Getting rid of intellectual laziness
“Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.” — Miles Kington
Going into 2016, my goal was to “get rid of intellectual laziness.” I decided I was going to spend less time reading books and more time thinking. I wanted to get to a point where I didn’t just know something but I also understood it deeply. There was so much in my head at the time and I needed to reassess my thoughts and opinions. I also discovered that despite all I knew, it was usually difficult for me to explain why I held those opinions and beliefs.
We are eight months into 2016, and my decision is paying off. I’ve learned how to question myself and question people and ideas to arrive at more objective or considerate points-of-view. I’ve also spent a lot of time observing flaws in my thoughts and that of other people.
Here are some of them:
1. We are biased towards ideas that fit our pre-existing worldviews. We are not, by nature, open to new ideas.
2. We are prone to think our ideas and beliefs are superior to those of others, and so, we ridicule and look down on the people that do not agree with us.
3. Humans tend to criticize other people’s flaws, while easily overlooking the exact same flaws in themselves.
4. We are prone to having, what I call, a binary view of things (the either-or perspective).
5. Many times, we boil situations down to causes we are more familiar with while forgetting that we live in an infinitely complex world. Ergo, it is difficult and, most times, impossible to identify the primary cause of an event.
7. So, our cognitive biases are part of what makes us human, but they also contribute to many of our troubles. If we stepped outside our biases and became more empathetic, our planet would be a much better one.
I noticed these flaws in myself and the people around me. The ones I mentioned were some of the most conspicuous causes of my intellectual laziness. I was more comfortable approaching life that way, but I didn’t want that. I needed to challenge myself, so as I noticed these patterns, I started putting plans into action to get rid of them.
Here are some of the things that have worked for me. They could work for you too.
1. Ask yourself ‘why’ and answer it
‘If a tomato is a fruit, why can’t I put it in a fruit salad?’
My natural tendency would be to dodge that question because I don’t have a quick answer for it, but I won’t do that. Now, let us attempt to answer the question without Google’s help. The aim is not to be correct, but to exercise our brains to think beyond immediate answers.
There are different ways of answering that question.
- We could answer it with an analogy: Since basketballs are round, why don’t they use them in football matches? Because they are not made for that purpose. Their designs are inherently different from those of soccer balls. Their size, weight, and surface do not make them compatible with football pitches, boots and the strength of the players’ legs. It’s the same way tomatoes aren’t compatible with apples, pineapples, watermelons, bananas, etc. when sliced and mixed together. Tomatoes will change the colour, taste and look of the fruit salad.
That answer may not be perfect, but we have succeeded in thinking beyond the immediate and reaching further than we normally might.
I found out that the more I asked myself ‘why’, the better I got at deep thinking.
2. Challenge your existing views
We have opinions we hold dearly. Some of them are wrong.
Our lives and worldview are largely shaped by our experiences. It’s hard to see beyond what we know. To see further, we should be willing to listen to what other people have to say and why they say those things. Remember, just as you are shaped by your experiences, they too are shaped by theirs. Hence, it is possible for your views to oppose theirs. In such cases, there might be more objective or balanced views. If you can find objectiveness, make an effort to do so. If you can find balance, make an effort to do so. In some cases, your view might actually be the objective one; don’t be afraid to hold on to that.
3. Listen to opposing views
The internet, especially social media, has been designed in a way that makes it easy for people to tune out views that oppose theirs. If you don’t agree with someone, you can either block, unfollow or unfriend them. You don’t want to stress yourself or waste your time arguing with someone you barely even know.
That, however, has its downsizing. You remain stuck in your own little box, socializing with people that agree with you, and feeding your ego in the process. You learn more, but you only learn more in line with what suits you. You’re not motivated to step outside yourself and, perhaps, see things from another angle.
Consciously go against this tendency. When you meet people who don’t immediately share your views on a particular matter, engage them. Try as much as possible to learn what you can from them, have civilized debates and arguments. Of course, there are some people that are just looking to be troublesome and cynical, avoid those ones when you spot them.
4. Embrace skepticism
Skepticism and cynicism are not the same. Skepticism is “the process of applying reason and critical thinking to determine validity. It’s the process of finding a supported conclusion, not the justification of a preconceived conclusion.” Cynicism, on the other hand, is the belief that people are generally selfish and dishonest. Cynics don’t trust anybody and anything. Skeptics don’t agree with anything that cannot be supported with a valid argument.
I am a skeptic; you should be too.
In this Internet age, people find it more convenient than ever to believe what they read without first questioning its validity. Also, it’s so common now for people to form opinions on things simply by Googling some keywords a few times or using only headlines to determine what an article is about. Be careful not to fall into that trap again. To be honest, I still fall into it sometimes.
Headlines never tell the whole story. One article is never enough for you to build an informed opinion on. We live in an age where people are hungry for clicks and shares to boost their internet business; don’t be their patsy. Let everything you read (including this) be met with skepticism and careful examination. So even if you fall for someone’s deceit (which you will, sometimes), you’d have gone down fighting.
So, here’s a recap: ask yourself why you believe the things you believe, and question your own opinions. Next, learn how to challenge your existing beliefs and views. They may be wrong. Listen to opposing views and don’t be quick to shoot down people that don’t agree with you. Finally, embrace skepticism, it’s not a bad thing.
Getting rid of intellectual laziness is a lifelong journey. It makes you a more empathetic person and it helps you appreciate the diversity that is in the world.
Decide that, from this day, you will make greater effort to understand other people’s views and be willing to admit when you’re wrong. Promise yourself that you won’t be too quick to embrace ‘evidence’ that supports your opinion without properly testing it out, because yours might just be the wrong one.
