One of the interesting things about being human is that we can decide not to think. We can flip a switch and instead of actually thinking and making our own decisions we can outsource that thinking to others.
The habit of not thinking is trained in school. Thinking is not rewarded, so we learn to memorize and regurgitate.
In our social circles, we learn to not think for fear of standing out. Instead, we learn to read clues and guess about the opinions of the group.
At work, we follow processes, orders, and our boss’s opinions. Instead of thinking for ourselves, we guess at what the higher-ups might want.
In relationships, we learn to swallow our opinions and avoid conflict.
In other areas, we are blasted with noise about what we ought to think. We are told what the right and wrong positions are on wars, movies, politicians, and sports.
Instead of thinking, we develop a kind of performative non-thinking. It looks like we are thinking to others, but what we’re truly doing is positioning ourselves. We learn to position ourselves based on what feels safe or adventurous, but along the way, we lose touch with what is true and what is right.
Thinking is what sets humans apart from animals and machines. We can direct our actions with something other than instincts. We can choose to not follow the herd. But to do so, to be truly human, we have to think.
Thinking does not come easy though. It requires daily discipline and a consciousness about the things that lull us into non-thinking. It requires the courage to hold a belief that is considered wrong. But if you commit to thinking and acting on what you believe is true you will find it comes easier and easier to you.
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