Listening to Spirits

[WANDERER]

I think it's interesting how critical we have to be..particularly with information overload. Whose information is correct/what is an expert/is that expert biased or being misrepresented. What subtle messages are being implied. Are you getting a broad view of things or a narrow one. Do you really have the time or inclination. Too many hats to wear: political, science, health, moral etc. Too much marketing going on. Edward De Bono looks at critical thinking skills and different ways of evaluating things and stepping out of different perspectives, which is sometimes useful..lateral thinking challenges us to think harder about our ideas.

But whatever our age, we bring that many years of bias towards things through our own experiences and understandings. The bias bit is harder to break than 'new messages' sometimes. Change is rapid and people's thinking has definitely become more fluid. Processing skills are higher and people do have a greater awareness.

How do you tell which are your own thoughts...I guess the time for reflection and analysis and integration is not something people have a lot of time for. So you see inconsistencies. I guess by checking the inconsistencies and whether your ideas are supported by action. If they are your thoughts they'll carry through in everything you do or decide or they'll just be pat phrases and cliches that you turn out in a popular culture kind of way without much thought. Either they'll stay or be discarded. Prioritised or filtered out. Choice I guess.

I think most people are too caught up in the daily things that they have to do. Questions like: how do you know your thoughts are your own make people smile. It's in the category of what is the sound of one hand clapping. Identity crisis isn't a fixture of most people's lives...everything around them tells them who they are by the way they react to things and apply them. People tend to be more practical than analytical.

How do you know your thoughts are your own...well if you ever get into an in depth discussion you can see how you think you believe the same things...but very very differently...even when discussing things that are common and trivial. And it makes a difference whether the person has a great deal in common with you or very little..either very diverse or oppositional to your beliefs. Communication and interaction?

Nature/nurture: philosophy/religion/science/teaching pedagogy: it's one of those questions people have different perspectives on when it comes to a question like that.

What was your friend's perspective?