{"ops":[{"insert":"The primary organizing ideas in Episode 16 of this podcast are the examination of how we too often use egocentric and sociocentric standards instead of intellectual standards in our thinking. In other words, we tend to prioritize the needs and wants of ourselves (egocentricism) or of our groups (sociocentricism) above the needs and wants of others and these selfish standards can interrupt our process of critical thinking. For example, we may use a standards such as “it’s true because I believe it,” rather than assessing the accuracy, relevance, or fairness of our thinking. \n \nI learned the following insights from watching the video:\n \n-       These internal and unconscious processes of egocentrism and sociocentrism can prevent us from achieving our capacity as critical thinkers. Specifically, I found two points made extremely relevant: that we can be locked within our group logic and that if we crave validation, then we may not achieve our capacity as individuals. Personally, I have seen these two factors within my own life. Within my family, my work, and my religion, I’ve found myself, too often, pulled into ways of thinking that are taught and reinforced simply because “it’s true because we’ve always believed it.” I also find that when I’m pulled into those ways of thinking, then I often feel rather desperate for validation from others. I’m deliberately using the passive voice in my description because – until I began studying critical thinking – I didn’t realize the sway that group thinking had upon affirming my own egocentrism. My own egocentrism was reinforced and strengthened within my groups. I must admit that when I began studying critical thinking, I assumed that identification of the problems in my habits of mind was the major step to eradicating the problems. I’ve come to realize over the years, however, that these unconscious processes are deeply embedded within me. It’s not a matter of identification and elimination, but rather a process of working through the multiple ways that my mind deviates from fairness and accuracy. I must take the long view of my own development. Also, this is why the intellectual standards are so valuable because they give clear tools I can use to excavate my own egocentric and sociocentric patterns of thought and I can use to improve my thinking slowly over time.\n \n-       We have an innate fear of intellectual conflict and we desire to avoid it. If we want to avoid intellectual conflict because it disturbs us, then that’s an indication that our ego has entered into our thinking. In many ways, this relates to my first insight about group logic and self-validation because I’ve found intellectual conflict particularly difficult if it’s tied to group assumptions about particular behaviours (as though a behaviour demonstrates the validity of a belief). That said, the more I’ve developed my intellectual autonomy and confidence in reason through critical thinking, the less fearful I am of encountering intellectual conflict. Because my whole identity is no longer tied to each specific thought or belief, I don’t fear being around people who think differently because I know I’m able to rethink and to reframe my thoughts as needed. The more I’ve focused on clarifying and evaluating my own thoughts and beliefs, the less nervous I am about my ability to reason through intellectual conflict. \n \n-       A third insight I gained was the discussion between Nosich and Elder on the importance of being realistic about our own capacities and the problem of telling people to “follow their dreams.” As an educator, I find this a difficult, but important balance point when working with students: to encourage them to hope and to have goals, but also to be realistic. I find this in my own life too. I’m often idealistic about what should be possible and then can belittle myself for not “achieving” those goals. Slowly, I’m learning to not compare myself with the arbitrary goals and standards that academia or society has and, instead, to use critical thinking tools to assess my thinking, to be (more) patient with my own intellectual growth, and to be realistic with timelines. \n \nAfter watching the podcast, my questions are: \n-       After the discussion on capacity and being realistic, I’m curious: how does a person better identify their capacity and then best develop their will to achieve that capacity?\n-       How can I practice identifying my neediness sooner and become better at stopping it?\n-       How can I stop “mustivating” about others in my life and, instead, focus on my own thoughts and actions? \n"}]}