Nurture critical thinkers

I have thirty four years of nurturing young minds. And this is why I am disenchanted when manifestations of reacting unconstructively from comments I made are in the midst. And for others, choosing the tremendously unpopular voice is unwelcome. But I dare.   

We love positive comments. And in most cases, as a show of appreciation, these comments emanate from keen supporters and loved ones. I have no qualm on this as uplifting one's spirit becomes a quick and obvious intention. But at times the same hesitant people are snail-paced in providing divergent comments also for a blatant reason: don't want to bruise egos.

Explicitly when someone makes an opposing view, the message becomes insignificant. And sadly, to some extent, the commenter is an easy prey for negative labels. But pondering it on, it is in the deliberate and truthful assessment of one's critique and not on the commenter's faultily perceived predispositions that would allow us to improve.

This is the kind of nurturance we would like to impress upon our future leaders. They should maintain an open mind and an accepting heart. Easily said than done but in an academic institution, this is the grounding for them to become assiduous community servants and leaders.  

It is in being critical that one can see disparate views. And eventually see the entire picture. Yes, there are instances in an organization when conformity becomes imperative in order to achieve established goals. Be it to policies or popularity, conformity is a social force that homogenizes behavior within groups and filters out clamor that exists at the individual level. But in times when we need a product of innovative and creative efforts, being thin-skinned to opposing but constructive views is unashamedly unnecessary!

Training our young to be critical would allow them to solve complex problems through seeing various angles. Just like dealing with life's challenges, there are choices. And each choice presents advantages and drawbacks. It is in the weighing process, taking myriad options and possibilities, would train them to be critical. So they can choose the best option that would render the maximum benefit.

There are those who subscribe to plurality but appallingly cannot embrace the basic dictum that we can't please everybody. And so they fail to assess the viability and value of such comments. Don't be fooled by consensual or popular belief. This is a futile exercise that counters critical thinking.

As experts say that critical thinking is fundamental to, if not essential for, "a rational and democratic society." What might the experts mean by this? Well, how wise would democracy be if people abandoned critical thinking? Imagine an electorate that cared not for the facts, that did not wish to consider the pros and cons of the issues, or if they did, had not the brain power to do so.

The historical evidence is there for us to see what happens when schools are closed or converted to places for indoctrination. We know what happens when children are no longer being taught truth-seeking and good reasoning. Of course we are not training them to become docile robots but we want them to be thinking individuals in the world barraged with lies and half-truths!

Imagine governmental structures, administrators, and community leaders who, instead of encouraging critical thinking, were content to make knowingly irrational, illogical, prejudicial, unreflective, short-sighted, and unreasonable decisions.

How long might it take for the people in this society which does not value critical thinking to be at serious risk of foolishly harming themselves and each other? Does this mean that society should place a very high value on critical thinking? Absolutely!

We like others-all others, or at least the majority, to be on our side. I understand. But without considering opposing views and instead float with euphoria in cloud nine, ponder that there is still a ground to fall back down.

Apathetically taking opposing views is akin to narrow-mindedness. Robots can never equal the rational human beings. A puppet show could hardly challenge a thinking individual either. But it is in nurturing of both the mind and heart that we can produce a critical thinking person.