Critical Thinking - Use Independent Thinking To Build A Powerful Life

Summary

In this self-help segment, Leo from Actualised.org emphasizes the importance of critical thinking as a vital skill for problem-solving and personal growth. He explains that critical thinking involves independent analysis and not just accepting information at face value. Drawing examples from historical figures like Einstein and Socrates, Leo encourages viewers to question everything, think deeply, and derive their own truths to avoid being misled by society's mainstream narratives. He concludes by advocating for curiosity and open-mindedness as key to developing this skill.

Takeaways

• 🧠 Critical thinking is essential for solving problems and overcoming obstacles in life.
• 💡 Developing critical thinking skills allows for independent analysis and problem-solving.
• 🌟 Personal success and achievements are often linked to the ability to think critically about challenges.
• 🕵️‍♂️ Critical thinking involves being an independent thinker, not just accepting information at face value.
• 🎓 Historical figures like Descartes, Newton, and Einstein exemplify the importance of deep, independent thought.
• 📚 Critical thinking is about deriving your own understanding and not just applying received knowledge.
• 🤔 The process of critical thinking involves asking questions, analyzing, and reflecting on information.
• 🛑 It's important to be skeptical and not blindly accept information from media, books, or authority figures.
• 🔑 Critical thinking leads to self-direction and self-reliance, as opposed to relying on external influences.
• 🐄 The analogy of a herd of cattle illustrates the dangers of not thinking critically and blindly following the crowd.
• 🌱 Cultivating curiosity and open-mindedness are key factors in developing strong critical thinking abilities.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video script?

The main topic of the video script is the importance of critical thinking and how to develop it.

Why is critical thinking considered a critical skill according to the script?

Critical thinking is considered a critical skill because it allows individuals to solve problems, overcome obstacles, and take their life to the next level.

What does the speaker suggest is the key takeaway regarding critical thinking?

The key takeaway is that critical thinking is about independent thinking, where one figures out problems and generates answers for themselves rather than accepting information at face value.

Who are some of the historical figures mentioned as great critical thinkers?

Some of the historical figures mentioned include Rene Descartes, David Hume, Isaac Newton, Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, the Buddha, Albert Einstein, Pablo Picasso, and Leonardo da Vinci.

What is the analogy used by the speaker to describe the dangers of not thinking critically?

The speaker uses the analogy of a herd of cattle running towards a canyon, where those who do not think critically will blindly follow and fall off the cliff, symbolizing a life led without independent thought.

What is the speaker's view on the role of critical thinking in one's personal development?

The speaker believes that critical thinking is essential for personal development as it fosters self-direction and self-reliance, enabling individuals to chart their own path in life.

What are the two factors identified for developing critical thinking skills?

The two factors identified for developing critical thinking skills are curiosity and open-mindedness.

How does the speaker define independent thinking in the context of critical thinking?

Independent thinking in the context of critical thinking is defined as the ability to derive truths and generate answers for oneself, rather than relying on external sources.

What is the speaker's advice on how to start practicing critical thinking?

The speaker advises to start asking questions, to be skeptical, and to analyze information critically, valuing one's own opinions above those of others.

What is the purpose of the speaker's content and why should one consider subscribing to Actualised.org?

The purpose of the speaker's content is to share deep, well-researched ideas that can help develop critical thinking skills. Subscribing to Actualised.org provides updates and more content that encourages independent and critical thinking.

Outlines

00:00

🤔 The Essence of Critical Thinking

Leo from Actualised.org introduces the concept of critical thinking as an essential life skill. He emphasizes its importance for problem-solving and personal growth, explaining that it involves analyzing and understanding issues deeply rather than passively accepting information. He shares his personal journey and success, attributing it to his ability to think critically and independently. The paragraph also highlights historical figures known for their critical thinking, such as Rene Descartes and Albert Einstein, to illustrate the impact of independent thought.

05:01

📚 The Value of Independent Thinking

This paragraph delves into the value of deriving truths independently rather than accepting them from others. Leo uses the analogy of learning geometry to explain how understanding concepts deeply leads to true mastery. He contrasts this with the passive consumption of information prevalent in society today, which he criticizes for its lack of critical engagement. The Socratic method is introduced as an example of questioning to arrive at the truth, and Leo encourages viewers to start practicing critical thinking by questioning everything they read or hear.

10:02

🐃 Breaking Free from the Herd Mentality

Leo warns against the dangers of conforming to societal norms and information without critical evaluation. He likens society to a herd of cattle blindly running towards a cliff, symbolizing the potential for a disastrous outcome if one does not think independently. He advises viewers to question all sources of information, including media, culture, and even his own advice, and to rely on their own judgment to avoid falling into the trap of following false or misleading ideas.

15:02

🔍 Cultivating Curiosity and Open-Mindedness

In the final paragraph, Leo outlines the practical steps for developing critical thinking skills. He stresses the importance of curiosity and open-mindedness, suggesting that these traits will drive one's journey towards becoming a critical thinker. He encourages skepticism and self-reliance, urging viewers to derive their own truths and values. Leo concludes by inviting viewers to subscribe to Actualised.org for more content that promotes critical thinking and independent thought.

Keywords

💡Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is the ability to think clearly and rationally, understanding the logical connection between ideas. In the video, it is defined as a tool for solving problems and overcoming obstacles in life. The speaker emphasizes that critical thinking leads to independent thought, which is essential for personal growth and success, as evidenced by historical figures like Albert Einstein and Leonardo da Vinci who exemplify deep and independent thinking.

💡Problem Solving

Problem solving refers to the process of finding solutions to difficulties or challenges. The video script discusses how critical thinking is crucial for identifying and addressing life's problems, as it allows individuals to analyze and work through issues independently. The speaker's own success is attributed to the ability to think critically about problems and derive solutions without relying on others.

💡Independent Thinking

Independent thinking is the act of forming one's own opinions and making decisions without undue reliance on others. The video emphasizes that critical thinking fosters independent thinking, which is key to navigating life's challenges and avoiding the pitfalls of blindly following others' beliefs or values. The speaker contrasts independent thinking with the herd mentality, which can lead individuals astray.

💡Information Overload

Information overload occurs when individuals are exposed to more information than they can process or effectively utilize. The script warns about the dangers of passively absorbing information from the internet and other sources without critically analyzing it. This can lead to the adoption of false beliefs or values, which critical thinking can help to prevent.

💡Socratic Method

The Socratic method is a form of dialogue in which questions are used to stimulate critical thinking and to draw out ideas and underlying presumptions. In the video, the Socratic method is highlighted as an example of how critical thinking was valued in classical times, with Socrates using questions to challenge and refine beliefs and understanding.

💡Mastery

Mastery is the state of having complete control or command of a subject or skill. The video script suggests that true mastery comes from not just accepting information or theorems but by deriving and proving them oneself, which is a process that requires critical thinking. This is illustrated with the analogy of geometry class, where understanding comes from proving theorems rather than just applying them.

💡Self-Reliance

Self-reliance is the quality of depending on oneself, rather than relying on others. The video argues that critical thinking leads to self-reliance by enabling individuals to generate their own answers and direction in life. The speaker contrasts this with being dependent on external sources for information, which can lead to misinformation or a lack of personal direction.

💡Curiosity

Curiosity is the desire to learn or know more about something or someone. In the context of the video, curiosity is presented as a driving force behind critical thinking. It is the initial spark that leads to asking questions and seeking deeper understanding, which is essential for developing critical thinking skills.

💡Open-Mindedness

Open-mindedness is the willingness to consider new ideas or viewpoints without prejudice. The script explains that being open-minded is crucial for critical thinking because it allows individuals to explore all angles of an issue and to avoid being limited by preconceived notions or biases.

💡Herd Mentality

Herd mentality refers to the tendency to follow the majority without critical thinking. The video uses the metaphor of a herd of cattle running towards a cliff to illustrate the dangers of not thinking critically and independently. It suggests that critical thinking can help individuals break away from the herd and avoid the negative consequences of groupthink.

💡Commercial Interests

Commercial interests refer to the economic or financial concerns of businesses, often associated with marketing and sales strategies. The video script warns that much of the information individuals encounter is driven by commercial interests, which can distort the truth or mislead consumers. Critical thinking is presented as a defense against being manipulated by such interests.

Highlights

Critical thinking is defined as a vital skill for solving life's problems and overcoming obstacles.

The importance of developing critical thinking to identify and analyze problems before working on them.

Critical thinking as a lifelong tool for personal growth and challenge resolution.

The speaker's personal journey and the inherent value of critical thinking in achieving success.

The essence of critical thinking as independent thinking, generating one's own answers.

Historical examples of great critical thinkers like Descartes, Newton, and Einstein.

The analogy between critical thinking and deriving theorems in geometry for true understanding.

The societal tendency to absorb information without critical analysis.

The Socratic method as an example of critical thinking through questioning.

The necessity of skepticism and analytical thinking to avoid being misled by information.

The dangers of relying on others for information without independent verification.

The herd mentality analogy and the importance of breaking away for self-direction.

The role of curiosity and open-mindedness in developing critical thinking skills.

Practical steps to implement critical thinking in daily life by questioning and analyzing information.

The impact of critical thinking on creating a self-reliant and self-directed life.

The call to action for viewers to apply critical thinking to the content of the video itself.

Invitation to subscribe to Actualised.org for more content on critical thinking and personal development.

Transcripts

hey this is Leo for actualised org and

in this quick self-help segment I'm

going to talk about critical thinking

all right critical thinking so let's

crack into this one let's crack with

this one wide open critical thinking is

a critical skill to have and we're going

to talk about why it's important we're

also going to talk about how to develop

it and we're going to go deep on this

one I'm going to give you some wisdom

not just tips but wisdom about why this

is something that you should be caring

about so ultimately what is what is

behind critical thinking let's define it

and let's talk about why you want to

develop it well the reason that you want

to develop critical thinking is because

it will allow you to solve many of the

problems in your life that you have the

problems in the bottlenecks and the

obstacles that are holding you back

those will keep holding you back until

you start to think about them and

analyze them and then work on them and

you can't work on a problem until you've

identified it become aware of it and a

lot of times you can't become aware of a

problem until you've really thought

about it critically so this is a tool

that you will use throughout the rest of

your life to solve all your problems and

all your challenges and to take your

life to the next level and the next

level in the next level personally for

me critical thinking has always been

something that I valued just inherently

and something that I was good at so this

came natural to me and when I look back

at my life where I've come to now where

I am now the position I'm at now all the

success that I've had all the things

that I've done for myself all the

changes that I've made there's no way in

hell it just baffles me there's no way

in hell that that could have happened

without thinking about those problems

really analyzing them working my way

through them independently right I did

that independently sure I got a lot of

valuable information from other people

from other sources from books from

television from media

from other gurus and whatnot but in the

end I had to take that on I took on the

burden of thinking through the problems

myself and that is what's really the

core of critical thinking let's really

think about critical thinking let's use

four to go thinking to think about

critical thinking which will show you

what critical thinking actually is so

who are some great critical thinkers in

history let's take a look at a couple of

them

how about Rene Descartes how about David

Hume Isaac Newton Plato Socrates

Aristotle the Buddha Albert Einstein

Pablo Picasso Leonardo da Vinci just a

short list we can make this list

literally thousands of names long but

just a short sampling of some great

thinkers when you look at these people

and you study them or you study their

work or you even read just some little

short blurb about them on Wikipedia what

you learn is that these were deep

thinkers and these were independent

thinkers and this is the key that I want

you to take away from this video is that

critical thinking is independent

thinking that means that you are

figuring out the problem for yourself

you're generating the answers for

yourself you're not just taking whatever

is given to you it's very easy

especially now with the internet and all

this information overload that we have

all this knowledge we've accumulated

over the last 2 and 1/2 thousand years

of human history really since the since

the Greek times is it's what is we've

got all this wisdom we've got all this

knowledge we've got all this facts and

information and trivia and and all this

and it's just out there and we tend to

just go and appropriate we just

appropriate assimilate and

dudududududududu it's like we're just

grabbing stuff we're grabbing stuff but

we're not critically thinking about

we're not analyzing it what tends to

happen there is that you get caught up

in the values and the beliefs of whoever

you're taking that information from

instead of yourself you're not

generating the answer yourself the best

example I can give you here

and I hesitate to give it but I'll give

it to you because look it's important

remember in geometry class where you

were given a theorem about let's say

triangles or parallel lines or the way

angles work you were given some theorem

and you you could use that theorem to

generate answers to various problems but

then you were also asked later in the

class to then not just use the theorem

but then to actually prove it to derive

it do you remember that yeah and I mean

I hated doing that but the point there

is that there's something important

about being able to derive a truth for

yourself versus just taking it from

culture Society or somebody else when

you do that even though it can be

painful challenging and it's much easier

to just take a theorem and just apply it

without thinking critically about it

when you do that you get true

understanding you get true perspective

you get real mastery if you actually

went through and did those proofs in

geometry class then you actually

developed a deep understanding of why

geometry works the way it does if you

just took the theorems that were handed

to you and you never did the proofs you

slacked off on that part and then you

just apply the theorems then chances are

that even to this day you don't really

have a solid understanding of some of

the laws of geometry

you don't understand for example why

certain angles add up to certain certain

amounts you understand why triangles are

the way they are and circles are the way

they are and squares and other things

are the way they are you don't

understand that because you have it

thought through the process this is

something that's very undervalued

nowadays in society it used to be very

highly regarded in the Classical eras

like the Greek times the Roman times

right just think about the Socratic

method what did Socrates do what was his

philosophical style it was interesting

because the Socratic method all it is is

just asking questions the way that

Socrates would educate his students

students of philosophy the way he would

do with philosophy himself is he would

ask you questions so

you might come in there and say well I

believe such-and-such and you would say

okay you believe that well if that's

true

then that must also imply this and then

you would say no it doesn't apply that

then you said okay well then what you

said must be false or maybe you agree

yes it does imply that but it doesn't

apply it in the way that you thought and

so now it implies something slightly

different and then that thing implies

something slightly different in

something else and something else and so

you have this chain of implications from

that original assumption or that

original belief and through this process

you can go down this chain of reasoning

by asking question after question after

question posing hypothetical scenarios

and you can really get pretty deep into

the truth of the matter and start to

really see what is making this idea tick

so what you got to be doing with your

life

is you got to be doing that and if

you're curious about how do I actually

build critical thinking skills how to

actually do that well you have to you

have to just start doing it you have to

start asking yourself questions instead

of taking facts and information from the

media and from books just accepting this

true start analyzing it thinking it one

example of this is when you're reading a

book if you're reading a nonfiction book

I think one of the signs that you're a

critical reader is that as you're

reading it you put it down a lot of

times you can't just read a deep

non-fiction book cover-to-cover

and not stop for me when I'm reading I

read the book I read a couple of pages

then I have to stop and think about what

I read and I have to ask myself

questions is that true does it really

work like that

if it is true one of the implications

for my life what are the implications

for all the other information that I've

gathered right see I start to ask myself

those questions sometimes I'll read just

two pages and then I'll go off on a

tangent in my mind thinking going down

this chain of critical thinking that

I've got going and I'll spend 15 minutes

thinking about it and then I'll I'll

realize that I was caught in that chain

I'll be like okay let's get back to the

book finally I get back to the book

because I want to finish the book too so

a little bit of a trade-off there but

basically you go through and you read a

couple of pages than you think about it

you don't just

read the book cover-to-cover and then

throw it away and then go on to the next

one

that's just you sucking in information

and then who knows what effect that's

going to have on you see the problem

right now in society is that we have a

lot of people throwing information at

you and a lot of that information is is

motivated by commercial interests

commercial purposes there are literally

billion dollar marketing departments

across the country across the world that

are looking at how to trap you into

buying their product they might

not even think the product is good it'll

still figure out a way to trap you into

it they'll figure out a way to make you

believe whatever is convenient for them

whatever produces the most money for

them and that's a very powerful

dangerous force and you have to be able

to unplug yourself from that when you

start to think critically you start to

think independently for yourself

powerful things start to happen this is

why particularly is so critical when you

have that ability then what you're going

to create for yourself is a son a sense

of self direction and self reliance

because right now if you're not a

critical thinker then you do not have

your own direction in life you do not

have a sense of reliance on yourself

you're relying on the media on culture

on your friends on people around you on

your college professors on whatever to

get you the information that you need

and what they're doing is they're

providing you quite frankly with

horseshit garbage negative information

that is flat-out false highly distorted

or leading you down the path that you do

not want to be going down when you

unplug yourself from that it's crazy I

think the best analogy I can give is

it's almost like there's a herd of

cattle and they're all running they're

all running like in a stampede towards a

canyon far off in the distance this just

giant herd of cattle all walking or

running even towards this canyon and

you're part of that herd and you don't

even realize that what's going to happen

is that a little soon enough the canyons

not that close right now but soon enough

that canyons going to come and when that

whole her

gets there they're gonna fall off the

cliff and you're going to come

along for the ride that's that's what

society basically is that's what

mainstream society is is that and

everyone who's who's plugged into that

is going to fall off the cliff

it's that dead serious this what's

happening with your health it's what's

happening with the entertainment that

you're watching so what's happening with

your lack of exercise this what's

happening with the crappy career that

you're in this is what's happening with

how you understand relationships and sex

and religion and morality all this stuff

has just been handed to you and you just

take it you just accept it you don't

think about it whatsoever you don't

discover the truths for yourself when

you start to discover these truths for

yourself and think very critically

independently rely on yourself as the

primary source and leave all the other

sources as secondary sources when you

are the primary source you're going to

realize that a lot of the ideas out

there are just flat-out wrong for you

are not going to work are extremely

unhealthy flat-out false greatly

distorted and what you're going to do is

you're going to be that one cow that

sees what's happening in a step and

you're going to stop and you're going to

go in the opposite direction you're

going to say damn I'm so glad that I

broke out of that herd because if I kept

going down that path I would have surely

fallen off the cliff and all

those cows that are going down that

direction they're going to have a

miserable and horrible life but me

because I've got my own sense of

direction I'm going to go and I'm going

to chart my own path through life and my

path is going to be an independent path

a critical path the path that can have

strength and value and that can generate

something new for Humanity that can

create powerful ideas can start powerful

projects can help people in powerful

ways and can can deeply deeply fulfill

me so this is the bottom line of why

critical thinking and important and how

it should be working so practically how

do we actually implement this well I'm

telling you stop getting information

mindlessly from the environment so that

means stop

books stop internet stop television stop

magazines stop getting your information

for people and family and religion and

from history and philosophy and just

from gurus out there including myself

and professors and teachers stop relying

on those people to just force-feed you

golden nuggets you can use all that as a

way to prime the pump but then you got

to do the work you got to put that stuff

into your mill look at your mind is it's

like a a mill that's going to grind

through this material that you're

putting into it so you put the material

in then you actually have to do the

grinding that's not what you've been

doing so far to actually do that you

have to start asking questions ask

questions about your religion don't be

afraid

ask questions about history question it

be skeptical be a total skeptic be a

cynic at least for a while go through

that phase be very skeptical be very

critical be very analytical about what

people are telling you people's opinions

and value your own opinions above the

opinions of others and actually try to

derive this stuff derive it derive the

truths ask yourself what is true what is

real what is valuable to me what is

important in life answer those yourself

don't just get that from your parents

don't just get that from your church

don't get that from a book don't even

get that from me everything I'm telling

you should be analyzing very very

critically and seeing what works what's

true and what's not

so it's true for me and what I believe

to be true is not necessarily what's

true it's not necessarily what's going

to work for you you have to figure that

out think don't be lazy think all right

the two factors for critical thinking

are what are they curiosity and

open-mindedness if you're curious and

you're fascinated by ideas and

understanding things that's going to

help you a long way it's gonna that's

going to move you a long way forward

along this track to becoming a good

critical thinker and if you're open

minded to ideas it's going to be so so

important to to make it down this path

as well because if you're closed-minded

then you're basically you're not

going to be able to analyze ideas

properly and really find the truth

because your blinders are on and you're

looking as one direction for truth but

truth might be over here except you're

looking always over here because people

told you to always be looking over here

so you will never find what's really

true being open-minded means that you're

willing to do this you're willing to go

and look into every direction every nook

and cranny doesn't matter who tells you

what and if someone tells you not to

look somewhere that's probably someplace

that you should actually go and look

right because why would they tell you

not to look there probably because

they're afraid of what you're going to

find out so look in every nook and

cranny that's what you got to do be

curious and be open-minded all right so

that's what I have to say about critical

thinking be an independent thinker be a

critical thinker the more you do this

the more you practice it the more is

just going to build and snowball and

snowball and snowball and soon enough

you're going to realize that you are an

amazing critical thinker independent

thinker and your life is going to take

that trajectory you're going to break

off from that that herd that's going

down the cliff and you're going to walk

in a positive new direction all right so

this is it for critical thinking I am

signing off go ahead post me some

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sharing with you guys is coming from my

own critical thinking and of course I'm

getting a lot of information but I'm

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sharing it with you and it shows you

when you watch me think critically it

shows you how to think critically so if

you want to develop critical thinking

listen to what I'm telling you because

I'm sharing very rich deep ideas that

you do not get in most other media

sources out there so these are extremely

rich nuanced deep ideas that have been

very well researched that are extremely

powerful and doesn't mean that you

should just swallow them whole but it

means that you can use this as fodder

for your mill and it's a higher quality

fodder I'm giving you higher quality

fodder and you actually practice along

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it's with you here and there about how I

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