Do You Think What You Think You Think?

A question or two just may be the answer you're looking for

Back in high-school, one of the many books we had to read and discuss was 1984.  Two of the questions we were posed concerned: 'what would have to happen for the world described in that book to come about', and 'what would have to be true for people in that world to not realise what was happening to them'; remember those 2 questions as you read the rest of this article.  I have read 1984 many times since (and thought about those 2 questions), and each time it feels like we are getting closer.  George Orwell was worried about the misuse of power, bureaucracy, and media manipulation, particularly in how truth could be subtly altered or omitted to suit political ends, even in democratic societies; while much of his writing was inspired by the use of propaganda in Stalinist Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, his Ministry of Truth was also partly inspired by his experience working at the BBC during WWII, where he felt propaganda was being dressed up as public information. 

“Propaganda works best when those who are being manipulated are confident they are acting on their own free will.”
Attributed to Joseph Goebbels

So, let's fast forward to today .... 

It's a noisy, hostile world out there

Today, we're inundated with information; some accurate, some questionable, and some deliberately misleading - and often we don't know which is which. Misinformation, disinformation, and 'alternative facts' present us with an ongoing and growing challenge of being herded towards confusion and division rather than clarity and understanding.

For many years now, social media has seemed to be dominated by soundbites and superficial exchanges; posts are often either enthusiastically echoed, or criticised with hostility, often anonymously.  And neither approach adds any value to the discussion. Genuine dialogue appears rare. 

But what about the Traditional Media's Influence?

Up until about 20 years ago, journalism was divided clearly into objective news reporting and explicit opinion pieces. Recently, however, these lines have blurred. Pew Research has found that many people now see news media as mostly opinion-driven, contributing significantly to declining public trust.

Media organisations have increasingly adopted what's known as 'interpretive journalism', combining analysis and opinion into news reporting. Opinionated articles attract more engagement, such as clicks, shares, and comments, they are more 'entertaining', all generating more revenue than purely factual reports.

This has further evolved into 'confirmation media', where content is tailored to the biases and ideologies of specific audiences. Media sources, intentionally or not, reinforce existing beliefs and emotions, triggering our instinctual 'fight-or-flight' response. This raw emotional engagement makes it easy for our brains to default to familiar, comfortable paths of thinking, reinforcing polarisation and division.

'Newspeak' is a key theme in 1984 and is the way language can shape thought: if you limit vocabulary, you limit the ability to think critically - or resist.

“The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.”
Stephen Hawking

So, is this the point where we think we are really making decisions about what we consume and how we interpret it?   Or are we 'predictably' responding to what we are directed to consume?

What's happening to us?  Soundbites to Deep Thinking

In his book 'The Assault on Reason', Al Gore described our 'soundbite culture', and argued that we often make crucial decisions based on minimal information.   And in the world of propaganda, this information is often carefully framed and crafted - not to inform, but to persuade. 

Similarly, Daniel Kahneman, (Thinking, Fast and Slow), describes how we routinely make 'fast' and often superficial decisions; these are the majority of our daily decisions and this type of thinking is quick, instinctive, emotional, and energy-efficient, although highly prone to errors - but it's good enough for the majority of our daily decisions. Kahneman also describes how some subjects require deeper evaluation using slow, deliberate, analytical, and energy-intensive thinking - this thinking literally can make your 'brain ache'.

Our minds naturally prefer fast, automatic thinking because it conserves energy and is easy and comfortable, and often we only engage the slower 'conscious / manual' thinking when jolted out of our comfort zones. 

Recognising this tendency is crucial if we are to intentionally challenge our comfortable, easy, familiar perspectives and to truly challenge the information that is flowing at us.

Isn't that just Critical Thinking?

Absolutely it is.  And critical thinking is more critical today then ever it has been; it has got to be one of the key personal and management / leadership skills of today.

Critical thinking is really about 'thinking on purpose'; pausing to go beyond our automatic reactions and looking a little deeper. It means stepping back to ask if the information makes sense, asking whether there might be assumptions we’re taking for granted, and being honest with ourselves about the biases or prejudices that are affecting our perspective. It also means being open to other perspectives; not necessarily to agree with them, but to understand them, so that we can form opinions that are a bit more rounded and grounded.

How to Develop Your Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is a habit we have to build and maintain. It starts with awareness.  You may notice when you are too comfortable with an idea (good or bad, and can perhaps include poor behaviours that have become normalised); that comfort might be a sign you're coasting on 'automatic', or not thinking at all.

Here are some ideas for ways to begin thinking more intentionally, both with others and with yourself.

In Conversations with Others 

• Ask and listen to understand, Not to Win.
• Frame your questions to explore, not challenge: 
• “That’s interesting—what led you to that conclusion?” (vs “Why do you think that?”)
• Be curious about people you agree with, and those you don’t. We tend to interrogate people we disagree with and blindly nod along with those we don’t - both habits limit our understanding.
• Use divergent questions that open up the conversation with multiple options - rather drive it to a single answer (convergent):
• “What else could be going on here?”
• “What are some other ways to look at this?”
• “What would have to be true for .....?"
• “How would we know if ......?"
• “What could we do" (vs "what should we do")

When Talking to Yourself

• Catch yourself when you're reacting emotionally or making instant judgments. Ask:
• “What am I assuming here?”
• “What if I’m wrong?”
• “What would someone with a different worldview see?”
• Practice mental time-outs: pause before reacting or reposting. That tiny moment can create space for 'conscious' thinking to step in.
• Notice how your information sources make you feel. If something makes you angry, smug, or superior, then take a pause. Are you reacting, or thinking?

Create Gentle Discomfort

• Step outside your echo chamber (yes, we all have them; it's part of our human nature to seek them out). Follow or read someone smart that you often disagree with. Don’t go looking for a fight,  go looking to understand how others see the world.
• Try to be the person who thinks twice, not because you’re hesitant or unsure, but because you care enough to think things through properly.

In a noisy world, continuing to think critically and encouraging others to do the same, is perhaps the greatest skill we can cultivate.

“The best defence against the most dangerous propaganda is simply to keep asking questions.”
Attributed to Neil Postman

Ad Futurum

Graham