14. Being critical is a good thing
Many people like to be ‘critical’ or ‘skeptical’.
That’s a good thing. Or would be…
◊◊◊
…if it would really mean what it says. Being ‘critical / skeptical’ (let’s suppose it designates the same thing) means that a person has the energy and desire, one can rightly say ‘the guts’ to look at something from different points of view, to remain as rational as possible while doing so, and to accept the conclusion that comes out as most evident at least until a more rational way to a more rational conclusion comes up. Being critical is about always being open to change, not only ‘some change’ but a breathtaking change when appropriate.
◊◊◊
What people call ‘being critical’, sadly enough, is almost the opposite in many cases. Then it’s about a priori not wanting to accept another viewpoint but one’s own. It’s about defending (lots of defense) one’s own ‘known pathways’ by beforehand shutting out the consideration of other possibilities.
◊◊◊
That’s not being critical. That’s being scared, weak, withdrawing from reality. It’s precisely about not wanting to think, not wanting to be rational, not wanting to be critical, under the disguise of being it. It’s a good disguise. One can easily fool oneself with this disguise for a lifetime.
◊◊◊
“I’m critical. I’m not gullible. I don’t let myself be easily convinced by another viewpoint.” Good!
◊◊◊
Saying the same thing, but meaning: “I just do not let myself be convinced by another viewpoint if it doesn’t suit me.” … Not so good!
◊◊◊
I see this quite often.
◊◊◊
So next time you say that you are ‘critical’, please make sure you really are not saying the opposite. This world is a world of change. Especially through a hyperbolic curve in technical possibilities, we have no idea of the magnitude of change that lies waiting for us in the future. More than ever before, there’s a tremendous need for people who know the one and only true art of being really critical.
◊◊◊
Related Posts
21. The ethics of getting better
It’s already present in the terms: ethics is about ‘being good’, ‘getting better’. Medicine, the beloved art and science of ‘making better’, has always been involved in morality though in the last few centuries of Western cultural development, in a very hidden way. In times not so long gone, illness was explicitly seen as ‘curse Read the full article…
53. To ‘carry on’ is what makes us human
“The task is almost impossible and we surely face a certain death… So what are we waiting for?” It’s a phrase that has a curious ring for me. It’s morbid for sure, but it’s heroic at the same time. It’s the stuff that leads to legendary performance. It’s what makes the true artist leap beyond Read the full article…
76. The curve of a woman
This Sticky is dedicated to all attractive women. Of course, the sticky-ness in this is meant platonically, but that may be profound… ◊◊◊ Sex-appeal (the subject of this text) is a mind game. Look at ‘suggestive clothing’. The sex-appeal lies in what is suggested rather than in what is shown. Now you may or may Read the full article…