Critical Thinking, "A Lost Art" and Why It is So Important Today

The "Thinker"

https://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/a-brief-history-of-the-idea-of-critical-thinking/408

What do Plato, Socrates and Aristotle have in common and what is critical thinking?   It is a way to think through problems without succumbing to pressure, without overreacting; the ability to think through something rationally, without letting emotions or personal opinions cloud your judgement.

Why do we not hear anything about critical thinking today and why is it so important?    Critical thinking is something that has lost it luster because, politically, its far reaching and positive effects on the individual would not be tolerated by certain groups as it would provide a new level of independence and nourishment for the soul and mind; a growing, sustainable platform for those who wish to start thinking on their own, instead of being misdirected by opportunists and others wishing only to subjugate them to one way of thinking and miring them down in group think.    

Without the individual and his or her ability to think critically and rationally, violence and war will always be the end game to any positive solution; anarchists, bullies, politicians and other malcontents who use deception, lies, violence and intimidation as a means of drowning out the opposition who  stand in their way of furthering their nefarious goals will almost instantly, be recognized for the abhorrent characters they are, systematically outed and pigeonholed.

Is critical thinking something we learn on our own or is it taught?   Critical thinking is something we all are capable of learning but without the help, guidance and expertise of others, is, at first, difficult to grasp.      

Do public schools, colleges and universities believe critical thinking is an important tool and something students need to become aware of, familiar with and know?  Is critical thinking being taught to students today?  

https://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/the-state-of-critical-thinking-today/523

Some examples of those who use critical thinking today:   
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas; Thomas Sowell, journalist; John Stossel, Libertarian; Walter Williams, Economist; Charles Krauthamer, Journalist.

Why is critical thinking so important today?

Critical thinking is something that is rare in government today.  It helps us calmly and purposefully sort through a minutiae of facts and assorted information in order to arrive at reasonable and healthy decisions.   Critical thinking is essential for learning how to take a test successfully, speech writing, and making life decisions.  Critical thinking is not part of fake news or group think, but, rather, the very absence and opposite of it.

Fake news uses no critical thinking, no logic, requires no in depth investigation, assimilation and taking the time necessary to sort through relevant data, separating fact from fiction, but rather relies on emotions, fear mongering, gossip, innuendoes and lies. 

https://www.criticalthinking.com/articles/teaching-critical-thinking-skills

Drake - God's Plan

Life is Not A Game of Chance

Game of Chance:  A game, such as a dice game, in which chance rather than skill determines the outcome.

Sadly, today, many young people are not being prepared but only growing up not knowing anything about life, just playing a game of chance, not skill as they aren't being taught the rules needed in order for them to grow up confident and free from fear and harm.

I'm talking authority so, okay, what exactly is it?    Authority is something to be aware of and know about, because at some point in your life you're going to brush up against it or directly come face to face with it.

We're rebellious and the more so, when we're young, pushing the limits and especially observing reactions from others when we do something wrong.    We're teeming with life, we're explorers and the ones with all the answers.  We're unbounded and without direction unless and until, someone provides it.

You might say we're all just jumping around, highly enthusiastic and inquisitive about life.  But then all of a sudden, something changes.  We pushed the wrong button, we crossed a line, we did something wrong and now a side of life we weren't aware of is about to descend on us.  "But, nobody prepared me for this," you whine. 

Authority:  The power to determine, adjudicate or settle issues or disputes; jurisdiction; the right to control, command or determine.  (www.dictionary.com) 

Examples of authority:  The military, parents, teachers, judiciary, clergy, law enforcement, emergency personnel, morticians, politicians.


Your parents have the authority to punish you if you do something wrong; police officers have the authority to pull you over if you're speeding; pastors, priests and rabbis have the authority to pronounce you man and wife; emergency personnel have the authority to keep you out of unsafe areas while they go in and rescue people; the military has the authority to push you to your limits; politicians have the authority to pass laws and morticians have the authority to pronounce you dead.

What is happening today is a push back against authority for a variety of reasons.  In some cases this push back might be merited and warranted but in the majority of cases it winds up being a bogus claim or political in nature.

The point I'm trying to make is that today, authority, as a whole, is under attack as an integral, legitimate and necessary means of keeping us all safe, as they keep the peace and protect us from danger.

These incessant and overt attacks we're witnessing on authority today will prove to be, over the long run, very harmful to society as a whole.  Authority is a vital and necessary part of our lives.  

If you know right from wrong but decide you're gonna keep pushing the limits anyway and do the wrong thing, you might get away with it for awhile but eventually you're gonna face the consequences (as well you should) and an authority figure (judge, police officer, etc.) is going to show up and become a painful and very intimate partner in your life experience.

Authority is not here to harm us but to set limitations on what we can and cannot do.  It's for our own well being.  It's not about restricting our freedoms but is all about protecting us as authority figures know the pitfalls that await us if we get too carried away.

Learn to know your boundaries and the authority figures that are out there as this is one way and a vital part of emerging from life, unscathed.

Learn to honor and respect those in authority who only have your best interests at heart.  One day you may be thanking them. 

Remember, LIFE IS NOT A GAME OF CHANCE. 

A Call to Duty

I've been down since April with coughing, hacking.  I'm really happy to feel better.  So how's it going with you?   What positive things have happened in your life?  Have you taken charge of your life and moved forward?  It's safe to say things are in massive upheaval down here (duh!).   If you haven't put on your big girl panties by now or, for you guys, figured out you've got to shoulder more than you've been, you better get a move on.   The world needs you!  All the craziness happening is prompting deep soul searching leading to profound and positive changes for all of us.  It's a necessary part of the process.  It's going to take a while before things settle down and the new changes are implemented.    In the meantime, all of us are being forced to take a step back and examine our lives, how we conduct business, what we've been taught to believe, the systems that govern us, how we treat others, what we put into our bodies and learning to make amends, to name a few.  A Call to Duty has been put out awakening an indwelling spirit in each one of us, challenging us and facilitating a change in how we look at things.  It's kinda like a switch has turned on.  So where is all of this leading to?  --A better and more healthy planet and a better and more healthy individual.  A final coming together of humanity, instead of the incessant drumbeat of those who only want to divide and conquer.  But first the falling apart comes in order for all the pieces to be sorted, lifted up, examined and put back together.  This time, perfectly.  So, keep moving forward in your life.  You are here to make meaningful change.  It's easy to get emotional and get swept up in the moment, sucked into a narrative or a cause that is not going to help anyone but only fuel the ego of those who want to continue being the problem, not the solution so beware.  

What we're seeing happening today are the old patterns falling away, making way for a new one.   And for the betterment of all, not just the few.      

The Pleiadians Putting on a Show Over Japan

April 12, 2018 "Holocaust Remembrance Day"

This day we remember the more than six million Jews who perished at the hands of Nazi Germany during WWII.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yom_HaShoah

"Dreamers Message" by (Stan Arthur Post)

4/11/18: A Spiritual Uplifting is Taking Place Across This Planet

http://1111angels.net/

Something Wonderful This Way Comes!

It is 8:05.  There is an enormous influx, an upswelling of energy hitting this planet right now.  I'm feeling it in my hearth chakra and it's slowly steadying me, calming down my breathing.  The birds are twittering, the sun is up and radiating over everything.  There is something happening on this planet right now that is monumental but I have no idea what it is only that it is Good!

Today, go out into the world with hope and with love and with compassion for those who journey with you.   

The meaning of the number 805:   http://universalspirituallaws.blogspot.com.au/2010/09/spiritual-law-of-karma.html

Amen,
So Mote it Be,
And So it Was,
     ~Blessings,
            Nightshade 

Plan Ahead

Challenges, we are all faced with them, sooner or later.    We even fear them because they are part of the Great Unknown.  Who wants to confront the unknown when you don't even know what the unknown is?  I think we can all relate to this.  But, let me be the first one to tell you that you will get nowhere in life until you:  1.  accept the fact challenges will come your way;   2.  Meet them head on, knowing they are necessary and an integral part of your growth.   3.  Learning from them.  

Or you can continue to slide through life watching movies, playing video games, sleeping late and letting everyone else do things for us.  But, at some point in your life you're going to come face to face with a challenge with the end result being you're going to stand up to it or fall down.         

The more we gather the courage to become involved in life and know what life expects of us, the less we will fear life.  Life, if handled properly, has much to teach us.    
Who is encouraging you and helping you with your plans right now?  Anyone?  Or are you just existing, not knowing which way to turn, what decision to make?  This is a dilemma facing many young people today because of a variety of reasons.  

Most of us don't have a clue as to where to even start when we sit down and consider where we want to go in life, what we want to be.  Nobody miraculously comes running up to us offering their help so where do we turn, who do we talk to?  How do we know that this is right this is wrong?

Do you have a trusted friend you can discuss things with?  How about your parents, school teachers, clergy, etc.?    The internet has a lot of motivational videos about those who started out clueless but wound up taking certain steps which led to their success and they're passing it along, for free.

Take advantage of it.

     ~ Blessings,
             Nightshade      

Bears Do It

Den Up

Why do I feel like I'm going into hibernation?    Normally this happens to critters in the Fall (getting ready for Winter) not in the Spring.  Yet, when the sun starts to fade and the lights dim and I'm done with my chores, all I want to do is den up.  Settle down on my sofa, sit in front of a warm fire with my soft and cozy blankie stretched over my head and tucked around me and a glass of wine, hot chocolate or a steaming cup of Earl Grey Tea.   

I'm not feeling threatened in any way but extremely warm, comforted.  There has to be a reason I'm feeling this way (I've never felt this way before) but I can't think of anything at the moment that would make sense.  I'm wondering if I'm picking up on something coming.  Maybe there are subtle changes in our weather that I'm experiencing making me feel this way.

Maybe an ice age on the way?  --Who knows.... 

The body can sense things the mind cannot in an effort to get ready for something it can't see.  Just like birds gorging themselves on seeds before bitterly cold weather or the pregnant, soon-to-be mother cat desperately seeking shelter (because she knows her time is near) or you somehow knowing the phone is going to ring before it rings.

I think the best way to describe what I'm feeling is the word preparation but preparation for what?   

Pay attention to your body, your thoughts and how you're feeling.  They are always signs worth noting even if you have no idea what they mean at the time.
                 ~ Nightshade

In Quiet Places with the Wind Harp

A lovely tree spirit    

Tresses the color of spun sugar

Lips like ripe apples

Eyes the color of blue sapphire

Her gown the color of moonbeams

Her skin as soft as cream

She radiates a glow from within  

Surrounded by her cousins, the Jinn

Her long and adept fingers

Touch lightly the strings on her harp

A little happy, a little sad

But never once sound sharp

Then this sweet Dryad

Who sweetly plucks humanity’s melody

That is unwritten up till now

Will soon complete her symphony

And then will take a bow

Are You in Good Hands?

Life is a journey.  A journey that can be defined (and rightfully so) as being painful, hazardous and  dangerous; an obstacle course; a gauntlet; a maze and a mystery; a journey that is fraught with challenges and problems.  Yes, life can be defined as this but what I'm finding out is there is something else much more meaningful that is underlying all of this.  Yes, we don't know what will happen to us while we're down here until something bad does.  This is a another subject we could debate forever as to why bad things happen when we are taught that there is a loving and benevolent God watching over us.  Doesn't make sense.

But I've just discovered something.  Along with all of the above I've just learned that the real reason we're here is finding our way to God and becoming close to Him.  He wants a relationship with us.           

It hasn't been until just recently I have come to know this truth.      

When you think about it, this makes perfect sense.  God is lonesome.  He created you and me and all of us as a family in which He can participate in our joys and hardships, lovingly instructing us along our journey as we connect and interact with Him and each other.    God only wants what's best for us.  He can see the pitfalls, the ups and downs in our lives, what's coming, what's going, the good, the bad and the ugly.  He has clear vision, something we don't have and can direct our paths so we avoid the pitfalls, ruts, ravines and canyons.  Remember, He only wants what's best for us.

So why wouldn't you want a relationship with Him?    

When you allow God to come into your life and start talking with Him you find that persistent problems are solved, financial woes turn into financial gains and relationships that once were thought irreparable, miraculously mended.

That's not all.  When you and God finally form a bond, you suddenly become aware of all the things you did that hurt Him (some on purpose some not).    You start to experience sadness, remorse and even embarrassment that you even did these things in the first place.  The next thing you know you're asking Him for forgiveness.  Now I know what it means when it says, "your sins are forgiven."

It may take a number of years for you to learn all of this but believe me, if you are earnest in your searching for Him, you will.

God is defined in several religions as being a vengeful God and once again this could be up for  debate.  But I am inclined to believe that God is more of a loving God than a vengeful one even though there are accounts of His intervening in battles and causing calamities in order to prove a point.

I am posting all this because I'm experiencing this relationship with someone I've been putting off for a long, long time.

I feel more whole, a whole lot happier and I'm not fretting about things as much as I did before.

How do you create a relationship with God?  Well, first of all, you need to have the desire to do so.   Then start talking to Him.  I think it is on rare occasions that God intervenes in someone's life as He's waiting for you to give Him permission to do so.  It's only when you express a desire to get to know Him that He's going to respond.  

Are you in Good Hands?

     ~ Blessings,
             Nightshade

Mission to Mars

NASA PLANETS MISSIONS