Thinking How To Think
(work in progress)
How do you make decisions? How do you know what is real and what isn't?
There are several interesting aspects here. The first, I think, is recognizing there is a issue to consider. I think a lot of folks live quite superficially in this sense.
Another is cognitive bias (the wikipedia articles are fascinating to read). It is quite easy to fool oneself.
We are social animals. How much are you influenced by the folks around you? And how much of that influence is flowing below your conscious consideration?
What about the nature of human decision making? We are emotional animals. How much does emotion interfere? And there is a speed question. You cannot drive a car thinking carefully about each decision.
One major point, that you point out, is what basis\tools\rationals does one adopt in order to make these decisions? Why are those tools the correct tools? Why do you reject tools advocated by others (possibly many, many others)?
These considerations led me to attempt a, possibly radical, stance of permanent doubt in which *everything* is fair game. After all, once you start down this road where would there be a unassailable place to stop? I probably should point out that I think chairs are quite likely real :).
Such a stance likely has some potentially harmful downsides. It could negatively affect relationships for instance. And it could have effects on my mental state. Not to mention make me really not fun at parties :).
For me it comes down to a question of how you know something is true. Is the thing likely a real feature of reality or is it likely some kind of construct?
On this basis I'm attempting to follow a rationalist\materialist road in which I'm trying to use academic\scientific methodologies. To start with I reject all argument from authority (why would any authority be inherently correct?).
How do you make decisions? How do you know what is real and what isn't?
There are several interesting aspects here. The first, I think, is recognizing there is a issue to consider. I think a lot of folks live quite superficially in this sense.
Another is cognitive bias (the wikipedia articles are fascinating to read). It is quite easy to fool oneself.
We are social animals. How much are you influenced by the folks around you? And how much of that influence is flowing below your conscious consideration?
What about the nature of human decision making? We are emotional animals. How much does emotion interfere? And there is a speed question. You cannot drive a car thinking carefully about each decision.
One major point, that you point out, is what basis\tools\rationals does one adopt in order to make these decisions? Why are those tools the correct tools? Why do you reject tools advocated by others (possibly many, many others)?
These considerations led me to attempt a, possibly radical, stance of permanent doubt in which *everything* is fair game. After all, once you start down this road where would there be a unassailable place to stop? I probably should point out that I think chairs are quite likely real :).
Such a stance likely has some potentially harmful downsides. It could negatively affect relationships for instance. And it could have effects on my mental state. Not to mention make me really not fun at parties :).
For me it comes down to a question of how you know something is true. Is the thing likely a real feature of reality or is it likely some kind of construct?
On this basis I'm attempting to follow a rationalist\materialist road in which I'm trying to use academic\scientific methodologies. To start with I reject all argument from authority (why would any authority be inherently correct?).
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