Critical Thinking in the Internet Age
People now have an incredible wealth of information available, quite literally at their fingertips, via the Internet and other remote services with only a few minutes of search time on the computer.
The problem has become knowing what to do with the deluge of data.
This quote from Ch 8 of Becoming Brilliant reminds me of a, investing principle that I try to keep in mind. More information is rarely helpful. I know that sounds counter-intuitive, but let me explain…
Investors often work with models when analyzing a potential deal/trade. They plug in the numbers and see what the model suggests about the deal. Instead of being satisfied with a simple model, many investors will attempt to analyze as much information as possible in order to make sure they get the right answer.
Problem is, financial markets are complicated. No single person can ever reach 100% certainty in an investment decision. “But, surely more information leads to better outcomes?” This is a reasonable stance, but inaccurate based on observations.
More information tends to make investors more confident in their decisions but rarely increases their performance.
I expect this principle applies across human behavior, and not just for investors. Just look at the internet, after all. We all have access to the same knowledge, and yet the loudest people are unable to agree on anything. At the same time, these loud individuals project extreme confidence in their positions.
Shouldn’t we arm our kids with the realization that not all information is equal or vetted or evaluated, let alone true? The Internet is loaded with junk.
As Becoming Brilliant suggests, it isn't about gathering as much info as we can. We must evaluate the information for ourselves and determine what is worth listening to and what is worth ignoring.
It feels, to me, like we’re living through a time similar to the invention of the printing press. This invention made information cheaper and easier to access. One of the results was the Lutheran revolution, where average citizens were granted access to the Bible and told they had as much right to interpret the scripture as Holy Men.
Ultimately, that was a wonderful invention, and also a much-needed revolution for the people. But it didn’t come without quite a bit of disruption, which brought many negative side effects.
The internet, similarly, has made information cheaper than ever, and average citizens have the chance to interpret/spread whatever narratives they come across. This chaotic environment makes critical thinking ability more crucial than ever.
So… Let’s take a look at the 4 levels of critical thinking that the authors provide.
Level 1: Seeing is believing
At level 1, children mostly start out believing what they see and what they are told. Babies also have some sensitivity to when someone is a trustworthy purveyor of information.
Once they are a bit older, say 3 years old, children will take the personality of the information into consideration, not trusting a mean puppet but trusting a nice one.
The authors also point out examples where adults exhibit level 1 critical thinking.
“That’s not my job” mentality and “I was just following orders” are both level 1 level responses.
Very little accountability can be seen at Level 1. Things are the way they are, and that’s all there is to it.
The authors also point to a nonprofit, Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, founded for the purpose of ending the practice of marketing to children. Until they make it to higher levels, children believe what they see is real. They have not yet developed Theory of Mind and are highly susceptible to exploitation by unethical adults.
There is a lot of Level 1 on social media. Something starts spreading like wildfire and people believe it without much second thought. Headlines editorialize the story and allow people to hold an opinion without actually reading the article.
Level 2: Truths differ
We recognize differences in opinion and simply pick one. We make black or white judgments without evaluating the evidence.
But Level 2 is progress: children can now recognize that truths differ for different people.
At this level, authority is still greatly respected. There is still a bias of accepting information - especially from adults - as true. The authors continue by saying, “… at around age 4, kids also begin to weigh an individual’s level of expertise to decide what is true.”
This level also begins the crucial stage of questioning one’s own thoughts and feelings. The authors suggest questioning children about the source of their knowledge, which will teach them that parroting is not enough.
This is a crucial stage for social media interaction, as well. Plenty of adults point to expertise or credentials for the reason something is true. It is rare to see people engaging with underlying knowledge. The base knowledge is assumed true, so we look for reasons to support it.
We should be training our children, and ourselves, to be scientists. Scientists in the original sense of the word.
Focus first on proving something false. Only consider something a truth if it has been sufficiently tested, but continue to test its validity. Do not be wary of casting aside long-held beliefs if new (and reliable) information requires it.
Another suggestion from the authors is to use humor.
Humor implicitly teaches kids that others can think and do wrong things on purpose.
Perhaps that is why some truths can only be spoken by comedians…
Level 3: Opinions
We have all heard the phrase “They say…” preceding some advice or talk about a new drug or a way to get your kid into Yale. Don’t you always wonder who “they” are?
Level 3 thinkers are happy to stop at “they say” for two reasons. First, “they say acknowledges that people think differently. Second, because “they say” sets a low bar for evidence, it gets the speaker off the hook.
Like we touched on in Level 2, authority is still greatly respected. Perhaps the biggest difference is that Level 3 thinkers have further narrowed down their experts.
The authors also say that, “At Level 3 people recognize that there are other points of view but still rely too heavily on their own personal reality.”
The authors say that children typically reach Level 3 by middle-school, but that doesn’t mean we don’t all have moments of Level 3 thinking. As the quote above says, relying on experts, even unspecified ones, is a tempting mental shortcut. It saves us thinking and reasoning time while leaving us a reasonable shot at being correct.
While there is a temptation to cede opinion to authority, there is also an increase in questioning. Think about the average middle-schooler. They’re ready to question every bit of authority that doesn’t fit with their growing sense of autonomy.
That is the trick, though. Questioning is reserved for authority that they don’t like. Meanwhile, they expect others to believe and comply with their chosen authority figures. A familiar picture on social media.
Level 4: Evidence or “mastering the intricacies of doubt”
At Level 4 we come to appreciate that some answers are better than others. Some issues can be decided on by looking for evidence.
There is a delicate balance at Level 4 between information and action. As the authors write, “We do the best we can to gather information to solve a problem. But we recognize the information itself isn’t perfect.”
The biggest revelation for Level 4 thinkers is probably that above sentence. Information is never perfect, but it can be good enough to act on. This allows us to hold an idea in our heads that appears contradictory to those at the lower levels - that we can be simultaneously right and wrong.
We can be confident in our decision making, all the while knowing there may be better decisions available.
This reminds me of probabilistic thinking. It has always come very naturally to me, but is something many have to practice. Instead of thinking in terms of right and wrong, think about how likely something is to be right or wrong. You’ll soon find, if you’re being honest with yourself, that nothing is 100%. Well, except death and taxes, of course. ;)
The real hallmark of Level 4, to me at least, is having the humility to recognize your own limitations. We are all human - emotional creatures susceptable to bias and deception, including self-deception.
It may sound this leaves us constantly doubting ourselves, which is certainly part of it, but not the whole story. Through practice, we can create models for ourselves that give us a benchmark of reliability. We experiment and test. We find what works and what doesn't. We build paradigms and world views but keep them open to interpretation.
Developing critical thinking
In addition to humor (mentioned above), the authors suggest two strategies for developing Level 4 critical thinking.
The first is dispositional or attitudinal. This is parallel to assuming a critical stance. Even people in positions of power don’t know everything.
Second, evaluate arguments. Becoming critical of what we hear, like commercials, is one way to approach this. Find and evaluate arguments in written or oral communication and generate a hypothesis based on the premise.
In addition, creating an environment where children (and adults) can ask questions is beneficial to everyone involved. It forces us to come up with answers for information we take for granted. We can either do the “dad” thing and come up with a confident answer or question our own understanding. “Do I actually know the answer, or do I rely on what ‘they’ say?”
We also must treat each other with respect.
If children are treated with respect, if their questions are taken seriously, they will feel safe to question and to move beyond the information that they see.
Taking the time to do this will pay you back tenfold because your children will know they can count on your wisdom and coaching to help them.
The world needs as much critical thinking as it can get right now. Let’s all do our part to develop it in ourselves, as well as those we hold most dear.
That’s all I’ve got for this week. I’ll be back next week with the summary of CH 9, creative innovation. My normal check-in will also be posted on Saturday, along with an article review.
See ya then…