I would like to add to OP's well-written post:
If you are new to Q, then you need to come to terms with one thing that you might not have ever come to terms with in your life:
It is possible that you might actually be WRONG about something important.
I'm not saying you ARE wrong; I am saying that you MIGHT be wrong. Yes, YOU.
Many people have a mental block when they are confronted with new information that conflicts with what they currently believe to be true. You MUST realize this is true for you, me, and all other humans. We ALL have this issue to deal with.
We all MUST accept that (a) there just might be some NEW information that we previously did not know (or ignored in the past) that might be CORRECT, and that (b) what we currently believe to be true might NOT be correct.
So ... How do we deal with that issue?
(1) Learn new information.
(2) Realize it conflicts with what we currently believe to be true about the world.
(3) Ask why do I think this is wrong? What is the EVIDENCE that it is right? What is the EVIDENCE that it is wrong?
(4) In what way does it conflict with what I currently believe?
(5) What DO I actually believe that is in conflict?
(6) What EVIDENCE do I have that what I currently believe is true?
(7) Is it POSSIBLE that what I currently believe to be true was learned from someone else (family, friends, school, media), and not something that I PERSONALLY evaluated on my own?
(8) Then -- and ONLY then -- decide which idea makes more sense, and go with that.
It can also be helpful to learn the Rules of Logic, as defined originally by Aristotle. They can be very helpful in sifting through how to go about the process of critical thinking.
If you grew up in the 20th/21st century, you probably did NOT learn how to think critically in school. Instead, you were taught to accept what you were told, and not exercise your own thinking skills. But we all have them. We are all human, and it is how we learn -- even in an age of propaganda.
Here are some ideas on what Logic is, and what Logical Fallacies are. There are other websites you can check out, too, but this is one that popped up on a quick search:
https://patrikedblad.com/logical-fallacies/
And here is a quick article on the logical fallacy you will run into more than any other these days: Appeal to Popularity. This article explains why it is not valid in critical thinking, even though you see it in the media every day (there is a reason you see it in the media every day -- hint, hint -- because it is the OPPOSITE OF critical thinking):
https://patrikedblad.com/logical-fallacies/the-appeal-to-popularity-fallacy/
Logic is the method that we humans use to learn things. People who don't want us to learn things (because they want to control our minds, and therefore control our behavior) will try to keep us from thinking logically.
Ignore them. Think for yourself.
The #1 rule in the Q community is: THINK FOR YOURSELF.
I would like to add to OP's well-written post:
If you are new to Q, then you need to come to terms with one thing that you might not have ever come to terms with in your life:
It is possible that you might actually be WRONG about something important.
I'm not saying you ARE wrong; I am saying that you MIGHT be wrong. Yes, YOU.
Many people have a mental block when they are confronted with new information that conflicts with what they currently believe to be true. You MUST realize this is true for you, me, and all other humans. We ALL have this issue to deal with.
We all MUST accept that (a) there just might be some NEW information that we previously did not know (or ignored in the past) that might be CORRECT, and that (b) what we currently believe to be true might NOT be correct.
So ... How do we deal with that issue?
(1) Learn new information.
(2) Realize it conflicts with what we currently believe to be true about the world.
(3) Ask why do I think this is wrong? What is the EVIDENCE that it is right? What is the EVIDENCE that it is wrong?
(4) In what way does it conflict with what I currently believe?
(5) What DO I actually believe that is in conflict?
(6) What EVIDENCE do I have that what I currently believe is true?
(7) Is it POSSIBLE that what I currently believe to be true was learned from someone else (family, friends, school, media), and not something that I PERSONALLY evaluated on my own?
(8) Then -- and ONLY then -- decide which idea makes more sense, and go with that.
It can also be helpful to learn the Rules of Logic, as defined originally by Aristotle. They can be very helpful in sifting through how to go about the process of critical thinking.
If you grew up in the 20th/21st century, you probably did NOT learn how to think critically in school. Instead, you were taught to accept what you were told, and not exercise your own thinking skills. But we all have them. We are all human, and it is how we learn -- even in an age of propaganda.
Here are some ideas on what Logic is, and what Logical Fallacies are. There are other websites you can check out, too, but this is one that popped up on a quick search:
http://www.csun.edu/~dgw61315/fallacies.html
Logic is the method that we humans use to learn things. People who don't want us to learn things (because they want to control our minds, and therefore control our behavior) will try to keep us from thinking logically.
Ignore them. Think for yourself.
The #1 rule in the Q community is: THINK FOR YOURSELF.
I would like to add to OP's well-written post:
If you are new to Q, then you need to come to terms with one thing that you might not have ever come to terms with in your life:
It is possible that you might actually be WRONG about something important.
I'm not saying you ARE wrong; I am saying that you MIGHT be wrong. Yes, YOU.
Many people have a mental block when they are confronted with new information that conflicts with what they currently believe to be true. You MUST realize this is true for you, me, and all other humans. We ALL have this issue to deal with.
We all MUST accept that (a) there just might be some NEW information that we previously did not know (or ignored in the past) that might be CORRECT, and (b) what we currently believe to be true might NOT be correct.
So ... How do we deal with that issue?
(1) Learn new information.
(2) Realize it conflicts with what we currently believe to be true about the world.
(3) Ask why do I think this is wrong? What is the EVIDENCE that it is right? What is the EVIDENCE that it is wrong?
(4) In what way does it conflict with what I currently believe?
(5) What DO I actually believe that is in conflict?
(6) What EVIDENCE do I have that what I currently believe is true?
(7) Is it POSSIBLE that what I currently believe to be true was learned from someone else (family, friends, school, media), and not something that I PERSONALLY evaluated on my own?
(8) Then -- and ONLY then -- decide which idea makes more sense, and go with that.
It can also be helpful to learn the Rules of Logic, as defined originally by Aristotle. They can be very helpful in sifting through how to go about the process of critical thinking.
If you grew up in the 20th/21st century, you probably did NOT learn how to think critically in school. Instead, you were taught to accept what you were told, and not exercise your own thinking skills. But we all have them. We are all human, and it is how we learn -- even in an age of propaganda.
Here are some ideas on what Logic is, and what Logical Fallacies are. There are other websites you can check out, too, but this is one that popped up on a quick search:
http://www.csun.edu/~dgw61315/fallacies.html
Logic is the method that we humans use to learn things. People who don't want us to learn things (because they want to control our minds, and therefore control our behavior) will try to keep us from thinking logically.
Ignore them. Think for yourself.
The #1 rule in the Q community is: THINK FOR YOURSELF.
I would like to add to OP's well-written post:
If you are new to Q, then you need to come to terms with one thing that you might not have ever come to terms with in your life:
It is possible that you might actually be WRONG about something important.
I'm not saying you ARE wrong; I am saying that you MIGHT be wrong. Yes, YOU.
Many people have a mental block when they are confronted with new information that conflicts with what they currently believe to be true. You MUST realize this is true for you, me, and all other humans. We ALL have this issue to deal with.
We all MUST accept that (a) there just might be some NEW information that we previously did not know (or ignored in the past) that might be CORRECT, and (b) what we currently believe to be true might NOT be correct.
So ... How do we deal with that issue?
(1) Learn new information.
(2) Realize it conflicts with what we currently believe to be true about the world.
(3) Ask why do I think this is wrong? What is the EVIDENCE that it is right? What is the EVIDENCE that it is wrong?
(4) In what way does it conflict with what I currently believe?
(5) What DO I actually believe that is in conflict?
(6) What EVIDENCE do I have that what I currently believe is true?
(7) Is it POSSIBLE that what I currently believe to be true was learned from someone else (family, friends, school, media), and not something that I PERSONALLY evaluated on my own?
(8) Then -- and ONLY then -- decide which idea makes more sense, and go with that.
It can also be helpful to learn the Rules of Logic, as defined originally by Aristotle. They can be very helpful in sifting through how to go about the process of critical thinking.
If you grew up in the 20th/21st century, you probably did NOT learn how to think critically in school. Instead, you were taught to accept what you were told, and not exercise your own thinking skills. But we all have them. We are all human, and it is how we learn -- even in an age of propaganda.
Here are some ideas on what Logic is, and what Logical Fallacies are. There are other websites you can check out, too, but this is one that popped up on a quick search:
http://www.csun.edu/~dgw61315/fallacies.html
Logic is the method that we humans learn things. People who don't want us to learn things (because they want to control our minds, and therefore control our behavior) will try to keep us from thinking logically.
Ignore them. Think for yourself.
The #1 rule in the Q community is: THINK FOR YOURSELF.