Full transcript
0:00We’re lucky to live in an age where the sum total of human knowledge
0:03is pretty much available at the click of a button.
0:05We’ve never had access to so much information.
0:08But not all of what’s out there is quite what it seems.
0:11So here’s a few strategies to navigate your way through.
0:14And avoid falling out with people along the way.
0:24We all enjoy that sweet dopamine hit of feeling like we’re right.
0:28In repeated experiments, psychologists have shown
0:30we’re much more likely to accept something as evidence
0:32if it confirms what we already think we know.
0:35And much more likely to discount information
0:38if it contradicts our views.
0:40It’s what’s known as “confirmation bias”.
0:42It’s one of the key “cognitive biases” that humans have,
0:46and it operates at an unconscious level -
0:48affecting our ability to process information.
0:51This is especially true for issues which are emotionally charged,
0:54or where our views are deeply held.
0:56But it can come into play at any time.
0:59So don’t rush to decide,
1:00and be actively prepared to change your mind.
1:06So many of our discussions take place on social media platforms
1:09where algorithms reward our desire to see and hear our views confirmed.
1:13But in life, most situations are nuanced and complicated –
1:17acknowledging that can enrich the way that we view the world.
1:20For example, what colour is the sky? Well, the obvious answer is blue.
1:25But at sunrise or sunset, it can be red.
1:29On a cold misty morning, white or grey.
1:32At night, midnight blue or black.
1:35But imagine for a moment the blue of the sky on a sunny day.
1:39Is it really blue?
1:41The colour blue has a short wavelength,
1:43meaning it scatters more than other colours -
1:46making it more visible to the human eye.
1:48So the sky looks blue to us humans,
1:51even though there’s a whole spectrum of colours out there.
1:55Even something that seems totally self-evident
1:57can be more nuanced than you think.
2:02One approach to, well, arguing,
2:05is to let go of the idea of being “right”.
2:08Or at least seriously consider that you might actually be wrong.
2:11Putting yourself in the other person’s shoes
2:14can lead to much more productive outcomes.
2:16Really try to understand where the other person is coming from.
2:19It’s what’s called “intellectual empathy”.
2:22It can be challenging, but that’s the point.
2:25This can only work when both parties are engaging in good faith.
2:28Arguing just to waste somebody’s time,
2:31known online as “sea lioning”,
2:33not only makes you that guy or girl people avoid at parties,
2:37but we are intellectually, socially and politically worse off for it.
2:44It’s more important than ever
2:46to know where your information is coming from.
2:48That sciency-looking graph about the dangers of feral Dalmatian puppies
2:51might look very convincing, until you dig a little deeper
2:55and find it was commissioned by fur-coat-coveting
2:57Disney villain, Cruella de Vil.
3:00Be on the lookout for ulterior motives and vested interests.
3:04Becoming literate in the basics of scientific methodology,
3:07the use of data and the way it’s presented
3:09are all weapons in your arsenal when it comes to critical thinking.
3:16Whether engaging in online debates or arguing with Uncle Frank,
3:20it’s very easy to lose our cool and resort to some
3:23less-than-sound tactics.
3:25One common tactic is what philosophers call,
3:27“The Straw Man” fallacy.
3:29Instead of engaging with the actual belief,
3:31you engage with a caricature.
3:33For example, if I said, “I prefer hamsters to gerbils,”
3:37you might respond, “Oh, so you want to drown all gerbils?”
3:41A viewpoint that’s much easier to take down.
3:43Another fallacy is the “ad hominem fallacy”,
3:46where you discount an argument
3:48because of your opinion of the person making it.
3:50This can lead to ad hominem attacks,
3:52which is basically Latin for name-calling.
3:54In that situation, it’s fair to say that everybody loses.
3:58Engaging in critical thinking isn’t as fun as picking up a pitchfork,
4:02or feeling like you’re fundamentally right.
4:04But in the long run, it leads to a more curious,
4:07educated and harmonious society,
4:10which ultimately is the biggest win of all.