Category: Critical Thinking

For me, critical thinking is about objectively analyzing an issue or an argument based on its merits or demerits.  It is not about being judgmental or getting personal. Before attending this workshop, I had not realized the extent of impact of critical thinking on our everyday behavior and its consequences. I had always thought that critical thinking applies to larger issues and not to our day to day life. This workshop has made me realize that critical thinking is applicable everywhere whether it is buying dove for us or the kind of milk that we have to choose.

When I was going through the list of biases, it seemed to me that all of them have been designed specifically just for me.  But after careful consideration, I realized that I have is status quo bias, which says, every change is painful. You don’t accept changes easily because you don’t want to come out of your comfort zone. Even a small change, like changing the direction of my bed, makes me sleepless for a night or two. But then I have realized that the change is inevitable. Though changing is difficult, not changing can be fatal.

Jyoti Khandelwal

Shiv used to go to Robogenius for learning Robotics. He had made this choice. Initially he enjoyed those classes a lot. Soon, the interest started to fade away. On being asked, why? He said , ” I don’t enjoy the class.” This was the time I thought I could help him apply my learnt lesson. We as parents sat with him and told him to analyze the situation, write the pros and cons of the workshop and take a decision. Writing didn’t take place, but decision was clear. Now, he was clear why he didn’t enjoy the sessions. He didn’t like following the steps given to him in a given format. He said he knew how to build a model but it’s application was unclear including why certain parts are used in one model but not in other.This was a learning for him as a child that I cannot just say “No” or “Yes” for everything without an analysis of it. It helps me take a better decision.

To our surprise, the lesson he had learnt was applied when we went to buy a gift for him for his birthday. He likes being given a game or a sports tool or an encyclopedia or book on places as a gift. We took him to the this new store “Decathlon” for the purchase. He wanted to buy cricket stumps which she expected his grandparents should gift  him and some undecided gift from us. He had already bought a dart game from the store a week before which he enjoyed playing. He bought stumps and explored the store on his own. At the end , he told us , “I think, I should wait as I am not clear what to buy or when time comes I will decide on basis of what I require.” We agreed. Although, I bought a surprise gift for him from Mumbai, a table tennis kit which he can play on our dining table itself. He was very happy. He said, ” Good I waited that day because I liked this gift a lot.” On being asked, this is not your decision and you can still buy one , he told “No”.

In fact , I have applied this too in many situations when buying the monthly stuff for home, deciding the tailor and buying books from Crossword versus Amazon :). But, thought of sharing these two stories here.

Regards,

Bhargavi.

Critic is always been about criticizing, negative thoughts or hurtful words.
But after attending the workshop I understand CRITICAL THINKING is something which one does after putting their feeling and opinions to rest and relying their decision more on research, calculations, facts and figures.

Yesterday when I sat down to do some critical thinking, I realized that I fall under many biases but most of times I follow reactance bias (The urge to do the opposite of what someone wants you to do out of a need to resist a perceived attempt to constrain your freedom of choice) When I experience event like somebody instructing me to do what they want me to do, without taking my opinion then that moment -I feel that someone or something is taking away my choices or limiting the range of alternatives. I feel caged. Wish to go against and then land up being frustrated.

I do realize that this is harming my peace of mind as well as of my family. I’m trying hard to control it conciously.

This workshop enlightened me and it made me realize that there are a few things which I really need to work upon.

I would like to add on that confirmation bias activity(pattern) was an eye opener. And I was so thrilled about it that I also shared the same with my friends.

I’d like to conclude – Workshop was ineffable.

Regards,

Kiran Tulsiani

Well, I think it’s not too late to write, as somewhat I still possess a negativity bias in me. Yes, I do at times have a greater recall of unpleasant memories compared with positive memories. Whether it is a workplace or family experience, I invariably remember the instances where I sensed a complete distrust on me; I was disappointed by others actions and words. I would also mention here, that today I am quite self aware about this particular bias in me and making an attempt to balance my thoughts.

Let me add, I am much happier now, not because my views or my situations have changed. I am happy because I envision my life differently; I see myself surrounded differently; the people I interact with are very different; and I am happy to experience this difference in me.

I don’t want to get lost in search of my story, and I am not in a hurry to bring about a change in my life. First, let me experience the dive – deep into my thoughts and taste the progressive fall in my life. I wish to grow a little older to experience a phenomenal rise and would then express my say, based on my biases and the changed time.

I have been reading this book called “Sophie’s World” –  a novel about the The History Of Philosophy” by Jostein Gaarder. It is a short history of western philosophical thought from Socrates to Sartre, and talks about how human thinking has evolved over the years. What we know today about the existence of everything in the universe, right from the big bang to our own existence is all because of critical thinking.

Over the past few days, I have been consciously watching my thoughts, and I have successfully  been able to connect the behavior of people around me to some or the other bias and thereby justify their behavior in a given situation. I have tried to identify the biases that I usually operate from, and have recognized  traits of different biases in various instances.  This path of mystery should lead inward and it is still work in progress. As rightly said by Albert Einstein – the important thing is to never stop questioning.

“Critical Thinking”: This word attracted me towards this workshop. As soon as the name of the Workshop was announced, from that very moment I was thinking to shift to this workshop and finally I did.

On the very first day of our workshop, I came to know that our thoughts depend on our biases. After getting the list of biases, it was too overwhelming for me to go through all the biases and finding one for me. After going through the list, finally I was able to find a bias for me that is “Bias blind spot”. Link is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bias_blind_spot .

It is a type of Cognitive bias and when I started making connection with this bias I realized that many times my thoughts and decisions get affected by this bias. This workshop has helped me in thinking critically in my day-to-day life. Still I am in process of finding out other biases for me and make connections with them.

I would like to thank Vardan Sir for taking this workshop and this journey of learning.

Regards,

Rita Menghrani

We are what we repeatedly do — Aristotle.
This workshop got me thinking. I began researching different biases and could connect with many of them. The list was endless… ambiguity effect, blind-spot bias, belief bias, negativity bias, the ostrich effect.

I am sure that I have demonstrated these biases many times. But after attending this workshop, I became cautious and began watching my thoughts and actions. When I read about the denomination effect, where people are less likely to spend larger bills than their equivalent value in smaller bills, I could immediately connect to it and caught myself demonstrating it. I also recall spending plastic money more easily than hard cash; the value being the same.

The title is inspired from …Anita Archer…Look…Lean…whisper –strategy for sharing with a partner.

So am sharing a few biases which I found around me….few of which I am guilty of myself.

Confirmation bias:I am oversensitive to recognizing patterns especially about something negative.( Old news..I know)

My claim: 13 is an unlucky number for me

My evidence: I was thrown out of my in-laws house on 13th, my late mother was in the ICU–her room number was 13, there were 13 days between my mom’s birthday and death day, a very dear and close friend of mine lost their spouse on 13th. And last and most powerful the letter “M” is the 13th letter of the alphabet and hence I am unlucky…..laugh if you must…I know that you are…but that’s what my crooked mind is up to.

Social proof/Chauffeur knowledge: Limited understanding of anything but doing it because everyone else is doing it

My claim: Whats app messages discussing intellectual topics are totally useless

My Evidence: I have tried and done it, just probing a little bit further to anyone who passes on such seemingly intellectual posts and most of the time they have no clue about the topic at all, and sometimes to cover up they just keep asking the same question in other groups and than keep posting those answers in the group….(Deja moo…hmmm)

Illusion of control and Framing (Not what you say, but how you say makes all the difference) are other two biases which I find mostly in school, with teachers who are unable to manage students and the latter mostly used by effective leaders(..this should not be a surprise;) to get work done.

So yes, we are surrounded and crowded by biases and sometimes just sometimes they strike us so bad and we feel like we are ready to explode like it’s Diwali!!!!

A vague idea of what ‘Critical Thinking’ – It is thinking from a different perspective or digging deep into the information available to reach a conclusion.

Googling gave me the first meaning of Critical thinking – ‘the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgement’.

In my opinion most of the decisions in life need critical thinking, but for that we need to understand “What Critical Thinking actually is?”

One part of the workshop was to go through the list of biases, and as I started reading it… I was like “ Oh! This also applies to me, I am biased in this way as well…” and the list was never ending.

Negativity bias – Inclined towards the thinking of more of unpleasant events (greater recall of unpleasant memories) than the pleasant one. Whenever I start a task and if I come across a negative memory / fact,  I get demotivated.

Google effect – The tendency to forget information that can be found readily online by using Internet search engines. This one I found interesting. If I do not understand even a small thing (E.g if I have to cook and I have already made that dish earlier I will still go back and search it on Google.) and I have the answers. Most people can relate to this. Especially people at FS!

Others are:

Planning fallacy

Post-purchase rationalization

Looking forward to learn more.

Swati