Thinking About Thinking... again...

I was thinking about thinking... again... I wanted to check out anything new on the subject out in the vast world of cyberspace (is that word still used?  Cyberspace?)...

I checked out some topics on some of the websites and blogs that I usually go to for innovation/new ideas/thoughts, but I didn't find anything that actually caught my attention.  Perhaps I was thinking too hard about thinking...

I decided to just run a search on the subject of Critical Thinking and see what Google would throw my way in videos... I did not feel like reading tonight, I just wanted to listen/watch for a change.

Nights like tonight make me feel a bit old.  I am amazed at what is out there in a world of "intelligent" human beings... there is a lot of stuff out there that doesn't exactly hit the mark for the word "thinking" even though the search criteria is requesting such.

I came across a really noisy video during my search to find something new on Critical Thinking.  I ended up watching it twice because my 18-year-old daughter jumped up from what she was doing to see it.  She laughed aloud watching the video.  I am not sure she was able to catch any of the background message, but it was there, if you could tune out all that noise.

Here is the video for The Critical Thinking Song:

The message in the video, in case you could not tune out the "noise": 
Step One:  Be willing to say "I don't know"
Step Two:  Define your terms
Step Three:  Be open minded
Step Four:  Produce ideas
**Consider the source
**Seek out alternative views
**Ask questions
**Look for at least three answers
**Lay your cards down on the table
**Write about it
Step Five:  Accept changing perspectives
**Come up with your own conclusion

Maybe someone else out there will find this video just as humorous as my daughter did and be able to remember the steps listed in order to remember to think critically.  I must say that I have seen Step 1 to be lacking in most projects that I have worked on, sadly.  Admitting you don't know doesn't mean it is the end of the world, it means the answer needs to be found.  I prefer "I don't know" to a lame excuse or not-quite-right answer... every time... It is not a weakness to say this, it is admirable when true.  For the video... I admit the cat made me laugh...

Needless to say, after the noise, I was less lazy feeling... never mind the videos... give me words.

Somewhere in my research, I found the term "cognitive biases".  Having read numerous books and other peices on biases over my lifetime, I decided to change my search criteria to that.

I found a list of cognitive biases.  I think for tonight I will consider these biases and if they affect me or not... quietly... :)  I bet one of those biases makes me think twice about the Critical Thinking Song...