Pythagoras already said it: “No man is free who cannot control himself”. This applies especially to emotions and desires. Apart from the misunderstandings and lack of understanding about the role that emotions play in our daily lives, they are often confusing and misleading. And that is exactly what a good thinker wants to prevent!
What is Critical Thinking?
Critical Thinking is the active and competent application of general thinking principles and procedures that promote truth or accuracy in judgment as much as possible. This is increasingly seen as the most important leadership skill of the 21st century. In addition, more and more value is attributed to authenticity, meaning and inspiration. Allowing and accepting your emotions is therefore also part of this.
Thinking and Feeling
How do you prevent everyday emotions from limiting your ability to judge accurately and make good decisions? By realizing that thinking and feeling are two sides of the same coin. Every person thinks, feels and desires at the same time, in parallel. And usually you think something about what you feel, or you feel something with a certain thought. If you think that someone is treating you unfairly or is approaching you arrogantly, you will feel a certain emotion about it. This can then lead to a desire to respond. With perhaps destructive consequences. In retrospect, your response was probably not the right choice, or the best decision…
Control your thoughts and thus your feelings
Could you have anticipated this? As far as I am concerned, yes. There is a clear difference, or rather: a certain hierarchy, between how you can influence your own thinking and feeling. An emotion or desire cannot correct itself. At most, it ‘ebbs away’ over time. A thought or ‘thinking’ can have a corrective effect, or at least: you can influence your judgment or opinion through your thoughts and change your emotions or desires. So you can also determine for yourself whether you let your feelings influence your thoughts and therefore your judgment.
The ‘Critical Thinking’ method
Easier said than done perhaps? Not if you use the thinking principles of ‘Critical Thinking’! Then you learn to see through your own assumptions, to assess your interpretations and always look for an alternative explanation, the ‘other side’ of the coin. The method ends with a decision about how you are going to react or respond. This is preceded by arguments. After which you act on the basis of a rational, constructive choice instead of a destructive desire.
In Practice
What now? The first step is awareness. Pay attention to your emotions and desires and try to find out where they come from. Are they based on real events, facts, or on an assumption or interpretation? Where else do I apply that assumption? What behavior do they lead to? Was this the only solution or could I have reacted differently? How would someone else have reacted? It becomes really educational when you start doing this with the emotions and desires of others, preferably people in your immediate environment. How do they react to you, and especially: why? Which assumptions influence their behavior towards me? What was my own contribution to those assumptions and: how can I change that? Can I apply an alternative approach or attitude to this, so that they have more choice?
Over time, applying these principles of thinking becomes more and more natural and you will start noticing that you hardly think about it anymore….
Freedom through ‘Critical Thinking’
A good thinker therefore controls his emotions and desires. Has a truthful judgment. Makes the best possible decision. And thus frees himself to follow his own path, deliberately, and not that of his feelings…
Want to know more about Critical Thinking and how you can improve this skill? Click here!