Are You a Thinker?
In these posts I have introduced the notion of a Thinker. A Thinker’s goal will be to optimize their mind by filling it, to the extent possible, with true beliefs. This goal will be accomplished by consciously engaging in open-minded critical thinking, and a Thinker’s mind-optimization program will have three regimens: mindcare, mindcleaning, and mind-expansion. Whereas the people I label as Feelers will tend to feel their way to conclusions, Thinkers will reach their conclusions by means of evidence-based structured reasoning.
Realize that we cannot determine whether someone is a Thinker or Feeler solely on the basis of the conclusions they have drawn. In particular, it is possible for a Feeler and Thinker to reach the same conclusion about an issue, with the former being guided by their heart or gut, and the latter being guided by their head. To determine where someone lies on the intellectual spectrum, we must instead examine the process by which they reached their conclusion. Whereas Feelers will typically have trouble justifying their beliefs—“It’s just how I feel”—Thinkers will be able to describe the chain of reasoning that led them from evidence to their conclusion.
There’s an old adage: “Process matters more than the product,” which is sometimes shortened to “Process over product.” Educators might cite it, as might industrial engineers, coaches, therapists, and artists. The underlying idea is that if you focus on perfecting the process, the product will take care of itself. A Thinker will also cite this adage, and if asked for clarification, might reply that “The best way to fill your mind with true beliefs is to make a conscious and ongoing effort to engage in open-minded critical thinking.”
If you are wondering whether you are entitled to identify as a Thinker, you need only watch yourself form beliefs. Are you making a conscious effort to engage in open-minded critical thinking, and are you doing this often enough that it is becoming habitual?
Another way to measure your progress toward becoming a Thinker is to look for the presence in yourself of various “Thinkerly” characteristics, including the following:
You are intellectually omnivorous. A Thinker will want to stay grounded in reality and will therefore make an effort to understand how the world works, as well as why people behave the way they do. A Thinker will therefore make a point of studying science, both physical and social. A Thinker will also study history. They know that although history can’t tell us what will happen, it does an excellent job of telling us what can happen, which is invaluable information to possess.
You aren’t “opinionated.” You don’t, that is, feel it necessary to have an opinion on every issue. If you judge an issue to be important, you will devote the time and energy necessary to form a considered opinion. Otherwise, you will stash it in your mental nonbelieve folder.
You are skeptical. When people present you with evidence in support of a claim, you will assess its reliability, as well as the reliability of the person presenting that evidence. If they refuse to provide evidence, you will lose interest in their claim. You have better things to think about!
You are comfortable with uncertainty. You realize that, outside of special areas—including math, logic, and semantics—there is very little that we can be absolutely certain about. You will also make a point of assigning a level of confidence to the beliefs you hold.
You are “epistemically humble.” In particular, you will readily admit—indeed, even proudly admit—your ignorance of very many things.
You are intellectually flexible. On acquiring new information about a subject or becoming aware of a mistake in the reasoning that led you to hold a belief about the subject, you will happily abandon that belief.
You are comfortable with complexity. Because you have made it your business to learn how the world works, you know that simple explanations of events are often mistaken. In particular, your brow will furrow on hearing someone talk about the cause of a complex event. (Significant events almost always have multiple causal factors.) You also realize that the “obvious” solution to a problem might not only fail to solve it but might even exacerbate it.
You are independent-minded. You will be reluctant to let others think on your behalf, and you will be perfectly willing to consider the possibility that every other person is mistaken about something.
You are open to criticism. This is part of what it means to be open-minded. Furthermore, you realize that critics can play an important role in your mind-optimization regimen. At no cost—and indeed, without even being asked!—they will tell you where, in their view, your thought process has gone awry. You will listen carefully to them, and if their diagnosis is correct, you might thank them for changing your mind.
By periodically reviewing this list, you can judge your progress toward becoming a Thinker. You can also differentiate between Thinkers and what the world refers to as intellectuals. Whereas a Thinker will have most or even all of these traits, an intellectual might have few of them.