Thinking About My Thinking

Of all the personal work I've done over the years since stopping full time work, it's likely I've put the most effort into trying to arrive at my own opinions about stuff. How important is this to you? What strategies have you found to be most effective in doing so?

Despite my efforts, careful examination of my opinions frequently leaves me with a strong sense that many of them continue to be heavily influenced by what I read or hear. This sobering realization is true across several domains but it's most troubling when I recognize the influence writers or other public figures have on my opinions of current events. The undeniable fact is, arriving at one's own opinion about nearly anything is time consuming, hard work. But with current events, that work is made more difficult by the 24/7 news cycle and TVs in every public space, each brimming with the endless chatter of pundits. So far, some things that help me - however marginally - are limiting my media intake, staying mindful about the human tendency to confirm our biases when we screen out information that doesn't support our views, and being honest with myself when I know I'm avoiding doing the time consuming, hard work. That unsparing honesty also helps me feel like I'm retaining a shred of intellectual integrity.

When I'm not motivated to do the work needed to arrive at my own political position or opinion about a current event? I forgive myself. Then I continue attempting to arrive at a reasonably pure opinion of books I read, music I listen to, films I watch. My strategies for those domains include ignoring blurbs and gushing book jackets, tuning out the self-congratulatory buzz surrounding awards and their glitzy sideshows (Grammys, Oscars, etc.), avoiding the Internet. These are baby steps, for sure. But it's possible taking these steps with my passions will lead me to getting better at thinking about my own thinking when it comes to the weightier stuff.