In Colorado Springs, we learned skills for being lifelong learners. One of our professors taught us about critical thinking. As we encounter new ideas, it's crucial to think about them, because in today's world we are constantly bombarded by thoughts and ideas, and if you don't think critically about them you'll be swayed by many things and fall victim to each latest passing fad. We were taught about asking about the author's point of view, purpose, assumptions, and implications. The goal is to be intellectually humble yet courageous, confident in reason and fair-minded. As leaders, we should embody intellectual integrity, perseverance, empathy, and autonomy.
They also taught us about "reading on the run" (from a book of the same title). Counter to what we've always assumed, you don't need to read every word of every book. You only need to glean from each book what needs to be learned. Sir Francis Bacon said, "Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested." You can often learn all you need to learn from a book by reading the first sentence of each paragraph, or perhaps even less. This requires great discernment and quick critical thinking skills.
Do you consider yourself a critical thinker and a good reader?
No comments:
Post a Comment