COMMENTARY: Lazy Thinking Undermines Everything
Years ago, I realized I was a grown up and had reached a certain level of emotional maturity when I could objectively judge a situation involving a person I do not like. I learned to set aside emotion and evaluate the situation; personal opinions did not apply. It took me years to become a disciplined and objective thinker, and it’s something that we all need to constantly work on and hone.
Related to disciplined thinking, there is an overarching theme throughout my life: a strong dislike, bordering on hate, of lazy thinking, wrong thinking, and the belief that everything is the same when it very obviously is not.
Rene Descartes, the philosopher, famously stated, “I think, therefore, I am.” But he also thought sitting next to a stove would reveal the secrets of the universe.
To think does form our worldview and thus contributes to the definition of our personality (“I am”), but it is only the first step. The quality of your thinking goes a long way to defining who you are as it defines and motivates your actions. It also informs how you treat other people.
Thinking is not something that comes naturally, although ask any idiot on a barstool and they will tell you how they figured it all out – at the bottom of a whiskey glass. Whiskey glass, meet Descartes.
Most of us think that we all think, but recall any time you have made a silly or stupid mistake. When someone asks you, “What were you thinking??” your reply is likely, “Well, I wasn’t . . .”
We must actively and with a conscientious attitude work on thinking skills. We need to think about thinking and continue to learn how to analyze and think critically and objectively as we collect and store more data in our brain. Thinking takes work, concerted effort, and energy.
If we do not take a serious approach to thinking, we fall into the trap of the Equivalence Fallacy (more info here). Basically, the Equivalence Fallacy, or false equivalence, is taking the view or position that two things are the same when they are not. This comes from a lack of disciplined thinking based on an objective and clear assessment of the facts. It is also a bad habit of only looking at the surface of things rather than what is happening beneath the surface.
For example, comparing apples to oranges, a common example of false equivalence. These are not the same thing, but you would be surprised at how many people will state the following:
They are both fruits.
They both grow on trees.
They both come from blossoms.
Yet, despite having a commonality, these are not the same. Oranges are citrus fruits and need to be peeled to be eaten, while apples can be eaten with little or no preparation. You can just bite into it.
Both are fruits, but they are not the same.
This is why misinformation, misrepresentation of data, propaganda, and dogma are more dangerous than loaded guns. All of these things get in the way of clear thinking and right actions. All of these get in the way of thinking because they become comforting (that is what I think even if I have no proof to back it up); they lead us to STOP thinking (parroting dogma or political propaganda); or it makes people feel “special” (yes, it’s THAT group’s fault that I don’t have what I want – my uniqueness/specialness is being denied or overlooked).
Using a historical example, do you really think that Germany would have descended into the hellish nightmare world of Nazism if anyone was clearly thinking? Too many Germans equated Nazism with an elected representative government. They fell into the trap of false equivalence. Those who did see what was happening waited too long to act. We all know how that turned out.
Recently, I was interviewed for an article on misinformation in online communities (read it here). Much of managing online conversations and what is shared can be challenging for the Community Manager, which is why I emphasized consistent application of community guidelines. Let’s face it: there are bad actors in every online community, and they need more monitoring.
Many times, what goes wrong in these communities is the application of false equivalence: treating positive contributors sharing ideas and advice as if they are the same as people using people in the community for their own gain, or people who just like to “stir the pot” and cause upset for the sake of invoking mayhem and chaos in the pursuit of their own desires or need to impose their will.
Everything is not the same. This applies to data analysis and people’s motivations to act or participate. Strong thinking skills coupled with objective analysis are crucial to the success of any endeavor, whether it is managing an online community or creating a research project.
Lazy thinking undermines everything: relationships, communities, organizations, and countries. It leads to the dissemination of incorrect data and information. If you want the world to be a better place, work on your thinking skills.
