On the Importance of Critical Thinking

A guest article by Andrew Grant White.

Age of Irrationality

I like The Lord of the Rings. One of the reasons, I think, that it resonates so well is not just the films’ pioneering CGI nor J.R.R. Tolkien’s superb storytelling, but that source material is an overtly cautionary tale for modern times. That it was written almost 75 years ago and still pertinent today says something. We live in an Age of Irrationality. Never have humans been more organized yet have less sense.

We’ve all had giggles and outrages at the hypocrisy, beliefs, and actions in many segments of society. It’s our sad attempt to rebel without power against things we have bluntly little control over. So, we express passive-aggressive. However, even when “logical discussion” is attempted, it is too little beneficial end anymore. Contrary to convention though, a logic system does NOT imply rationality.

Everyone is logical; NOT everyone is rational. Few to any walk around consistently thinking, “Hey, I’m a terribly stupid person doing all the wrong things in life.” That’s a recipe for insanity. People do however walk around effectively thinking, “1+1=3.” They’re right too, to them. Truth though is not a relative concept. Truth is objective. Otherwise, it is not truth – merely opinion based on mercurial emotion.

Critical Thinking – Not WHAT to feel but HOW to think…and the WHY

If we live in an age absent rationality, how are we to know what to do? Critical Thinking. Objective analysis to form a sound judgement.  Not what to feel, but rather how to think and why of the matter. That’s it. So easy to say; so hard to practice in society today.  Simply improving quality of our thought via the critical thinking process; there is, for lack of a better descriptor, no critical depth to our thought.

Why can’t we…IMPEACHMENT! …



To read the entire article, see https://andrewgrantwhite.com/articles/f/on-the-importance-of-critical-thinking