What is critical thinking?

 A lot of people who are neurodiverse tend to have different views of the world than the majority of people. Perhaps it's easier to question things. 

It's quite obvious that many people behave in similar ways - you only have to observe the general public to see that. But people like me often go against the grain. 

There is undoubtedly a lot of programming and brainwashing that is deliberately instilled in to people, such as:
Boys don't cry. 
Children should be seen and not heard. 
Doctors and scientists are right. 
Vaccines save lives and are safe.  
Money doesn't grow on trees. 
Working 9 to 5 is normal. 

The list goes on. There's also a lot of programming around food and drink - in the UK, many grown adults find it hard to let themselves loose and have fun without alcohol. 
The news is undoubtedly designed to place fear into the masses and also to send people into a hypnotic state so they can believe anything. 

Say no more. Image courtesy of Getty Images.

The lack of critical thinking was alarmingly apparent when something named Covid happened, and goes to show how much a person's mind can be manipulated when fear is constantly bombarded into their minds. People and organisations which are perceived to have authority over others - such as the government - are believed and obeyed without question. Instead of people going 'hang on, something isn't quite right here, how on earth can there be a virus so deadly that healthy people breathing fresh air are considered a danger, but a piece of cloth can help protect me' - which should have been obvious to everyone after three months, at most six months - people cowered inside their homes, not seeing families or friends, wearing masks, while the government, who knew that there was nothing to fear, were having parties. 

Covid WAS a scam. One million percent. I knew it from early on, and nothing will ever change my mind on that - I saw first hand evidence that what the media and government were telling us was not true. It took minimal critical thinking to work out that something was amiss. 

The common denominator to a lack of critical thinking seems to be fear. I've had it myself with religion. It made me believe the most awful things and got me into some serious trouble. 
And then there's the other side of the Covid coin which is the conspiracy world. Honestly, some of the crazy stuff I've seen posted by people who call themselves 'truthers' is so far out there that I would class it as mental illness. And again, I believe the common denominator is fear. In these cases, it's fear of losing human rights and being locked inside the home. A lot of people were traumatised by the lockdown, without doubt. 

Fear combined with a lack of sound judgement can make people think the craziest things. 

A word on conspiracies
In my opinion, if you have even an ounce of critical thinking, it would be virtually impossible to dismiss all things 'conspiracy'. You can't possibly tell me that a vaccine that was being forced upon the public with no liability for the manufacturers was intended solely to cure a virus. However, a lot of the conspiracies are very lacking in evidence and, in my opinion, are a distraction from the things that really matter. Flat earth being a prime example. 

And then there's the crazy crazy side of conspiracies, like saying all sports stars are transgender. Anyone who seriously believes that has lost all capacity for critical thinking. 

To me, the best route towards critical thinking is trusting your intuition, and perhaps more importantly, going within and dealing with your 'stuff'. There are many people who are knee deep in conspiracy land who are not facing their dark side. If you've got lots of unresolved trauma, your capacity for critical thinking could be reduced. 

Not everything is as it seems. Question everything. Don't just go along with the crowd.