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How to use Critical Thinking
A few months ago I found the image below and absolutely LOVED IT. It seemed like a great idea for a blog post! Many, many people have no idea how to use critical thinking, and it’s time we all learned a bit more about it. It’s not our fault though- this was made an issue on purpose.
The public school system is in place to learn how to conform and take tests. Most schools are just teaching us how to be good little worker bees, and not much else. Our school systems are a mess, which is why homeschooling has been on the rise for several years now.
After almost a decade in the natural health world I have been able to see the extent of this issue very well. Most of grew up learning to not question authority and to just listen to what we’re told by all of the “experts”. We were not really encouraged to use our own thinking skills, which has lead to a lot of problems now. Just with using natural health as an example, we have MANY horrible and unsafe trends but people are still constantly falling for them. Especially if they are related to quick weight loss and not actual health.
What is Critical Thinking?
From ThoughtCo.com: “Critical thinking refers to the ability to analyze information objectively and make a reasoned judgment. It involves the evaluation of sources, such as data, facts, observable phenomena, and research findings. Good critical thinkers can draw reasonable conclusions from a set of information, and discriminate between useful and less useful details to solve problems or make decisions.”
Basically, it means that you are able to think for yourself and trust your own judgement without needing external validation.
So how do we use critical thinking? Well, this image is amazing and probably the best thing I’ve ever seen to help us with this!
Who Benefits from This?
I think this is ultimately the most important question to ask. In the natural health world, it’s essential to ask this question! Many people are out here just to make a quick buck, and unfortunately they are very successful with it because we’re not thinking critically when we purchase items. The obsession with weight loss instead of health is the BIGGEST issue too. People will spend thousands on items promising quick weight loss instead of spending more time looking for real solutions that will benefit their body as a whole.
This is also crucial when it comes to looking at studies. I wrote this article about why we need to be cautious about studies because this is also a big issue. You HAVE to ask yourself- who benefits from the results of this study? Who is funding it? What product is being promoted? Anyone can create a study and coerce the results to be favorable now. Think about this too: how many medications were once deemed safe and effective by studies and then later pulled from the market because they cause serious side effects? At the end of the day, many of these studies are not what we think they are.
We all just need to work on asking questions about everything. We all need to learn how to trust ourselves and our own inner voices too. There is no problem with asking questions, and you are not a conspiracy theorist if you desire to learn more about certain things. Just ask questions and expand the way that you look at the world. That’s it 🙂
Read more about about how critical thinking is suppressed in American schools here.
The body is a whole and we must treat it as such! I have my Bachelor of Science in Natural Health Sciences, certificates in Herbal Studies from Herbal Academy, and I am constantly learning more about health to help my clients and followers.
My goal is to help you unleash your own inner healer! You already hold the power to heal inside you. My role is as a guide to help you realize this potential.