Skepticism: Why critical thinking makes you smarter | Bill Nye, Derren Brown & more | Big Think
Skepticism: Why critical thinking makes you smarter
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Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
0:41 Lawrence Krauss
3:02 Michael Shermer
8:07 Bill Nye
9:50 Lawrence Krauss (Part 2)
11:50 Darren Brown
It's not always easy to tell the difference between objective truth and what we believe to be true. Separating facts from opinions, according to skeptic Michael Shermer, theoretical physicist Lawrence Krauss, and others, requires research, self-reflection, and time.
Recognizing your own biases and those of others, avoiding echo chambers, actively seeking out opposing voices, and asking smart, testable questions are a few of the ways that skepticism can be a useful tool for learning and growth.
As Derren Brown points out, being "skeptical of skepticism" can also lead to interesting revelations and teach us new things about ourselves and our psychology.
Read Michael Shermer's latest book "Skeptic: Viewing the World with a Rational Eye" at amzn.to/3c7vP58
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TRANSCRIPT:
LAWRENCE KRAUSS: I like to keep an open mind but not so open that my brains fall out. And that's the key point. We have to skeptically assess the information we receive. We can't be gullible because when we get a lot of information, it's absolutely certain that some of that information is wrong. And so we have to always filter what we get. And we have to ask ourselves the following question: "How open does my brain have to be to accept that information? Does it have to fall out?" And by that, I mean when someone tells you something you have to ask "Is this consistent with my experience? Is it consistent with the experience of other people around me?" And if it isn't, then probably there's a good reason to be skeptical about it; it's probably wrong. If it makes predictions that also appear to be in disagreement with things that you observe around you, you should question it.
And so we should never take anything on faith. That's really the mantra of science, if you want, that faith is the enemy of science. We often talk about a loss of faith in the world today. You don't lose anything by losing faith. What you gain is reality. And so skepticism plays a key role in science simply because we also are hard-wired to want to believe. We're hard-wired to want to find reasons for things. In the savanna in Africa, the trees could be rustling and you could choose to say, "Well, there's no reason for that." Or, "Maybe it's due to a lion." And those individuals who thought there might be no reason, never lived long enough to survive to procreate. And so it's not too surprising, we want to find explanations for everything. And we create them if we need to, to satisfy ourselves, because we need to make sense of the world around us. And what we have to understand is that what makes sense to the universe, is not the same as what makes sense to us. And we can't impose our beliefs on the universe. And the way we get around that inherent bias is by constantly questioning both ourselves and all the information we receive from others. That's what we do in science and it works beautifully in the real world as well.
MICHAEL SHERMER: The problem is this. None of us has the truth. The only way to find out if you're deceiving yourself or not, if you've gone off the rails, if you're wrong in some way, is to listen to other people who disagree with you. I started encountering other people that disagreed with me. You know, we-never-went-to-the-moon people, conspiracy people, whatever. And I thought, "Okay, so how do we know, if I don't know what's coming down the pike say in 10 years from now, if I was gonna teach my students how to think critically, what are the key points, like just basic questions they could ask?" So, it begins with one: How reliable is the source of the claim? Here's the claim, how reliable is it? What's the evidence for it? What's the quality of the evidence? Where does it come from? Who said that? Is this some fake news, alternative site thing, or is it The Wall Street Journal or The New York Times? The source really matters. Has anyone tried to disprove the claim? This is super important because everybody thinks they're right and every website has testimonials about this product or that idea. The question is not "What do your supporters think?" but "What do the people who don't agree with you think?" Because that's what I wanna know. Has anyone run an experiment to try to disprove your theory?...
Read the full transcript at bigthink.com/videos/critical-...
What's the best critical thinking tip you've come across?
Everything is a hoax by Chinese NASA 🤓
The best critical thinking tip I've come across? To stop listening to Bill Nye after he abandoned science and common sense.
do your homework
When I was 25 I stopped thinking of people as selfish or not. I started thinking that everything that everyone ever does is selfish but is it a positive selfishness in that it helps others and doesn't hurt anyone or a negative selfishness that could hurt others or myself.
Never argue with an idiot because you will never win, my late grandfather told me that....
"The more you know, the more you realize you don't know." The less you know the more you think you know
Not Aristotle. It was Socrates
@@bote9571 who cares we've all come to realize this .
how do you know he wrote that?
Excellent quote
One of my old Sergeants from the military always had a saying, "The older I get, the more I learn, the less I know..."
I had a lecturer in college who convinced a couple kids in class that flat earth theory was a plausible idea, just to make the point that you shouldn't believe everything people tell you just by the level of authority they project. It was funny and disturbing at the same time, realizing how easy it is to influence intelligent people into believing ridiculous things out of blind trust.
Were they really intelligent? Some people are extremely gullible and let their emotions guide them instead of thinking critically and letting logic guide them. By emotion, I don't mean gut instinct.
@Yoy Piur You raise good points. Logic is when you separate your personal feelings from the situation and rely on facts, even when you don't like the facts. Emotion is when you just go with something because it's what you feel. Sometimes our emotions blindside us, so critical thinking requires looking at facts and having enough intelligence to decipher what is true and what is not. Personally, I've never found that hard to do, but I tend to be analytical and too objective.
My dad tried that with moon bathing. Don't get skin cancer. We live in Australia. He had me fooled until my mum starting smirking!
i did that to university students at an astrology club meeting lmaoooo
Appeal to authority is a logical fallacy for a reason lmao
My father was a physician & a skeptic. One of his favorite aphorisms was “don’t believe everything you think.” He passed away last November. I still miss him a lot.
May he rest in peace
Rip
He Was A Smart MAN In My Opinion To Be A Skeptic..❤️❤️🩹❤️❤️
May his soul rest in peace
Don't *think* he passed away.
Critical thinking should be taught at school along with how to plan for the future, budgeting and communication skills.
Thank you! Financial literacy is a must! 401k, IRA. The power of compounding, dividend growth investing,
Critical thinking was heavily emphasized in school. Lots of people just didn't pay attention or never internalized it.
@@joetraw2110yes
I think they have to make a lesson to how you can control your brain how it works how you can improve it
Along with managing taxes, basic cooking, etc.
I'm a skeptic and as a psychologist I wanna add this. Skepticism also brings a lot of anxiety and life dissatisfaction. But still worth it.
I’m glad you added the last bit. Being open minded and understanding life is full of contradictions is one of the most freeing realisations one can experience.
I don't get it, what worth do you mean? If you could find a life that is full of joy, peace and fulfillment and was worth it's weight in gold, would you try it?
@@eamonnmurphy5385 I would like to "try" it and I even can do it. But my soul will always be restless, knowing that I don't know and I'm not doing anything to change it. To me Happiness aka fulfillment is a results of progress. As long as I'm learning I'm happy.
@@IbrahimSiawash Nice answer! Money, pleasure and prestige, when my life's goals are tied up in these three things, I struggle to find peace and worth. When my focus is on Humility, charity and forgiveness while trying to fulfil a holy life, then my life makes sense at last. I have found my place in the world. I understand all the things that use to confuse me!
Bitter pill of truth. Great for some. Big problem for others.
"The only real progress comes from learning to be wrong, alone." --Camus
True
I suspect Camus refers to the courage required to be correct , while in conflict with the popular, current values of ones culture. With empathy, Pete.
Tell me how Albert Camus ended up?
@@andrewomo5429 died in a car crash, like so many others. What of it?
Truth.
Critical thinking and questioning can really annoy some people, especially those who've succeeded in life without really trying.
I think it is also about accepting that it is ok to not know everything. It is impossible to find out the truth about everything, because many things that are considered true today might not be somewhere in the future because of new scientific insights.
So what you're saying it is "possible" to gather data until you do know. Or someone in the future will know the answers that are being sought. Because you will not live long enough and I don't know if it will be possible for one person to hold the scope of what is that makes everything which I call the "What Is." Which includes everything outside of our known universe if there is an outside. It is, what it is, because it is. Then you can go from God or Big Bang theories all you want but it is what it is. Hence: there are no wrong answers only learning to get the correct answers. There is no fork in the road.🛠
Naa, partly right, I would say. Depending very very much on the matter. E.g. General Relativity is ofc not the last answer to how gravity works, but it will never be entirely false. It's more about refining things. And then, it depends a lot, what you understand as truth. That's a very very very deep philosophical/physical hole.
@@jonathanwalther how can you be sure that it won't be entirely false? What does entirely false even mean?
@@aaykat6078 Bc the mathematical formalism which were developed and describe the world on a certain level are justified by hundreds and hundreds of experiments. It would be rather silly to assume, they're entirely false, bc the data (i.e. the experiments) show otherwise. As I wrote, ther're ofc not the last answer and new ideas/formalisms have to be developed/discovered and be tested, but this does not make the current status quo of Physics wrong. E.g., just like Newtonian Physics holds to everyday life's Physics, but is not appropriate to describe the Cosmos, thus, it's not wrong, it's just the wrong tool to describe the world/space-time/gravity. Same with current Quantum Field Theory and General Relativity: they're great tools and the leading models to describe Particles/Fields/FundamentalForces and Gravity/Space-Time, resp., but there's no current idea, how to unify them.
@@jonathanwalther the phase you use isn't very good. "Not entirely false" is a subjective phase. it's like saying a number close to 1, exactly when does it become close to 1, 1.1? 1.01? 2? If it's 1.1 does that mean if it was 1.10001 it's not close? just because of 0.00001? Or if it is then what about 1.10002? if this is also close then exactly when does it become close The phase "not entirely false" means there will be some truth to it, but how important and how much truth is there to it? In the future general relativity's theory might be only important to some very niche scenarios, we can't know what will happen, if it's like that then is it important that it's correct in specifically those niche scenarios? I mean if i was born 4000 years ago and i made the conclusion that earth is flat based specifically on my place, and the model of earth being flat worked for me and was fairly accurate for most things i would do, then you could say earth is flat isn't entirely false. But nowadays if you say earth is flat people will tell you you are completely wrong. That can possibly be what general relativity will go down to in the future, that it was only true for some specific niche scenarios but isn't integral to how reality might function at it's base, and if you still say "but but it's not entirely false" will you say that earth being flat isn't also totally false?
Here’s a favourite quote of mine: “You don’t just make progress in science by getting everything right. You make progress also by getting things wrong in an interesting way.” Dr. Tony Freeth
One man's favourite quote is another man's most pathetic quote
Ooo I like that one. Nice un
I have started questioning why I should question everything.
Have you also questioned that 🤣
@@Cecilia-ky3uw Dude you really have to practise putting dots and commas. Literally, I read your comment couple of times and it does not make quite a sense to me.
@@Cecilia-ky3uw Let me tell you that questioning everything isn't always the best option and sometimes you just have to believe. And let me tell you that you already do it and we ahve to do it cause otherwise we would be sitting in our room since our birth till our death and questioning everything. There is one more thing, this statement "question everything" is pretty vague and therefore by "everything" you could scope some certaing number of things while I scope some other things. And believe "questioning everything" in its core is wrong and it is simply impossible, sometimes you just have to believe.
How true - it is just a deceptive circle designed to keep you guessing!
LOL! ...However. Yes!
The best English teacher that I had was in my freshman year in Bronx Community college. He changed my life with 1 question. Since that day I question every single thing and paradoxical enough since that day stopped living because when you live questioning everything you're not living, because in life is better to not know certain things. The question he asked us was: Why you guys believe everything teachers say without double checking? That simple question changed my life and critical thinking started...This went over almost all my peers head but that had a tremendous impact in me. He gave me a tip and told me to be careful when talking to people because there's a thin line between sounding arrogant to others and have a proper conversation when you are a critical thinker, most people become defensive and starts seeing you as ( he thinks he knows everything)...
Being atuned to thinking critically really is a double edged sword. Gaining a greater understanding of the world can really put you at odds with the perceived reality of others in a way that is at best frustrating and at worst deeply disturbing and even terrifying. There are many, many times I wish I did not think critically about a lot of things. I don't think the pursuit of truth is the optimal journey for all people.
The more we start to understand, the more we isolate ourselves from people that will understand. I've learned to care for people on where they are at and accept that they may not have the openness as I do.
Yes because if you never found out or thought about it, whatever ugly thing you have come across in your mind would be A ok because you don't know about it
@Mario Lentsch I agree, however isolating yourself from others is a choice and a pretty easy one to simply not make. Part of an honest attempt at pursuing truth is acknowledging this. If you do not hold yourself accountable for your actions and choices your view of reality will be fundamentally warped until you start doing so.
The more educated I became, the more I realised how little I knew.
I find it astounding that people have lived their entire precious life inside a cultural enclave, that asserts the entirety most crucial existence of the world, resides in an oversized comic book filled with mythical fairytales, called the “Bible”.
Hey, that means you are on the other side of mount stupid... It's all downhill from here. ;-)
The more I read, the more I realize how ignorant I am.
..and the dumber I realized people I hung around are!
you should meditate
Question everything. Especially authority.
Completely agree, but authorities can fjck one up if wanted. Hence the caution bud.
That’s not to say that you should always question those in positions of authority, though. I feel like too high a degree of skepticism is erred and nonfunctional; you can’t be an expert on everything.
Why should I question everything? :P
Never question authority. They don't know either.
@@Bringadingus we have an array of histories examples of what happens after, and the nature of the world is a lot more spiritual then it is scientifically proven given how many philosophy and theories there are around it
Just remember that questioning things is not the same as asking questions.
I consider myself a critical thinker who wants to analyse everything around me, and from my experiences I can tell that this "sickness" does not let me be present in the moment but always wondering. That's why I tend to conclude that ignorance is pure bliss.
I had a government teacher in high school that once gave us an article on the same subject, one from the liberal perspective, and the other written from a conservative perspective. I saw the respective viewpoints. Now, I go to various sources and investigate, then make up my own mind as to what is really true.
One of the most valuable things I learned in high school is how to spot bias in reporting. I use this skill every time I read the news.
@@wareforcoin5780 where can I learn this skill?
a lot of the times you can’t entirely side with one group. The whole reason why it’s an argument in the first place is because the issue is complex, not black and white. Many times the most intelligent position is in the grey area
I love you 😘!!!
This needs to be done more
"The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled." --Plutarch
Question everything I am right you are a viewer of dare to do
Getting knowledge from the internet is like trying to drink from a fire hose on full blast.
This statement could be a piece of shit too! The mind could be water, air or anything. Skepticism doesn’t endorse Plutarch's saying.
@@LazyIRanch Unless you are smart enough to handle the hose. ;)
@@ShutUpWesley If I was smart I wouldn't live in a place where I need a fire hose and fire hydrant on my property. It's very rural, and burns every 8-10 years. During the last one, I hooked up my fire hose and soaked everything before help arrived. When my son cranked the fire hydrant on, I had tight hold of the hose, but the pressure still was so much it picked me up off the ground and knocked me on my ass! I'm skinny, but DAMN! I wasn't expecting that much force. Wish there was video, I'm sure I looked funny even though we weren't laughing at the time.
The Royal Society in London which Newton was part and is now the UK's National Department of Sciences, says it best in their motto "Nullius in verba" which translates to "Take nobody's word for it."
The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts. -Bertrand Russell
This cools my heart knowing im not the only one who thinks like this im in a community where people only believes in what they were told to believe in childhood sometimes it hurts and i feel like im suffocating because no one in my circle thinks like this…and i need to meet people who thinks this way …hopefully one day i will leave my community behind and meet people who belives in reality
Same thing. I grew up ina country and a family that is absorbed by culture and bias that has been transmitted for generations with no one ever questionning it. It sickens me because they arent dumb individuals, they're pretty smart. But unfortunately they lack the ability to question what they have been taught. And i agree on the fact that such an environment is draining since the only influences you are subjected to go against the value of unbiased thinking. It feels lonely hahaha
@@manarmeziani857 🤝
Aye you can do this. Keep going fellow person- I believe in ya 👍🔥
I can understand you! Most people around me think that it's crazy and unnecessary to ask questions about those perfectly established "facts" and just live your life somehow in this illusion of safety and security
We'll meet someday!
"you have to ask 'is this consistent with my experience?'" Rene Descartes: "And I took that personally."
Inherent bias is in the justice system of west
@@Celevie sounds like kool aid
Yep. He did.
@@Celevie Inherent bias is in the nature of all life
Why experience? Maybe you can project into the experiences of others to test truth claims. Your own experience is limited.
Problem is, everyone thinks they're a critical thinker.
Damn
Common sense is the most fairly distributed thing in the world, for each one thinks he is so well-endowed with it that even those who are hardest to satisfy in all other matters are not in the habit of desiring more of it than they already have. Rene Descartes
Not true. I have been in political arguments on social media where I mentioned Critical Thinking and the opposing side were baffled by what that meant. Also admitted that was the first they had ever heard such a thing. I admittedly am very well educated but admire well thought out critical analysis of wrongful acceptance of harmful norms.
I’m Skeptical about this assertion….
@@gloriareyes6556 I see what you did there. 😆
As a child I asked questions all the time that my father dodged or gave silly definitions and explanations. But now I see the truth of all of my questions. Shocking really. Stunning.
I really needed someone to tell me that it's okay to question everything and everyone.
You should question wether consuming animal products is healthy and moral.
@@egidijus6973 what about questioning if consuming plant based products is healthy and moral. Even better, what about questioning morality of your existence? Or are you asking others question about it just because it is your agenda..?
@@javokhirbeknazarov1677 Your response should have corrected her. Not Healthy or Moral. But the Aggregated efficiency of 8 pounds of grain for every one pound of beef. So she is right about questioning a diet change but should have been in regards to the thermo dynamics effected by mass meat consumption. happy halloween
@@egidijus6973 I questioned a lion once but those eyes told me that I might be his next meal. It’s not meat eating that’s the issue it’s the commercialisation of it into a vast dominant industry advertising the benefits of its product. But then that applies to all consumerism. Question whether the decision you take is really yours or one to match someone else’s thereby validating them, which means someone advertised something and you swallowed it by endorsing them. It’s hard to be oneself in a world of temptations.
That sounds like denial and dunnin krugger, mora than critical thinking. Critical thinkers dont usually need anyone to support their idea
Skepticism is different from cynicism. There's a fine line there and most people lose their minds over it.
Skepticism is based on being wary that you are being told the truth. Cynicism is based on the idea that people are exclusively or primarily motivated by self-interest.
I find myself falling afoul of this line a lot recently
@@dalorasinum386 I think we have to be open-minded enough to ask the right questions.
Ya can always be both cynical and skeptical. The two aren't mutually exclusive.
@@als3022 I don't think they are either, it's the resulting questions we ask sometimes aren't the right questions. For instance with cynicism, our next question will most likely be out of fear rather than curiosity.
Now I'm almost 67, These were the types of questions I used to ask myself as a child and all my life I've never believed in religions and imaginary God or whatever it's called! I only believe in kindness which is vanishing from the society!
It's really isn't vanishing it's hiding behind peoples, "everyone is friendly but you have to go first".
You are still biased in your opinion. You can't understand God or see him isn't enough reason to say he's not.
@@Irkaquotes That's the same thing as, Not because I can't see the Invisible floating cold-blooded Dragon means it doesn't exist.
It's not the critique that makes you smart. Is the thorough credible accurate research you do to make 100% certain to crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and laugh at their lamentation.
'Being a little skeptical about skepticism itself' Darren Brown Next level thinking
Next level thinking is to stop thinking
but if I’m skeptical about skepticism(the very same tool I’m using), then how can I come to any conclusion??
@@Christian-mn8dh I think it's evident from how he put it
That seems like a way to say nothing. LOL
@@deplorablekulak3580 to quote an old zen master " Mud is better than words "
You don't lose anything by losing faith, what you gain is reality. Brilliant 🔥
Brilliant indeed 👍
The navy seals believe we can't afford the Luxury of a quitter. Faith is just vision. Were would anyone be without the direction of there imagination. Those with faith which is imagination find out what they are possible of achieving. All warriors and athletes have faith while scientists gather up evidence that they had faith believed they would find.
@@gizznajet1 . I guess you are right with the personal faith but the video refers to something else entirely. Works both ways. Sometimes faith blinds you, sometimes it can guide you as well. It's the blinding you part that we need to deal with and that is more prevalent in alot of circles where imp public decisions get taken.
@@abhishek15894 Have a talk with some billionaires and see how they feel about statistics, evidence and doubtfulness. I wish I had more faith in myself than to go to work everyday working for those that have faith. Faith doesn't mean to be a fool. Faith is a decision of the wise. Faith is what drives the stock markets. Faith is why technology exists. Faith is why we can talk to each other without even knowing seeing, hearing or any of our senses meant to detect if you are really a human. Maybe your an alien. Scientists believe in that and they don't have proof. They have faith that one day they will find evidence of life. Faith is the glue that holds us together. Might wanna see the movie the book of Eli. Faith doesn't have to be forever, it can be renewed and changed just like a theory. Use it's as needed to guide you through situations. It is impossible to know everything. Faith is merely a good guess.
@@gizznajet1 You are taking a wrong interpretation of it but it's okay I guess. I'm speaking about blind faith which drives extremism in the name of religion or ethnicity. Here the people are speaking about just faith which is keeping people from seeing the truth. Not just some harmless faith in an idea for a technology or a business or one's athletic capabilities. Those don't need a discussion here in the context of the video.
I spent 35 years as a journalist. When your reputation is at stake every day, you learn to question, qualify and leave open as unsolved a lot of things. I found it very satisfying to be able to ask questions of actual experts. Over (a long) time, I learned to speculate less and ask people in a position to know more.
Try that today. It's now an unethical and Amoral sphere, you question the narrative and you lose your job. Every major publication is on one side or another. They are playing propaganda games and lost the ability to do objective journalism and unbiased presentation in the early 2000s
It's not being skeptical, its being open to all answers, not just your predetermined ones that fit nicely into your personal philosophies, no matter what the subject....or who is presenting it.
On behalf of all the “why” kids who never stopped asking why....thank you. This clip makes me feel much more sane than most humans do. Every single one of these humans has been HUGE in helping me grow. Thank you. ❤️
This video makes me think I will never get out of depression it’s one of the worst feelings I’ve ever had
I asked why so much growing up. My wasn't wasn't happy about it
Few things are as dangerous as feeling you are right when you aren’t. Acting on blind faith seems glamorous until irreversible damage is done. It’s important to always think critically and rationally about your beliefs and assertions, and to change them if they aren’t based on facts. John Mayor on his song Belief said one of the most profound lines I have ever heard. “Belief is a beautiful armor, but it makes for the heaviest sword.” Beliefs shield us from being persuaded by the beliefs of others even when they make sense to our rational minds, and sometimes from reality itself. Logic is the governing dynamics and reality will not adjust itself to anything other than precise logic. Some people will believe anything anyone tells them just to avoid admitting that they don’t know for sure or doing their own research on the matter, which is dangerous. It opens you up to predatory people who will use your beliefs to extort and manipulate you. Everything has a cause and effect, and just because the real cause is hidden, doesn’t mean it is not there nor does it mean that you should attribute effects to illogical causes presented by people who have something to gain from your belief in those causes. Reasoning can become clouded by faith and vulnerability, and this is what cults, religious institutions, con artists, pyramid schemes and MLMs and so on pray on, and guise it as positivity. Meanwhile you remain delusional and they stick their hands in your pocket and exploit your labor without giving you much in return. When someone tells you you shouldn’t think, beware. When someone tells you logic is bad, beware. When someone tells you that somethings are beyond your comprehension and that blind faith is the way, thread carefully. When someone tells you you should value your heart than your mind, don’t. Think critically. Think for yourself. Rely only on reason and an objective view of reality. Do your own research on things and examine them without bias. Your initial stance on everything should be skepticism, and only through proof should you believe. Question and refine your beliefs. And never have opinions that are not based on your own experience or subjected by the scrutiny of your rational mind.
Sound advise, it's my hope that every tRUMp minion will soak in the value of this info. I am not a democrat yet I can't even conceive being a republican (ever).
@@keithstewart7514 now is that thinking critical or is that echo chambering ? Not trying to argue just asking a general question cuz I am no fan of trump either but Biden is just as bad imo he’s just not as loud
@@keithstewart7514 lol maybe you should reread this. Check out biased and politically thinking too.
@@NathanLee-kk2dc I value your opinion as an individual right. There is no such thing as a good politician. It's all in the plandemic play book. Distract with a crisis, made up while rich get richer.
It's funny how "skeptics" always say be skeptical of everything, but they miss out the part about being skeptical of your own skepticism.
One should never stop learning because life never stops teaching.
Professional skepticism is one of the foundations in my field of audit. How it relates to critical thinking is absolutely true.
The unfortunate thing is those who need to see this won't watch it. Those who already do this are watching it and pleased because it validates how they approach the world.
True kind of like an echo chamber mentioned.
Experience is the best eye opening method. After traveling internationally ...
And as a European, traveling to ameirca, opens your eyes, of what you don't want to be haha.
Smart people don't question everything. They just aren't intimidated by asking questions.
One of the most intelligent thing anyone ever said to me is"consider the source."
No one could say a more brilliant thing (in my opinion)!
It’s most definitely not just “questioning everything” but rather constructing a coherent working, predictive view of everything you know so that it forms higher patterns which fit together only in certain ways -and then setting about finding which higher pattern is best. And then using it to propel human knowledge into new realms.
Good luck being wrong almost always.
@@masonart4950 Edison was wrong 1000 times making a light bulb. You have to be persistent 😂👍🏻
@@spiralsun1 then knowing that he was undoubtedly a failure he deceived a man by the name of tesla and used him to figure out what he couldnt and once he had that he claimed it as his own and tried everything in his power to wipe tesla from history
@@spiralsun1 It's not just persistence in the case you're describing. He didn't just do the same thing over and over until something changed. Rather, he changed the variables until the result came out right. And he by the way, may well be responsible for the practically functional light bulb, but he did steal credit from many other engineers/inventors, Nikola Tesla to name a prominent example.
@@masonart4950 not really if you do it right. At some point in the organization of knowledge or any puzzle, enough of the picture is completed to make predictions. Just the organization of existing information patterns, like the theory of evolution or the periodic table of elements led to other discoveries because of what is suggested by the overall pattern.
Essentially, this is explaining a crucial aspect of the “Dunning Kruger effect”, confirmation biases and other things. Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman is an amazing book that deep dives into this topic. Although it may be a laborious read for some, its informative content about how our brains operate is unparalleled. I highly recommend.
Thanks i will buy this book
Thanks for the recommendation!
Glad to meet someone who read this book . Indeed a laborious reading yet presented in a friendly manner. I can recall system 1& 2.....page 67 I suppose.
Good example of that effect is people who consume anomal products explaining to people who don't that they should.
Many of the research findings that were used in the book were found to be unreplicable. Kahneman, the book's author, stated that he had been too trusting in poor studies. The irony in both the book, and your comment is unreal.
I question everything. Including whether or not I’m qualified to question something. Am I questioning due to me being inquisitional or is it just ego?
When I was about to go into first grade (traumatic time, of course) I asked my mom what I should do if I didn't understand what the teacher was talking about. She said, "Ask questions. Keep asking questions until you understand." If I asked her how to spell a word she would say, "Look it up in the dictionary." She showed me how to sound words out so I could look them up. To this day I still remember what those words mean. Sometimes, if I wasn't quite understanding something and I continued to ask questions the other kids or even the teacher would get mad at me. But I never stopped and now I can really see how this little idea has enriched me through my life. When I started my freshman year at Kent State University in '69/70 little did I realize that asking questions would cause the National Guard to kill four of my friends. Especially, question authority.
One day a few years ago I decided to approach the world with a broadly open mind. From then on I've just openly accepted information and went off to find the correct answer. I refuse to fully accept or spout information unless I have found the correct answer. It's nice. I just listen and listen to opposing and non opposing views and I go hunt the truth so I can counter anyone on anything I can.
Yesterday evening I sent the link to this video to a friend that is deep inside all the outlandish theories about the coronavirus. This morning I had an answer. She tells me to apply my own advise to myself because critical thinking is what she is doing and I'm not. Nowadays this message, as accurate, true and tested as it is needs to be delivered in a different way. The important, I think, is to explain that critical thinking is to question what we already know but based on new, objective, intelligent, tested facts. It is not just because one hears something new that one starts questioning everything else. It reminds me of something I heard a while ago. Human brain needs to go from A to NOT A first. It doesn't work to go from A to B directly. So, better to stay in the doubt, in the not knowing or not being sure.
They all had wise things to say but I think Darren Brown had the most relatable one out of all. We should sometimes be skeptic if skepticism because if everything had a finite answer and easily accessible then there is no charm left in existence. I am an atheist myself but I sometimes feel as though the people of religion have a more peace of mind when it comes to life’s struggles. By sometimes being a skeptic of skepticism, you may open yourself to making the color of existence less monochromatic.
Agnostic here. Many atheists don't really give theism its, imo, due wroth of consideration. If not out if despise, it's out of indifference to its significance (rather how revealing) to our psychology. When you listen to almost any atheistic speaker, you can almost hear it in his voice that theists when they convert to atheists, they almost evolve or become another species immediately. What they refuse to entertain is, theists and atheists are exactly and absolutely the same species, with the same psychological tendencies. Almost like the emotional and rational theist shedded their emotional nature and became purely rational with no emotions or psychology attached, which couldn't have been further from the truth! I didn't watch a lot of religion understanding, admittedly, but (hopd your horses there) the only one I came across (and not saying at all he's the best let alone only but he's good at it imo) is Jordan Peterson. Many tell you it's a myth, which is half of the story. The other half is, it resonates with our psyche for millinia, *and religion didn't make up whatever feelings within by itself!* Call it iur psychological record stored in form of stories. And please leave your rationality-centered worldview at the door; what I mean is not keep your rational mind out but the delusion, yes delusion, that you, rather we are PURELY rational creatures, out at the door. To anyone who is critical to (I don't mean doesn't believe, but who looks down to) religion, what do you think more likely happened than not, people made up a feeling, say the concept of god or hell or revelation itself, and kept telling themselves that lie iver and over, and people just took their words for it, or there was something underneath that resonated with our ancestors that made them come up (didn't really come up, rather expressed what was already there) with a notion that was the closest they could to expressing that feeling or inclination? It seriously pisses me off when those speakers speak like they have become the rational mind, which is the best indicator to me that this brain thing, this trait, intellectual arrogance is the same, that man is exactly the priest who ordered the death of those delusional heretics; he is the same shaman who declared the sacrifice is the only path to land fertility this year. I can see it clear as day. That arrogant mind who bloats about how rational he is to disbelieve in religion, is the same bigot who couldn't tolerate or entertain the idea that he might be wrong and the other is right; that maybe, just maybe, they are not all rational and logical and maybe there's an emotional ego making you feel great when you think you're right (and it's so hard to go against that feeling you're right and crush your ego when you find out you couldn't have been further from the truth). I %100 realize I'm parodying the office meme, but look at it! There are the same picture! In fact, I would claim absolutely, as much as damaging, hurtful, toxic ir call it whatever religion and the ideas it "comes up with" are, the only, and I mean THE ONLY dangerous concept is this; that you have transcended your ego and emotions and couldn't have been wrong. That's what we mean with (god is on our side). Just think of the most evil thing religion comes up with (other than this obviously) as serious as (group X deserve to die by the command of god), and consider what would happen if he went for a moment when questioned and went like (okay, but am I right tho? Could I have been wrong, or mistaken, or misunderstanding? Could I have been wrong?) Some people just have the arrogance, identically to how our ancestors behaved, like I'm not even, like father like son, to not entertain having the same psychological tendencies. I would even venture as far as to claim not only we are equally likely, but much, much more likely to behave arrogantly due to how much more we "know" compared to how much they did, so how are we not going to get much, MUCH more arrogantly than they were?!
exactly what my homie was saying abt me last night, but if ur very smart and have sought knowledge and prayed for wisdom more than solomon, then u feel like you cant live this diviness for so long
The art of being wise is knowing what to overlook
Yes, questions are important, Especially when it comes to early education. When A young mind is eager to be curious. Not to dull it, to hamper it's potential in finding different answers.
Critical thinking is something that should be taught right from the word go. Questioning everything needs to be taught when a child is old enough to understand the reasons and importance of doing this. Make sure teachers are connecting with all their students. Students are better learners when they connect positively to their tutor. Expect that not everyone learning skills are on the same level or at the same speed. Unfortunately many schools employ the 'one size fits all' curriculum and be come disappointed when students 'fall through the cracks'.
*"Or you just dismiss the evidence and dismiss the authorities."* 0:11 < Critical thinkers do not conflate the two. Evidence cannot be dismissed, but "authorities" are often wrong; even the greats, like Einstein! it is healthy aspect of critical thinking to question so-called authorities, and to dismiss them if their answers fail to pass muster.
evidence can be doubt, from the moment that any of it that lead to a "fact" could be casualty mistaken by causality, even with the big amount of different angles needed to stablish something as a "fact", and the *only we we could know that for certain is by already knowning literally *everything beforehand with a 100% certainty
Well the problem is, you're approaching it rationally. That quote is highlighting things like motivated reasoning and willful ignorance, was what I thought at least.
@@chilly111 What I think is that Bill Nye wants you to accept whatever you're told by so-called "authorities" like himself. He says *"You have a world view. You're presented with evidence that conflicts with that world view. So you either have to change your world view... or you just dismiss the evidence and dismiss the authorities."*
Evidence can be manipulated and authorities could be just a bunch of incompetents. But, at the end, what way you shall follow then? Authorities has the duty to maintain a society united because that's something, since ancient times, has proven to be good for the progress of a kingdom or a country. But if the government is divisive, the media divide people, then, the authority is just in a "voting quest" and may be not reliable at all.
@ Like you say, governments often mislead the people, and many "authorities" are in the employ of those with duplicitous intentions. Bill Nye posits that we should simply believe what the "authorities" tell us. That is not the mark of a critical thinker and therefore poor advice to post in a video about the virtues of critical thinking.
Question everyone's assumptions, especially you're own. First principles thinking doesn't include posthoc rationalization.
@Big Think what the actual fuck. your account spamming commenters?
you sound so smart. did you intentionally fuck up "you're" instead of "your"? were you being... ironic... or some other hipster form of bullshit? curious minds need to know.
@@anomimeso7009 could be dyslexia, could be spell check or maybe I'm just fishing for pedants
@o0 0o clearly you aren't given you're making conclusions with no engagement or data 😅 . Spelling pass muster for you Eco 🤔
@@CHGLongStone or maybe just maybe yet another random internet stranger trying to sound smart to appease his pathetic ego. guess we'll never know. :)
"You loose nothing when you loose faith, you gain reality"...excellent!
Time,personal experience and willingness to learn are key factors in learning to think critically!
"being a little skeptical about skepticism itself" vs "doubt everything except doubting"
Doubt it.
" I like to keep an open mind, but not so open that my brains fall out " Well said hahah
When trying to present new information to people who are going to be resistant to it for fear of feeling/seeming "stupid" for not understanding/already knowing, I often frame it as something I didn't know and was either very surprised or angry to learn. Even if that wasn't the case, it can provide an "out" for that person to accept that new information without feeling those aforementioned feelings at least as much. I have actually had amazing success even when dealing with the most resistant Trump supporters etc. I also tend to preface by finding a common ground or at least something they know well, that I can hold my own with in conversation. That makes a connection and therfore allows them to see my proposed shock/anger at finding out an "excuse" they can ue to accept new information and bypass a bit of the pain that comes from having one's world view changed by it. Not 100% but it's better than the approach many take where they shame those whom they wish were informed into a corner where they will double or even triple down on that view as they see the messenger as hostile therefore unreliable and in their eyes, "proof" of their perspective. It seems to me that most people who may even be right, seek to affirm more than they seek to inform. Is the point to "be right" or to improve things by allowing more to be correct as well?!
Good point! Yes, most of us fail in debating because of what you exactly mentioned: our hidden agenda is to prove we are right or to change someone's view. It's hard to debate without trying to change the other's point of view. But it is not impossible. And ecatly as you said, debating should be about finding different perspectives, sharing different knowledge and common grounds.
I'm guilty of doing this too, but I try not to. It's the same deceptive behavior some of the far-gone survivalist mode Americans are so paranoid about.
Good re think.What we consider as beliefs, opinions and even as facts should be open to fresh re consideration if there are good new information about it.
Science tells us thinking is hard. A) It consumes a lot of energy and ties us quickly B) It's most often discomforting, as we have to challenge previously stronly held beliefs.
if we don't falsify it how we can know the truth ......
The only learning comes when you challenge your learned thoughts and believes through a different perspective.
Yes as long as its in the correct order being self critical creates the foundations needed to be a critical thinker in general.. because it creates the correct attitude, by being self critical you understand how easy it is to make mistakes or to have errors in judgement, thus your in a better position to utilize being a critical thinker because your self annalise keeps you grounded..
When you come across someone claiming to be a skeptic when they question science remember, they never questioned anything until science came to a conclusion. They had all the answers, "goddidit", it's not until "goddidit" is proven to NOT be the answer is when they become a skeptic. That's not skepticism, that's denial.
I completely agree with what I see in this video. What frustrates me and opens doors for people to dismiss science is the fact many scientists go along with pressures from sources with economic interests. Take the example of food that causes harm for example. We end up having the truth recognized decades later and having to suffer with the consequences of that, while the brave scientists who tried to live up to their integrity have their lives destroyed.
High carb diets
Thanks! I see the same, where is money there is no true. And money is everywhere...
"Love the man who seeks the truth, hate the man who claims to have it" Voltaire, satirist.
Wonderful video! Top 5 critical thinking skills such as Remark, Analysis, Finding, Communication, and Problem Solving. 😊
it's incredible how they delve into the essence of skepticism and its role in fostering critical thinking. This isn't about doubting for the sake of it but about seeking truth and clarity in a world filled with misinformation. Their insights are not just enlightening; they're empowering. It drives home the point that to be smarter and more informed, we need to question and analyze rather than accept information at face value. Highly recommend this video to anyone looking to sharpen their thinking skills in today's complex world!
Think Mr. Brown's point at the end was an important one to make on the topic, and very eloquently put. Great vid!
Think more in the perspective of those opposed to your beliefs than you do your own. The reason for this is simple: You already know what you "know". If somebody disagrees with you, then they know something else. Maybe both of you are right. Maybe neither of you are. Or perhaps one of you is. Regardless, you can learn from exploring what you don't know, but you won't learn much of anything if you just sit there defending your beliefs and what you think you know. This doesn't mean you have to agree with everybody, but the more you try to think and see things the way other people do, the easier it becomes to expand your own ideas and explore others. It also makes you a much more empathetic person, and it becomes easier to take the desirable characteristics you see in other people and apply that to your own behavior, while also avoiding the undesirable traits you notice. The more people you do this with the better you become at critical thinking. Just keep an open mind and don't be afraid to hurt your ego a little.
they dont neccessarily know something else. maybe maybe not. we can pre-weigh various sides/perspectives of a viewpoint and just see the possibilities without always 100% agreeing or disgreeing
This video perfectly explains our channel's entire purpose. Also, where did Shermer get the SKEPTIC lapel pin?
Even as a collective there is relatively very little that we actually KNOW. Which ensures that life is hugely entertaining...or at least can be.
The narcissists definition: "I am smart, because I only need to question everyone else."
"I don't need to construct and explain a positive thesis."
Spot on! Gaslighting: question others' reality and make them doubt about themselves and strip them off of their reality, hapiness and sense of self.
let me guess, you are a BELIEVER.
@CanUDraw A narcissist will question others not themselves . It is healthy to question oneself to some extent.
The narcissist lives in delusion. They are masters of gaslighting and propaganda.
In my mind falsifiablity is linked with clarity of concept. On the other hand, obscurantism is frequently unfalsifiable.
This is one of the greatest educational videos on the internet. THANK YOU !
Brilliant video that start scratching the surface of one of the most important topics for the sustainability of our civilization. The speed of change in knowledge doesn’t equal the speed of change in our beliefs and how they underpin the social contract. We cannot agree on anything unless we have a common basic understanding of the world.
I ask the "why" to others and I ask the "why" to myself. Critical and self contradicting. I feel like in a cage, my own brain deceiving me from knowing the truth. Such a pain 🤦🏻 Human's doesn't want to leave the comfort of their bubble.
I ask "How"
that's the problem, skepticism is not about "i need the truth" is "i'll try to get as close as i can to what may possibly be the truth, but always acknoledging that "Truth" is, has and always will be out of our reach because we are limited for both our perception and comprehension human capabilities
Remember though, *Questioning* is different from *Judging.*
well said
People who don't think critically are stupid and I will judge them for it.
@@keilafleischbein59 with people I just think logically, maybe they never needed to think critically because they're privileged in that way where they can go about life being stupid 🤷
@@pennydls5073 To not use ones mind when specially privileged is a greater stupidity.
@@keilafleischbein59 no doubt but I'm not a nihilist
Loved seen Derren Brown pop up unexpectedly in this. He is an absolutely fascinating person and I have a lot of respect for his wisdom! Great video overall too, thanks BT!
They talk about cognitive dissonance and critical thinking which leads to conclusion that consuming animal products is unhealthy according to research.
Darren Brown's comment, to be skeptical of skepticism itself ... brilliant and most lacking in the general skeptic community. It's easy to dismiss everything that sounds silly - it's hard to be skeptical of your own skepticism. This is something that has taken me years to learn about myself. Skepticism is just as ego-driven as religion is.
If we want to learn from each other as a way of expanding our viewpoint and to consider possibilities, one thing I ask is "What you accept as evidence of this being true... or false?" If we don't understand how we can determine something meets some basic elements of truth, then we don't even have a starting point for discussion.
"we are in space no one knows what's going on I love you"
I couldn't take my eyes of the guy with the hat! And the smile he puts on his face whenever he concluded his idea. Brilliant
Darren. Has always been great at changing mindsets and countering misinformation. Top man
What sad world we live in: communicators cannot tell skepticism apart from criticism. You can be a critic without being skeptical.
One must be careful that one's skepticism, and "questioning of everything," doesn't become rejectionism of facts and truth. That is, one must critically evaluate one's own thinking in relation to one's critical evaluation of "reality".
If one questions everything but questions the facts, that's one thing. Everyone has their own truths.
Well, I'm skeptic person, but I'm not a closed-minded person. I know how reality works, and I don't deny math (for exemple 2+2=4 or what else). But for the new things, like the alternative view about science and history I've to question them. I don't that these are true or false, I just say I don't know if are true or not, I need to do many reserches, like Einstein with his general relativity theory, or Galileo about the movment of the earth, Stephen Hawking with the radiations inside a black hole etc. After finishing my reserches, I can say if these new things are true or not
@@robertomondello2447 The question is whether you are qualified in terms of reason. Fox "news" will assert that gravity is only a "theory" -- thus casting doubt on "theory" in general -- because gravity can't be seen. More simply and directly: they will claim a fact is an "opinion," then elevate a falsehood to "opinion," then leave it to the viewer to choose which is "true". Stupid people will mistake that deceit as respect for their "intelligence" and thus adopt that which is an attack on fact, reason, and truth. Why not just accept the nonsense that the earth is flat; else you must prove to your satisfaction" the physics of "flat" and "round". Are you qualified in physics? Or how about the visible evidence? What you're saying is that you don't accept basic facts because you're "objective". No: your mind is so "open" that you your brains have fallen out.
@@jnagarya519 I understand what you mean, but I'm not one of people that you described. I'm not a flath earther, I don't deny gravity etc. I swear
@@robertomondello2447 The questions remains: why do you believe you're qualified to judge science without actually understanding the scientific method?
The problem with the title of this video - and to a lesser degree, some of its content - is that it suggests that skepticism and critical thinking are the same thing. They are not.
People often told/tell me to not be so negative/skeptic. I tell them I'm not a pessimist, but a realist.
As Noam Chomsky said (paraphrasing) the label of "conspiracy theory" gives the effect of discouraging further dialogue or investigation into what may have an element, or more, of truth. We need to keep an open mind, use thoughtful process to eliminate or continue to investigate ideas which are (as one of the speakers said) narrowed to be "likely true" than not.
Ask the following questions Who What Where How Why When .…... also using the "Scientific Method" can help in cultivating a more methodical, thorough approach to your thinking
Skepticism got me to Nihilism, and now I'm patiently waiting for 200 years into the future.
I think if we question everything we think and believe, we will never be confident and it can make as indecitive. We should be confident about our beliefs if we have solid premises behind it and we should not get offended if someone challenge our beliefs and should accept or change our thoughts or beliefs if someone present us more stronger premises than us.
True
"You don't lose anything by losing faith." YES.
but you could lose somethings if you lose religion, psychologically speaking
@@ianroman5333 Agree, only in the sense that, becoming knowledgeable about religious stories is never wasted time. Wonder is NEVER absent from an atheist mind, however, even if you do not know those stories.
If it is blind manipulative faith, you lose something that is not helpful. If it is faith that allows dedication and commitment to continue flowing wherever you may be in the scale of knowledge, then you would loose a lot and become frozen. But then, that is also a common human experience at some point in our lives that hopefully will give rise to a new level and depth of knowledge.
Faith in what?
But who wants to live a life without having faith in anything? Imagine going to bed, not subconsciously being convinced that you'll wake up the next morning
"I think, therefore I am." -- Rene Descartes
Once I started to study people especially their opinions, beliefs and characters including my teachers, I realised that I had to lot to unlearn!
I doubt everything-including the veracity of doubting everything-just as I am skeptical about skepticism.
Since my childhood days, Even though some kinda things were as easy as pie, But I've been thinking in a critical way. I thought I got such a horrible thing in my life, but After watching this video I feel, Critical thinking is a such a blessing. Bad things turn out as Precious value
same, since i was 13. nowadays my critical thinking has given me alcoholism, depression and anxiety. the latter 2 are making me more assured in my predictions of whats going to happen with the world, and mate, it aint great.
@@michaellynch8709that's a lot of agency to attribute to critical thinking. I'm sorry for your pain, and hope you can work through it - but what you wrote is akin to saying "that woodworker's at fault for building the table I banged my toe on".
is self-guided, self-disciplined which attempts to reason at the highest level of quality in a fair-minded way. People who think consistently attempt to live rationally, reasonably, empathically.
I even sceptic about science itself, because it changes with our experiences. For yesterday today is modern, and for tomorrow our today is outdated.
I use the acronym B.A.S.I.C. (B) Bias: What is that they want to believe? (A) Affect: Is it an emotional claim or is it an emotionally charged statement? (S) Source: Are they experts and do they have credibility? (I) Intent: What's the intent of the claim? Do they have some sort of second agenda or personal interest? (C) Concurrence: Are there independent sources or are they connected?