Question Authority; Think for Yourself
- 作者
- 出版社 Ronin Publishing (CA)
- 出版时间 不详年
- ISBN 9781579511623
- 定价 118.20
内容简介
Wehavefreedomofspeechbutwe’reafraidtospeak.OurliveshavebecomesubjectedtoPCtyranny—aconstantfearof“offending”someone.Wethinkthatweareindependentandthatitistheotherguywhoisinfluenced,brainwashed,duped,persuaded.Wefeellikewethinkforourselves.Howcanwe“feel”otherwise?There’snowaytoknowbecausecountlessinfluencesandinteractionshavemoldedus.
We’remembersofvariousgroups—circlesoffriends,family,professionalgroups,hobbygroup,andworkplacegroups.Groupshaveawayofdevelopingaviewthatitimposeswithakindofgroup-think.Wewanttobelong,tobelikedandincludedsogoalongandgetalong.Wedon’tmakewavesbyquestioning.Ifwehaveadifferentview,wekeepittoourselves.Whyrocktheboat?
Thinkingforyourselfisnotsoeasy.Whenencounteringanargumenttoalongheldopinionorawildidea,weusecriticalthinkingtoevaluateit,asweweretaughttodoinschool.Theproblemisthatcriticalthinkingiscritical.Itfocusesourthinkingonthenegative—whatdoesn’twork,what’swrongwiththeidea—andencouragesmy-sidethinkingwhereweevaluateevidenceinawaythatfavorsourbeliefsandentrapsusintoclosed-mindedness.Thinkingforyourselfrequiresopen-mindedness.Open-mindednessisbeingreceptiveand,whentheissueisimportant,callsforactivelysearchingforevidenceagainstyourbeliefs.
Thinkingisnotdrivenbyanswersbutbyquestions.Everyintellectualfieldisbornoutofaclusterofquestionstowhichanswersareneeded.Hadnoquestionsbeenaskedbythosewholaidthefoundationforafield—forexample,PhysicsorBiology—thefieldwouldneverhavebeendeveloped.
Wedefinetasks,expressproblemsanddelineateissueswithquestions.Answerssignalanendpointandstopthought,exceptwhenananswergeneratesafurtherquestion.
TimothyLearysaid,”tothinkforyourselfyoumustquestionauthority”.Tothink,youmustquestion.Tothinkthroughorrethinkanything,onemustaskquestionsthatstimulatethought.Thequalityofyourquestionsdeterminesthequalityofyourthinking.
Thinkingbeginswithinsomecontentwhenquestionsaregenerated.Noquestionsequalsnounderstanding.Toengageinthinkingthroughyourcontentyoumuststimulateyourthinkingwithquestionsthatleadtofurtherquestions.
Ourownopinionsisoneauthorityweshouldfrequentlyquestion.Timeschange.Wechange.Perspectivesandvalueschange.Bookexploreshowopinionsandvaluesweheldinthepastneedperiodicevaluationandchallenge.Independentthinkersevolveandneedtoshedtheshacklesofoldviewsandopinions.
Ridiculeisthestrongestweaponforpressingustoconform.Itisakindofbaitthatifyougoforitwillentrapyouinanargumentyoucan’twinandleaveyoulookingridiculousanddeflated.QuestionAuthority;ThinkforYourselfofferstechniques,withexamples,ofhowtodeflectattacks,side-tracks,andput-downs.
Ifyou’vebittenyourtongueandlaterwishedyou’dspokenupandnotbeencowedintosilencebyamockingco-workerwhenyourevealeda“politicallyincorrect”viewpoint,you’llfindmuchofinterestinQuestionAuthority;ThinkforYourself.,
We’remembersofvariousgroups—circlesoffriends,family,professionalgroups,hobbygroup,andworkplacegroups.Groupshaveawayofdevelopingaviewthatitimposeswithakindofgroup-think.Wewanttobelong,tobelikedandincludedsogoalongandgetalong.Wedon’tmakewavesbyquestioning.Ifwehaveadifferentview,wekeepittoourselves.Whyrocktheboat?
Thinkingforyourselfisnotsoeasy.Whenencounteringanargumenttoalongheldopinionorawildidea,weusecriticalthinkingtoevaluateit,asweweretaughttodoinschool.Theproblemisthatcriticalthinkingiscritical.Itfocusesourthinkingonthenegative—whatdoesn’twork,what’swrongwiththeidea—andencouragesmy-sidethinkingwhereweevaluateevidenceinawaythatfavorsourbeliefsandentrapsusintoclosed-mindedness.Thinkingforyourselfrequiresopen-mindedness.Open-mindednessisbeingreceptiveand,whentheissueisimportant,callsforactivelysearchingforevidenceagainstyourbeliefs.
Thinkingisnotdrivenbyanswersbutbyquestions.Everyintellectualfieldisbornoutofaclusterofquestionstowhichanswersareneeded.Hadnoquestionsbeenaskedbythosewholaidthefoundationforafield—forexample,PhysicsorBiology—thefieldwouldneverhavebeendeveloped.
Wedefinetasks,expressproblemsanddelineateissueswithquestions.Answerssignalanendpointandstopthought,exceptwhenananswergeneratesafurtherquestion.
TimothyLearysaid,”tothinkforyourselfyoumustquestionauthority”.Tothink,youmustquestion.Tothinkthroughorrethinkanything,onemustaskquestionsthatstimulatethought.Thequalityofyourquestionsdeterminesthequalityofyourthinking.
Thinkingbeginswithinsomecontentwhenquestionsaregenerated.Noquestionsequalsnounderstanding.Toengageinthinkingthroughyourcontentyoumuststimulateyourthinkingwithquestionsthatleadtofurtherquestions.
Ourownopinionsisoneauthorityweshouldfrequentlyquestion.Timeschange.Wechange.Perspectivesandvalueschange.Bookexploreshowopinionsandvaluesweheldinthepastneedperiodicevaluationandchallenge.Independentthinkersevolveandneedtoshedtheshacklesofoldviewsandopinions.
Ridiculeisthestrongestweaponforpressingustoconform.Itisakindofbaitthatifyougoforitwillentrapyouinanargumentyoucan’twinandleaveyoulookingridiculousanddeflated.QuestionAuthority;ThinkforYourselfofferstechniques,withexamples,ofhowtodeflectattacks,side-tracks,andput-downs.
Ifyou’vebittenyourtongueandlaterwishedyou’dspokenupandnotbeencowedintosilencebyamockingco-workerwhenyourevealeda“politicallyincorrect”viewpoint,you’llfindmuchofinterestinQuestionAuthority;ThinkforYourself.,
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