Lazy Thinking
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By :
Xander Hamilton-Reeves
Submitted
2012-05-13 00:36:12 |
Don't you find people who are brash and rude annoying? They speak before they think and they don't care who they offend right?
Have you just made a snap judgement?
Unfortunately, it seems society applies this equally to people who are inconsiderate and aggressive and also those people who see flaws in society and want to help change.
Is your perception of rude, simply someone you don't agree with? It gets very subjective and the waters become murky fast.
If you are arrogant, you probably think anyone who dares disagree with you is arrogant too!
Lazy thinking is the kind of thought process that leads to generalizations, often dangerous ones and is frequently found in people who are not educated well, or are brought up in families that hold significant prejudices.
Assumptions - The Beginning Of Lazy Thinking
I remember in school learning to spell the word "assume", being told that only an ass assumes. Between the naughty school child giggles, it had a reasonating meaning - That making assumptions lead to corrupted thinking.
Of course it's a generalization in itself to assume that the act of an assumption is detrimental.
We all assume when we walk along the street that gravity will prevent us from flying off the face of the planet. We all assume that when we are hungry that eating should satiate such cravings.
This is where is gets difficult.
Which assumptions are valid and which are lazy.
Logic Versus Laziness - Common Sense Versus Arbitrary Assumptions
When you understand something to be factual, you trust in such knowledge and tread accordingly. When you surmise on the basis of conjecture and without the same evidence you require to make a logical basis, then you open the door.
We know that certain things work a certain way, because we use them, perform them and observe them frequently. We take these observations as fact on the basis that it is so and reasonable.
Sometimes we let the defenses down and draw conclusions based solely on few examples and little more. It becomes easier to distinguish between the two once you become aware.
Making a snap judgement on things we don't really understand can have its perils and sometimes we don't have the good fortune of time to take in all the variables, but one thing is for sure and that is; if we are conscious of lazy thinking we can try harder to avoid it.
How Lazy Thinking Affects Freedom - Clouded Judgement Versus Piercing Honesty
Racism takes its toll on society unlike any other prejudices. The damage done on making judgements based on skin color are so numerous in past that at this point a lesson in history is hardly needed.
Racism is classic lazy thinking.
The prejudiced views of parents are passed down to children who lack the tools to see through the flawed generalizations and it become dangerous and toxic, often with violent results.
Hating someone you don't know, because of a skin color is irrational uncommon sense at its best/worst.
If only Dr Seuss's The Sneetches could be given to every person on the planet. Oh well!
Often as we become adults, the irrational intolerances that are handed down are not longer an excuse. We have the ability to pierce through the clouded judgement we inherit and see the world around us with a more critical perception.
Sexism is another classic form of lazy, prejudiced thinking. So many men and women are on the end of mutual, sexist assumptions that it's hard to know where to begin.
Men are often judged to be lacking in parenting ability and nurturing, whilst women are frequently adjudged as illogical and over emotional.
Whilst hormones and biological differences could possibly in part affect either party in both ways, we wouldn't seriously believe that men can not parent and women can not do mathematics.
Honesty and rational thinking fight the ease of lazy thinking. After all it's easy to just say "if one of them is like that, then they all are".
Using a critical, logic perpetuated mode of thinking is the key. Critical thinking is the antithesis of lazy thinking.
Facts - Who Cares?
Human feelings let us experience life in an extraordinary way. These feeling can enlighten us and give us joy or they sadden us and take away our happiness.
Unfortunately often we stop the logic button and run on the emotional express.
Frequently as mere mortals we may shift an argument or a train of thought away from the logical repercussions towards the dreaded "if I feel bad it must be your fault".
As the intensity of our feelings and emotions rise, the sight of logic tends to escape further on the horizon.
Sexism, racism and prejudice are often influenced by emotional responses. Sometimes it takes self control to fight the irrational path emotions can take us down.
This isn't an attack on emotions, they are a gift and burden that few fellow sentient people would give up. It's just that they may have a down side at times and require effort and hard work to control for the benefit of ourselves and the freedom of others, after all others have the right to a peaceful existence.
To some degree, emotions can be controlled, not that I am advocating robotic human existence, but instead that we merely be aware that we may need to control our emotional responses as a means to ensure we respect the freedoms of others.
Lazy Thinking - Responsibility, What Responsibility?
An honest person knows when they have made a mistake. A deluded person blames everyone but themselves and a dishonest person knows what is their own fault but blames some body else anyway.
A person with integrity takes responsibility for their mistakes and blames no one else for their choices.
In many ways it is hard to take responsibility for one's mistake, as it leads to many negative consequences. In order to avoid consequences, we learn as children that it is far easier to lie or warp the truth and avoid the conflict rather than suffer our imminent fate.
The resultant effect is as adults it takes a great deal of integrity to 'fess up with any degree of regularity.
Laziness dictates that to not do something is easier.
To not take responsibility is lazy.
To not put effort into thought is lazy.
To not use logic is lazy.
To let emotions over ride common sense is lazy.
In Conclusion
The problems arise when the laziness of one person's thought process affects the freedom of another, which should never happen in a free world of individual rights and responsibility, but you and I know it does and we can see it every day manifesting in a number of ways.
Applying critical thinking in practice will assist you to cut through the dishonest fog and stop you slipping into the habit of making terrible assumptions yourself.
Lazy Thinking By Xander Hamilton-Reeves
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