Contradicting Yourself, Good Or Bad?

[husker 0]

I don't know if anyone else arguing with themselves, but I do it a lot. For example, I was with my friend just a couple of days ago and his dad indirectly said I was homeless, which, at first, upset me. But, after I thought about it, I realized what's so bad about being homeless? Going into deeper thought I wondered why he used homeless people as an example, and became angry again. So, do you think it's good or bad to go through this process. I think it's good that I am really thinking about it, but it's bad because it really confuses me and I don't know what to think about it. Anyone else do this or have thoughts about this?

[the_aggie10 0]

i do this all the time! i think its a great thing because it gets you thinking, but alsot because it gets you into another state of mind....you just pretty much forget about everything going on around you, and you may not even realize it...well hope this answers your question

Edited October 24, 2006 by the_aggie10 (see edit history)

[jlhaslip 4]

Nothing wrong with critical thinking.In fact, they teach it in all the Colleges and Universites. The ability to rationalise and form unique thoughts isn't unique to the Human species, but it appears that we are better at it than most other mammals. And the opposible thumb helped us out along the way, too.

[Saint_Michael 3]

I can vouch for that I did plenty of that as I make very difficult decisions and try to figure which out weighs more the pro's or the cons. But of course even the right decision could be wrong and wrong decision could be right, it all depends on the situation you placed when it comes down to the critical thinking.The military does this as well especially when placed in stressfull situations like being in a fire fight and trying to move your team from location to another while bullets are flying and bombs are exploding. It all comes to the that quick answer that will determine what could be a possible answer to that question.

[Plenoptic 0]

Yes it's good that you think like that. My history teacher makes us think like that. He brings up things that we might have thought to have been good for our whole lives and then sort of shows us the light on the other side and you really wonder wether things have to be one way. You might get confused but just take the time to sort out the good on both sides and if you have to write them down and decide which is best for you but there doesn't have to be one good thing for everything although there is sometimes. I hope this makes sense.

[the_aggie10 0]

Yes it's good that you think like that. My history teacher makes us think like that. He brings up things that we might have thought to have been good for our whole lives and then sort of shows us the light on the other side and you really wonder wether things have to be one way. You might get confused but just take the time to sort out the good on both sides and if you have to write them down and decide which is best for you but there doesn't have to be one good thing for everything although there is sometimes. I hope this makes sense.

just wondering.....how can someone make you do this? I mean its something that you should do and know about...lol i wouldnt want my teacher telling me what to think! That just isnt right....theres my thought for the day.

[husker 0]

I agree with Aggie. It's just something that you need to decide for yourself in a way. A topic you need to think about, and not a topic someone forces you to think about. Anyways, it's nice to see that there are people like me out there.

[matak 2]

i'm contradicting my self sometimesno i'm contradicting my self all the times

Notice from saint-michael:

this is comsidered spam if you are going to quote from a post you must respond to it.

[the_aggie10 0]

that took me awhile to get...but the i got it...nice one...but contradicting yourself if something that everyone does on a daily basis. we think that we are different because we do it, but really everyone does it

[jhsmurray 0]

It seems like your concern is over what this person *meant* when he compared you to a homeless person. You were well within your rights to simply ask your friend's father "what do you mean by that?"Or, if it was obvious to you what he meant, then you are in the realm of contextuality, and you probably already have the best idea of what to do (or not do) next.I beleive jlhaslip was right in calling it out as "critical thinking". In general, the critical thinking process will help you greatly, especially for more important endeavors, and is always a good habit to get into. But I wouldnt recommend agonizing over what a person *might* have meant, especially when they are apparently trying to be funny or facetious or just plain insulting. Rather, I would conserve your critical- thinking-energy for ideas that have been well thought out before they were put forward, say for things like books, articles etc.IMO the onus of having the statement make sense _always_ lies with the person who made the statement.Just my two cents there.

[Saint_Michael 3]

just wondering.....how can someone make you do this? I mean its something that you should do and know about...lol i wouldnt want my teacher telling me what to think! That just isnt right....theres my thought for the day.

I think what pleno was trying to say is that the way his teacher teaches it makes the students think more and when they do they might doubt themselves on what that teacher just told them. So they have to rethink what the question means. It's almost like taking a double take when you see something that's like WOW.

I beleive jlhaslip was right in calling it out as "critical thinking". In general, the critical thinking process will help you greatly, especially for more important endeavors, and is always a good habit to get into. But I wouldnt recommend agonizing over what a person *might* have meant, especially when they are apparently trying to be funny or facetious or just plain insulting. Rather, I would conserve your critical- thinking-energy for ideas that have been well thought out before they were put forward, say for things like books, articles etc.

Agree with that, but sometimes different meanings could come out from what a person says. Call it perspective if want. Remember those books and magazine articles are coming from that person. It would be the same thing if they told you what they wrote in person.

[jhsmurray 0]

...

Remember those books and magazine articles are coming from that person. It would be the same thing if they told you what they wrote in person.

 

Good point - my post was not made as clear as I initially thought. I guess what I was trying to say here is that if the situation was just based on a flat statement, that specific point would/should be more thoroughly outlined ahead of time if it was in a publication (if it was written well, that is) - effectively eliminating much of the guesswork. Otherwise, one would need dialogue to actively explore the issue, as we are doing now

 

But of course we should all read any and every publication with critical eyes...