5 Ways to Develop Independent Thought
by John Wesley
(from: http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/5-ways-to-develop-independent-thought/)
A classroom full of 10-year-old students is asked to solve a problem with children crossing the street on the way to school. The children come up with ideas that have been used successfully in other places: traffic calming devices, overpasses, fluorescent jackets and speed limits. All these ideas are conventional, exactly what the teacher wants to hear.
Except for one. A student recommends that the school board sell the property and move the classroom online. This is not what the teacher was expecting.
This idea may not be practical, popular, or even possible, but when it's ridiculed by the class it might be the last independent thought that the student dares to express — the death of another independent thinker.
Independent thought is not popular — it is absolutely, pricelessly, rare. Nothing you read about in the papers or see on the television is independent. Whatever we take in from the popular media is regurgitated conventional knowledge. There is nothing independent about most of the world.
This is a tragedy — independent thought is essential for progress. Conventional thinking moves us forward gradually at best (at worst it pushes us backwards). Independent thinking is required to achieve any substantial jump in performance.
Logically, when we think like everyone else is thinking, the best we can expect is to achieve what they're already achieving. If our aim is to over-achieve, we need to avoid the same banal influences and think impossibly. We need to become independent from conventional wisdom.
Fortunately, you don't have to be particularly intelligent or well educated to think independently. Consider small children. Conventional wisdom says that shoes are for wearing and bananas are for eating. Independent thinking allows children try eating the shoes and wearing the bananas on their feet. Their lack of conventional wisdom and utter disregard for how others view their decisions allows children to experiment without anxiety. In this case they may be wrong, but in other cases they can be shockingly right.
Using these 5 strategies you can develop your independent thinking ability.
1. Disconnect from sources of conventional thinking
Instead of plugging into your TV, PC, or library for answers, think for yourself first. Without cutting yourself off from the world, you can increase your capacity for independent thought by limiting the conventional opinion you absorb. This means reducing the media you consume and the level of devotion you give to it. Independent thinkers aren't necessarily contrarian, but they don't agree with the status quo by default. They devise new criteria for perceiving the world rather than seeing everything through the screen of their computer.
2. Immerse yourself in experiences that conflict with your current perspective
Instead of substituting a new conventional thought for the old one, deliberately seek out experiences that challenge your views. These experiences may exist in foreign cultures, unusual subcultures, or between the pages of a book you disagree with. The point is not to adopt a new train of thought, but to disrupt the conventional railroad.
3. Watch the process from a distance
Leaving your normal life behind can give you the freedom to see issues from another perspective. Watching the world instead of eating it up gives you the peace of mind to think for yourself. Standing still from time to time gives you the opportunity to ridicule your own beliefs and explore new angles.
4. Randomize your sensory inputs
Instead of visiting the same places, eating the same foods, and talking to the same people, you can actively pursue new experiences. Many people cling to the familiar to simplify decisions and create a sense of security. If you truly want to think independently, you need to get outside your comfort zone.
5. Practice disbelief
Without becoming a cynic, you can develop the habit of instinctively distrusting thoughts that rely on conventional wisdom. Instead of assuming that these "truths" are self evident, suspend judgment until you've have confirmed that there is reality behind the logic.
If all of this sounds too difficult, consider what can be gained from independent thought. Even microscopic steps towards thinking independently will increase your contribution to the world. You will see opportunities and solutions that others overlook. You will obtain a competitive advantage over less creative thinkers. Most importantly, your thoughts will be your own and not just recycled media.
Think independently and you create a world of limitless opportunity. But don't take my word for it...find out for yourself.
Just to add to this, I find a good dose of logically sustained critical thinking to be a help. I know thats kind of point 3 and 5, but here is a handily stolen list of such attitudes one could adopt to aid independent thought.
http://episkoposcain.blogspot.com/2007/03/field-guide-to-critical-thinking.html
Falsifiability
It must be possible to conceive of evidence that would prove the claim false.
Logic
Any argument offered as evidence in support of any claim must be sound. An argument is said to be "valid" if its conclusion follows unavoidably from its premises; it is "sound" if it is valid and if all the premises are true.
Comprehensiveness
The evidence offered in support of any claim must be exhaustive -- that is all of the available evidence must be considered.
Honesty
The evidence offered in support of any claim must be evaluated without self-deception.
Replicability
If the evidence for any claim is based upon an experimental result, or if the evidence offered in support of any claim could logically be explained as coincidental, then it is necessary for the evidence to be repeated in subsequent experiments or trials.
Sufficiency
The evidence offered in support of any claim must be adequate to establish the truth of that claim, with these stipulations:
* the burden of proof for any claim rests on the claimant,
* extraordinary claims demand extraordinary evidence, and
* evidence based upon authority and/or testimony is always inadequate for any paranormal claim
Conclusion
The first three rules of FiLCHeRS -- falsifiability, logic, and comprehensiveness -- are all logically necessary rules of evidential reasoning. If we are to have confidence in the veracity of any claim whether normal or paranormal, the claim must be prepositionally meaningful, and the evidence offered in support of the claim must be rational and exhaustive.
Like thick Heavy Clouds, over parched desert lands... this thread looks promising!
(http://www.theinvisiblecollege.com/cloud.jpg)
Not exactly the same, but its helpful in developing thoughts more
http://wiki.chainofthoughts.com/
Iv found the technique of adopting a E-prime view very helpful. Its helpful because it allows quite a cold logic on structure in language, such as from a book. Certain verbs are discouraged and allow for a more careful thought and analysis for error in ones own language, thought and writing as well as on others.
Thinking and jumping to conclusion gets harder and very lengthy with e-prime. Its difficult to settle on any sort of conclusion due to the neurtal adaption of multiple ideas along the way to a conclusion...I never have reached one in E prime anyway :p
Il just copy and paste the list from wikipedia.
and if you want to read the whole article its here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E_Prime
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Discouraged forms
E-Prime would prohibit the following words as forms of to be:
be
being
been
am
is; isn't
are; aren't
was; wasn't
were; weren't
Contractions formed from a pronoun and a conjugation of to be:
I'm
you're; we're; they're
he's; she's; it's
there's; here's
where's; how's; what's; who's
E-Prime likewise prohibits contractions of to be found in nonstandard dialects of English, such as the following:
ain't
hain't (when derived from ain't rather than haven't)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Allowed words
E-prime does not prohibit the following words, because they do not derive from forms of to be. Some of these serve similar grammatical functions (see auxiliary verbs).
become
has; have; had
I've; you've
do; does; doing; did
can; could
will; would
shall; should
ought
may; might; must
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Allowed words with prohibited homophones or homographs
The following words may either look (homograph) or sound (homophone) like a form of the word to be, but they do not have the same meaning.
its, the possessive case of the singular gender-neutral pronoun
Contractions of the form 's, derived from 'has'
hain't (in nonstandard dialects when derived from haven't rather than ain't)
Nouns that sound like forms of the verb to be:
bee, meaning an insect or a contest
being when used as a noun, as in Virginia Woolf's statement, "The artist after all is a solitary being"
B, M, and R, names of the letters (although M is pronounced distinctly from am in many dialects)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Iv tried telling other people about this who have just started to 'think' but err they seem overwhelmed.
Because of the 50-post rule, I'll put it like this:
If you honestly think a Discordian board wouldn't know about E-Prime, you really need to lurk more.
in your opinion :mrgreen:
NO; LURKING MORE IS THE ONLY ABSOLUTELY TRUE THING IN THE MULTIVERSE.
Can someone please tell me what the 50 post rule is?
Quote from: Khara on November 07, 2007, 05:59:15 PM
Can someone please tell me what the 50 post rule is?
Basically that n00bs are given 50 posts to make an ass of themself, get the 23PINEAL stuff out of their system, etc., without the regulars piling on and beating them up.
If they make it to 50, and they are still posting stupid shit (yes, rather subjective) then all bets are off.
Of course, when it doesn't work, (see AKK) we've always got the Pledge as back up.
So, you're saying I'm wasting these posts with non-dadaist shite? :cry:
Exactly.
Then again, you could spend your 50 with posts of an intelligent nature, so we could respect the hell out of you when you hit 50.
But that doesn't happen too often.
Or we could make Xooxe a mod so he can pretend the forum is shutting down (again) and scare the shit out of everyone. Best mindfuck EVAR.
Quote from: LMNO on November 07, 2007, 04:13:25 PM
Because of the 50-post rule, I'll put it like this:
If you honestly think a Discordian board wouldn't know about E-Prime, you really need to lurk more.
I guessed that as soon as I posted it. Oh well.
And sorry, im not into all this private jokes lingo you guys have. So if im hitting cliches about being a noob then...well, what does it matter anyway?
Ignore LMNO, he's just pissy no-one except LHX ever read the Maybe Logic threads from way back.
Also, not too n00bish. You're not trying to wow us with your 'wackiness' or throw Principia quotes at us every single post, which is normally what annoys people. In fact, I'd say your contributions thus far have been fairly solid, if treading on old ground for some.
To Cain and Cramulus: :mittens:
I love this thread.
Quote from: Cain on November 07, 2007, 08:23:18 PM
Ignore LMNO, he's just pissy no-one except LHX ever read the Maybe Logic threads from way back.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v711/Marburger/STFU/STFUCasab.jpg)
Quote from: Cain on November 07, 2007, 08:23:18 PM
if treading on old ground for some.
Well that probaly will happen. And im glad actually, since normally for me its the other way around. Nearly everyone I meet tells me the same philosophies', principles, morals and general trends and memes. So id say thats a good sign from this board that I may encounter a certain bordedom with my ideas from some people. Refreshing.
Quote from: The Apex, The Harmony Of on November 07, 2007, 08:54:21 PM
Quote from: Cain on November 07, 2007, 08:23:18 PM
if treading on old ground for some.
Well that probaly will happen. And im glad actually, since normally for me its the other way around. Nearly everyone I meet tells me the same philosophies', principles, morals and general trends and memes. So id say thats a good sign from this board that I may encounter a certain bordedom with my ideas from some people. Refreshing.
tb;dr
RWHN,
pllllbbbbbtttttt!
Quote from: The Apex, The Harmony Of on November 07, 2007, 08:54:21 PM
Quote from: Cain on November 07, 2007, 08:23:18 PM
if treading on old ground for some.
Well that probaly will happen. And im glad actually, since normally for me its the other way around. Nearly everyone I meet tells me the same philosophies', principles, morals and general trends and memes. So id say thats a good sign from this board that I may encounter a certain bordedom with my ideas from some people. Refreshing.
Excellent stuff. Of course, we can't promise answers. But we sure as hell have a ton of questions...
Quote from: Cain on November 07, 2007, 08:23:18 PM
Ignore LMNO, he's just pissy no-one except LHX ever read the Maybe Logic threads from way back.
Also, not too n00bish. You're not trying to wow us with your 'wackiness' or throw Principia quotes at us every single post, which is normally what annoys people. In fact, I'd say your contributions thus far have been fairly solid, if treading on old ground for some.
Yep, Cain's ramping over school buses with the correct motorcycle.
There seem to be a series of different subsets of folks here which generally can be categorized (in a very limited fashion) as:
1. People with Active Hatred for anything that remotely resembles the old Discordian memes.
II. People that consider the old memes to have lost their punch and focus instead on new ones (but don't hate the old ones).
C. People that consider the old memes 'classics', but try to mix them with new, or use them for inspiration for new.
- People that use to old memes to piss of any and all of the above.
5. People that come in with the "LOL I AM TEH KOOLIST DISCORJIAN EVAR! 23FNORDPINEAL!!!", the main difference being that the number 4 people may be joking and the number 5 people appear to be serious.
There seem to be very few members that are in group 1 (mostly they migrate to group one when facing someone from group 5 that hasn't bothered to read any of the warnings posted about the place). Most of the gang here usually float around groups two and three, they may use alts to pretend to be in group four and the group five people are usually chased off with sticks and a healthy dose of The Good Rev. Rodger (which I think may actually be against the Geneva Convention rules on torture).
So basically, what you're doing seems good, E-Prime is always fun and I notice it gets the occasional use here when appropriate. Just keep in mind that many of us have read everything RAW, plus the PD, plus the SubG publications, plus Omar's extras... and the really lame ones (like me) have also watched his interviews that are available on YouTube ;-)
Welcome to the party!
- Ratatosk
[/list]
i have really no idea which of those categories i fall in. probably some and then some not.
Quote from: triple zero on November 08, 2007, 11:51:43 PM
i have really no idea which of those categories i fall in. probably some and then some not.
[/quote
To me, it seems that most of us appear to to wander around inside multiple categories...except TGGR, he gets his own special category.
Quote from: Ratatosk on November 08, 2007, 06:40:26 PM
Quote from: Cain on November 07, 2007, 08:23:18 PM
So basically, what you're doing seems good, E-Prime is always fun and I notice it gets the occasional use here when appropriate. Just keep in mind that many of us have read everything RAW, plus the PD, plus the SubG publications, plus Omar's extras... and the really lame ones (like me) have also watched his interviews that are available on YouTube ;-)
- Ratatosk[/list][/list]
Yea, as iv realised. I simply forgot, and was naive too, that most of you guys are probaly very widely learned. Seen as though that seems to run trend in the discordia mindset. I guess I should make small assumptions and not, and im sorry (well actually im not) if I may patronize or recycle info.
I didnt come on here and read every post first out of acting cautious. I didnt notice the "noobs read here first" threads. I didnt stumble at the front door thinking "what if I make a fool of myself of hitting cliches" because quite simply I couldnt care either ways.
Anyway, enough of justifying myself.
Quote from: The Apex, The Harmony Of on November 09, 2007, 08:04:46 AM
Quote from: Ratatosk on November 08, 2007, 06:40:26 PM
So basically, what you're doing seems good, E-Prime is always fun and I notice it gets the occasional use here when appropriate. Just keep in mind that many of us have read everything RAW, plus the PD, plus the SubG publications, plus Omar's extras... and the really lame ones (like me) have also watched his interviews that are available on YouTube ;-)
- Ratatosk
Yea, as iv realised. I simply forgot, and was naive too, that most of you guys are probaly very widely learned. Seen as though that seems to run trend in the discordia mindset. I guess I should make small assumptions and not, and im sorry (well actually im not) if I may patronize or recycle info.
I didnt come on here and read every post first out of acting cautious. I didnt notice the "noobs read here first" threads. I didnt stumble at the front door thinking "what if I make a fool of myself of hitting cliches" because quite simply I couldnt care either ways.
Anyway, enough of justifying myself.
Heh, no worries man... we're all pretty comfortable with the Cosmic Schmuck principle and many of us made similar assumptions on this forum early on (thus the 50 post rule)
:lulz: :lulz: :lulz:
Fucking hell... do we need a refresher course on how to use the quote button?
Quote from: OH HOW DID THIS GET HEREQuote from: I AM NOT GOOD WITH COMPUTER | Fucking hell... d
o we need a ref
resher co |
urse on how to
use the quote b
utton? | |
the
what button??
Quote from: LMNO on November 09, 2007, 03:27:39 PM
Fucking hell... do we need a refresher course on how to use the quote button?
Bizarre... There wasn't actually quote tags around that... I'm gonna try quoting it again.
UPDATE: Looking at the actual source there are not quote brackets around the bottom comments, but the list tags from my initial post seem to have wandered around to different locations and are thus fscking up the quote close tags in that thread.
Tricksy.
FIXT.
QuoteQuote from: Ratatosk on November 09, 2007, 03:49:48 PM
Quote from: LMNO on November 09, 2007, 03:27:39 PM
Fucking hell... do we need a refresher course on how to use the quote button?
Bizarre... There wasn't actually quote tags around that... I'm gonna try quoting it again.
I don't believe you.
Quote from: LMNO on November 09, 2007, 03:52:02 PM
QuoteQuote from: Ratatosk on November 09, 2007, 03:49:48 PM
Quote from: LMNO on November 09, 2007, 03:27:39 PM
Fucking hell... do we need a refresher course on how to use the quote button?
Bizarre... There wasn't actually quote tags around that... I'm gonna try quoting it again.
I don't believe you.
LOL, yep its true... It appears that list tags somehow ended up in front of two (Cain and I) of the start quote tags and then both ended after the first quote. Plus, there were three quoted lines (Apex, Cain and I) but only two close tags.
QuoteQuoteQuoteQuote from: Ratatosk on November 09, 2007, 03:54:48 PM
Quote from: LMNO on November 09, 2007, 03:52:02 PM
QuoteQuote from: Ratatosk on November 09, 2007, 03:49:48 PM
Quote from: LMNO on November 09, 2007, 03:27:39 PM
Fucking hell... do we need a refresher course on how to use the quote button?
Bizarre... There wasn't actually quote tags around that... I'm gonna try quoting it again.
I don't believe you.
LOL, yep its true... It appears that list tags somehow ended up in front of two (Cain and I) of the start quote tags and then both ended after the first quote. Plus, there were three quoted lines (Apex, Cain and I) but only two close tags.
I think you're just faking it.
Quote from: LMNO on November 09, 2007, 04:19:20 PM
QuoteQuoteQuoteQuote from: Ratatosk on November 09, 2007, 03:54:48 PM
Quote from: LMNO on November 09, 2007, 03:52:02 PM
QuoteQuote from: Ratatosk on November 09, 2007, 03:49:48 PM
Quote from: LMNO on November 09, 2007, 03:27:39 PM
Fucking hell... do we need a refresher course on how to use the quote button?
Bizarre... There wasn't actually quote tags around that... I'm gonna try quoting it again.
I don't believe you.
LOL, yep its true... It appears that list tags somehow ended up in front of two (Cain and I) of the start quote tags and then both ended after the first quote. Plus, there were three quoted lines (Apex, Cain and I) but only two close tags.
I think you're just faking it.
Nuh Huh!
Quote from: Ratatosk on November 09, 2007, 04:23:28 PM
Quote from: LMNO on November 09, 2007, 04:19:20 PM
QuoteQuoteQuoteQuote from: Ratatosk on November 09, 2007, 03:54:48 PM
Quote from: LMNO on November 09, 2007, 03:52:02 PM
QuoteQuote from: Ratatosk on November 09, 2007, 03:49:48 PM
Quote from: LMNO on November 09, 2007, 03:27:39 PM
lol whut?
O RLY?
sage
I think you're just huffing jenkem.
WORD!
Also
http://creatingminds.org/tools/tools_ideation.htm
http://creatingminds.org/tools/tools_defining.htm
http://creatingminds.org/tools/tools_selection.htm
http://creatingminds.org/tools/tools_implementing.htm
http://creatingminds.org/principles/principles.htm
If someone wants to dig through all that and pick out the best material, it would be highly helpful. I'm currently compiling a text file based on the entries on changingminds.org which is a sister site of the above one, and its about 10 times as large in terms of material.
Interesting stuff. I just skimmed through some of them. Some of the activities were familiar and are ones we tend to use in meetings when we are trying to come up with ideas. I find that how well they work has a lot to do with who's in the room. But, if you've got a bunch of active minds in the room, generally, they all work pretty well.