Listen carefully: Is the speaker focusing more on thinking or feeling? Do you feel fair or biased? Is he a good guy and a bad guy or a cherry picker? For example, be careful if a psychotherapist relies on only one or two anecdotes in the way of therapy. There is strength in numbers.
Don’t reflexively accept conventional wisdom. Agree with them even reflexive. Instead, evaluate the merits of each argument.
When you are arguing, imagine that your audience is very intelligent. When you argue, assume that the other person is at least as smart as you.
Adding nuance is necessary: sometimes black / white thinking caused by words like “always” or “never” is not enough to know that much wisdom resides in the gray area.
Make sure that one idea flows from another. If the connection is not self-explanatory, suggest a connective such as “This is an example in another context.” Avoid tangents – it is more interesting for the speaker than the listener, who may find the speaker’s point of view boring and boring.
Consider addressing potential objections. For example, if you are a psychologist talking to Freudian, you can start by making the best argument for Freudianism, and just explain why you believe the other way is usually smarter.
Meet good thinkers and ask for honest feedback: Asking them to tell you that you’re not strong can be the most powerful way to improve your thinking because you get personalized and contextual feedback.
It is often difficult to explain to others that you are not being logical. If the explanation is not clear, give a second chance, for example: “Why do you want to explain again?
Read articles in magazines that are known for their intellectual rigor, but are liked by the general public. Also, consider reading the transcript of the debate at IntelligenceSquaredUS.org.
Learn critical thinking. Check out the COVID-safe online courses offered by Duke University. More than 300,000 students have registered so far, average rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars.
Some courses may not deal with formal reasons, but may help with rhetoric or interpersonal communication.
Get a coach. One-on-one coaching is one of the most powerful ways to develop, especially in an area as complex as thinking. So ask a high school or college debate coach to work with you one-on-one.
Join the debate community. It is available all over the world, including for adults. Or if you’re in high school or college, consider joining a debate team. Argument preparation is about constant critical thinking. Additionally, the debate team receives regular feedback on the quality of your ideas: from your debate coach, peers, and judges.
Save the nugget file. Keep a file of all mistakes and lessons learned from above. Check back from time to time.
How to become a better thinker
