Critical Thinking: Can Black And White Thinking Stop Someone From Being Able To Think Clearly?21/2/2019
When it comes to painting a picture of nature, the more colours that someone has the more detail there will be in what they create. If they only had two colours, they wouldn’t have the same freedom to express themselves.
In the same way, if someone is able to see that life is made up of many different elements and isn’t limited to seeing it in one way or another, their life will be far richer. Their life will then be like a pallet that is made up of many different colours as opposed to one that only contains two colours. No Effort Clearly, it is doesn’t take much energy to see something or someone as being either good or bad. But, while this will save a fair amount of energy, what it won’t do is to allow one to gain a balanced outlook. When this takes place, one won’t be using their brain; they will just be reacting to what is going on. Still, there can be certain times when it is will be necessary to function in this way. For Example Let’s say that someone was in a rush and they needed to choose something to eat at a cafe. They could go over a few things and say that they are no good, before finding one thing that will be classed as a good. This will mean that there will only have been two extremes but as they were only looking for something to eat it wouldn’t have mattered. They would have saved energy and, most importantly, they would have saved time. Daily Life When it comes to just about every other moment in their life, they may realise that this approach would do more harm than good. This will often mean that they will need more time and use more energy, but it will be worth it. For example, one may disagree with what a friend of theirs has said or not like what they have done. Yet, even though this will be the case, it doesn’t mean that they will label them as being ‘bad’ or fall out with them. A Balanced Mind Nonetheless, this doesn’t mean that part of them won’t want to do exactly that; what it means is that they won’t be attached to this part of them. One will then be able to see that regardless of what another person has said or done, it doesn’t mean that this has turned them into a one dimensional human being. Ultimately, this will show that their mind is working in the right way. Through responding in this way, they will be able to maintain the relationship that they have developed with this person. The Media Being this way is also going to make it easier for them to spot when the media is trying to manipulate them. For example, if they were to read something that tries to paint one race as or one gender as being a certain way, they would be able to see what is going on. A race or a gender would have been stripped of their humanity, only having one side to their nature. It will instantly stand out that this source of information is trying to define how they see a race/gender. The Education System If one went to college/university, they may have even been exposed to what is classed as ‘identity politics’. This is where some people are seen as oppressors and some people are seen as the oppressed, and what will define which category someone falls into is usually their skin colour, gender or sexual orientation. It could then be said that this system is the embodiment of black and white thinking. Human beings are no longer seen as individuals who are made up of many different elements; they are put into different boxes and are then seen as either good or bad. A Strange Scenario If this was something that was being taught by a cult it wouldn’t be a surprise, but as it is being taught by the so-called education system, one really has to wonder what the hell has happened to these places. Still, this is something that very much fits in with the view that these places teach people what to think, not how to think. Anyway, as one is doesn’t see life as being black and white, this propaganda probably wouldn’t have worked on them. At times, they may have even thought about if they should have been doing the teaching. A Destructive Effect What this illustrates is how essential it is for someone to be able to think clearly and not to have the inclination see life though a black/white or good/bad lens. This will have a positive effect on their relationships, make it easier for them to spot propaganda and allow them to see people as individuals, amongst other things. Without this ability, someone can end up casting people aside if they do or say something they don’t like, discriminate against people because of what they look like or what their sexual orientation is and fall for the propaganda that the establishment spews out. Being this way will remove a lot of colour from the world; it will be as if they are seeing everything in black and white. A Closer Look If someone experiences life in this way and is unable to tolerate ambiguity, it can show that they find it hard to handle their emotions. The reason for this is that in order for one to see the complete picture and embrace the intricacies of life, they will need to be able to handle the emotions that will come up within them. Therefore, if someone finds it hard to handle certain emotions, it will be normal for them to use the defence mechanism know as ‘splitting’. Though only being able to embrace certain emotions, other emotions will need to be pushed down, setting them up to have a lopsided view of life and themselves. Awareness If someone is unable to think clearly it can be easy to assume that they need to learn how to think, yet it can be more important for them to integrate the emotional part of their being. Once this takes place, it is likely to be easier for them to operate as a whole human being. If someone is unable to handle their emotions it can be a sign that they are carrying trauma that is waiting to be resolved. This is something that can take place with the assistance of a therapist or a healer.
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Oliver JR Cooper http://www.oliverjrcooper.co.uk
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Oliver JR CooperAuthor of 28 books, Transformational Writer, Teacher & Consultant. Introductory Consultation
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Disclaimer
That which is contained within these articles is based on my own empirical understanding and is true for me at the time they were written. However, as I continue to grow, what I perceive as the truth will inevitably change and as a result of this - parts of these articles may not reflect my current outlook.
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