A Thought on Thinking

What follows is both a rebuke and reminder to myself not to succumb to the deception that I have nothing original to offer. The idea is born from the notion that an "original thought" is one that no one else has conceived. If we allow ourselves to believe that original thought is beyond our grasp, then what follows is a surrender to the status quo and the forces that capitalize on our cognitive slumber and sloth.

Overcoming inertia takes an epiphany, a spark, followed by a tremendous amount of energy and singular direction to achieve escape velocity. Labor that results in a revelatory thought is no less an achievement simply because someone else has previously thought it. I need to continuously encourage my children with the idea that original thought is not a result born of the notion that one can come up with a unique idea that no one else has before. Rather, original thought is the product of applying a methodology (even if not original!) that facilitates critical thinking. If the result is "wrong", we can correct the error with additional facts or knowledge. But perish the thought that we have nothing to correct for lack of endeavor!

Thinking requires energy and labor that too many have been deceived into believing is unnecessary, or beyond their capacity.

Critical and creative thinking requires principle and process, and the ability to perceive and extend that perception into the realm of possibility. I know at one level that phrasing sounds a little hokey, but I believe it to be true.

Those who once told us to "question authority" now implicitly demand that we don't, a natural result of having acquired the power that comes with authority. That may seem like a political rendering of the thought, but it is not necessarily confined to the political. Science and philosophy both base their origins on the questioning and challenging of assumptions. And yet "experts" abound telling us that all is "settled" and thus no longer subject to review. Questioning "why" is essential to developing the capacity to think for ourselves. The result may undercut previously held beliefs, or may further fortify and substantiate those beliefs. But the fact is, some people choose not to engage in the exercise.

I know that few will ever read these words and ponder these thoughts. But the effort is worth it, because the thought, duly arrived at through the exercise of cognitive function, is both revelatory and original. Because I thought it.

And that is enough.