. Therefore, ensure that you are always perceived as sincere and fair.

American philosopher and cognitive scientist Daniel Dennett, in his book Intuition Pumps and Other Tools for Thinking, outlines the importance of charitable thinking. It helps keep the exchange civil, but for intellectual advancement, it enhances our ability to engage deeply with opposing viewpoints. When we are hostile and aggressive, the emotional temperature is high, and so is the likelihood of misinterpretation and conflict.

This is what we see all day long on social media because it is easy to behave that way when you have no face.

In any setting where we need to work with people and different personalities, in day-to-day interactions, the charitable approach can help navigate misunderstandings and disagreements very effectively.

For example, a colleague's suggestion during a meeting is initially perceived as impractical or poorly thought out. Instead of dismissing the idea outright, employing the charitable approach means you actively listen and seek clarification to really try to understand the underlying rationale. In the end, the fact the conversation occurred and enabled a back-and-forth discussion allowed the idea to evolve or new ideas to emerge. Two minds together make outcomes stronger.

This is how good teams can be trained to work better and innovate. This method works the same in any setting:

• Home

• Community

• Sports Teams

• Social Media

Often, we tend to be very charitable in our interactions with individuals we already respect or those who do not pose a threat to us. However, our least charitable discussions often occur with those who trigger discomfort within us. Consequently, not only does our likelihood of engaging in charitable discussions diminish, but so does the opportunity for significant intellectual progress.

common problem in everyday life is miscommunication stemming from quick judgments and assumptions.

Our minds are wired to react instinctively and question later. There are several reasons for this tendency. I recommend exploring books on psychology, neurology, and environmental factors to deepen your understanding of why humans exhibit this behavior.

Recently, I read Robert Sapolsky’s book, Behave, which offers invaluable insights into the significance of good thinking practices by exploring the workings of the human brain and its influence on behavior. Understanding the root causes of our behavior empowers us to enact meaningful change. It is a riveting read and adds to my repertoire of important knowledge to expand on for teaching critical thinking and social resilience and well-being.

THOUGHT 3

Activities to Implement to Improve Your Thinking Skills:

• In your conversations, make a conscious effort to be charitable. Give the person ‘unconditional positive regard’ (a very famous and important concept by a great seminal psychologist Carl Rogers on improving relationships). Unconditional positive regard is where you give the person unconditional respect despite their beliefs, ideas, or values in order to build strong connections and progress forward.

• Don’t stay unconscious about how unconscious you are; take the steps to become conscious and fire up those synapses in your mind waiting to be activated. Go and read a difficult book, one you would never pick up, and try to engage with it. Whatever the experience is, if it is hard for your mind, you’re working it in the right way.

• Look up who Daniel Dennett and Rabert Sapolsky are. Learn about their work and memorise their names. Better yet read an excerpt or buy one of their books (mentioned today) and read it like a short course. Afterward, you will be a little bit smarter. Don’t read it to simply finish it; read it to learn. Take 3 months! Stop and look up concepts you do not know well, reflect, and pause. Articulate what you are learning by telling others along the way. All of this will elevate you to another level of social and verbal confidence.

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  Until next Sunday, take care.

  Dr. Esha