In America today, it’s vitally important that you exercise critical thinking skills. Why? Because now more than ever, there’s a narrative being pushed by the media (traditionally, the source of information most Americans get their news from). And no matter what side of the fence you sit on politically, it’s the same wherever you go. There is no more “news” as it used to be reported. There is an agenda, and increasingly that agenda is designed to indoctrinate, manipulate and control the American people. Without critical thinking skills, its easy to believe everything you’re being told – so where do critical thinking skills come from? Let’s start with where they don’t, since that’s certainly fertile ground to find a long list of them.
First, your parents. I dunno about most people listening, but I didn’t get my critical thinking skills from mine. One example I like to cite is church. Every Sunday morning from as young as I can remember, you had to go to church. Roman Catholic church. At no time did anyone (even as an adult) come to me and say, “Hey, here are all the major religions of the world. Study a bit about each and decide for yourself which one (or none) is right”. If you ask me, that’s indoctrination.
How about school? America’s public education system is nothing more than a test of your ability to memorize stuff. Stuff like facts, figures, dates and such. You can see this with the “facts” being taught about 9/11 now in schools. Nothing is questioned, this is just how it happened… and you’re going to believe it (or you fail the course). Math? My worst subject, but fortunately for me unless you’re going into rocket science or engineering, algebra 1, 2 and beyond is useless in the real world. They’d be much better off teaching these kids how to save $, live within their means and not to screw up their credit rating IMO.
My first exposure to critical thinking was my Grandfather. He was a voracious reader, and I’d sit with him while he pointed out how the same story was reported in very different ways, depending upon the paper you were reading. Or wasn’t covered at all, as the case may be (and still is). He served his country in WWII and loved it. But when it came to our gov’t he feared it, and was rightly skeptical of big gov’t, too much over-reach and all the problems that go along with that scene. So it was there where things started. It wasn’t long before I learned to start questioning things myself.
That happened when I started asking “authority” figures about supplements. I consulted pharmacists, Doctors, even my chemistry teachers. Whether it was Vitamin C, protein powder or liver tabs the answer was the same: “None of that stuff works, you’re wasting your $”. When I took a bottle of EPH 833 (ephedra) to the pharmacy one day, same story. So I said “Here, take 2 before bed tonight and tell me tomorrow how you slept”. The story then quickly changed to, “I’d never… that stuff is dangerous”. “But I thought you said it didn’t work?, I asked. “If it doesn’t work, you’ll sleep just fine, right”? Eventually as you know, ephedra worked so well… they banned it. Complete with a gov’t commissioned, puppet RAND study that attributed one “ephedra death” to a young man who took some one morning, then later in the day was killed (actually, decapitated) while driving his car. The “ignore, it’s dangerous, ban it and save the children” nonsense continues to this day, and it has nothing to do with public safety -it’s all about the $. Is there a supplement anywhere as dangerous or deadly as alcohol or tobacco? I rest my case..
So I would tell you the following: The next time the news, a teacher or professor or social media cites one of their “facts”, don’t take it on faith. Do some digging, if just a little. Ask a question or two. If these “facts” are true, they shouldn’t mind your questions. In fact, they should invite them. Be very leary of censorship, as its often used to hide truths that don’t support the official narrative. Hiding the truth never ends well – ever. Yet that’s precisely what’s happening right now, and along with it critical thinking is discouraged.
Question the official narrative coming out of the gov’t or MSM and you’re a, “conspiracy theorist” or a “domestic terrorist”. In WWII Germany, the gestapo would “investigate” these people and eventually round them up, taking them away. In this country, the FBI has already taken steps down that path. Internal memos from the Attorney General on down prove it. No critical thinking allowed, no dissenting voices will be heard.
BOTTOM LINE
A free society isn’t truly free when things are being censored.
Leave the censorship to the communists and socialists. Because as history shows, those countries always fail.
Do your part as a critical thinker, and let’s not be one of them…
