Negative Thinking is NOT Critical Thinking

coberst

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Negative Thinking is NOT Critical Thinking

Negative thinking often displays itself in ad hominem attacks. Often a forum has one or more individuals who have grown to think of themselves as the local ‘shaman’; these individuals try all kinds of ways to reject others who they fear will take away some of their ‘power’, so they use all forms of negative attacks to reject that new person.

I have seen instances of individuals who are very anti-intellectual devise means for rejecting any form of ideas that appear to be intellectual.

Ideologues are always fighting against other ideologues and they use every means to reject non-conforming ideas. I see that especially in anti-theism ideologues. I had one instance of an individual rejecting the works of Becker because Becker uses the word "faith", such a word was like the appearance of a snake under the bed.

We are indoctrinated in our ideologies and we are constantly fighting either for ours or against another, this leads to various techniques to throw off any invading new ideas. Also I am convinced that our schools and colleges have made people unconsciously fearful of any serious concepts that have not been introduced to them by a teacher. Self-learning is unconsciously an alien concept.
 
Absolutely Coberst, love these posts! This is why I don't identify with religionists or atheists in general. I think any time I have to narrow my thoughts and ideas into an ism of any kind I am limited by the definition. Of course that is not to say that I will not define my terms, for there are those that use that particular tool to avoid real debate and dialogue.
I can think of at least two individuals that seem to enjoy that "red herring" form of discourse.
I don't think I could blame peoples reluctance to entertain new ideas on the school systems though. My theory is that people link their sense of being with their ideas, therefore when a pet belief is threatened they feel personally threatened. As if their whole sense of self is wrapped up in an idea.
Kind of makes me wonder if self exists at all or is just an idea itself.
 
Paladin

It appears that we may have more than one self. If we examine our commonly used metaphors we find interesting ideas about this matter.

Examples:
Physical-Object Self I lifted my arm I can wiggle my ears
Forced Movement of an Object Your pushing youself to hard
Self Control is Object Control Let yourself goSeized by anxiety
Location Self He is out to lunch He is beside himself
The Self as Container He is out of it She is in the clouds
Self Control as being on the Ground He has his feet on the ground
Scattered Self She is all over the place
 
Paladin

It appears that we may have more than one self. If we examine our commonly used metaphors we find interesting ideas about this matter.

Examples:
Physical-Object Self I lifted my arm I can wiggle my ears
Forced Movement of an Object Your pushing yourself to hard
Self Control is Object Control Let yourself go seized by anxiety
Location Self He is out to lunch He is beside himself
The Self as Container He is out of it She is in the clouds
Self Control as being on the Ground He has his feet on the ground
Scattered Self She is all over the place

Kind of makes me wonder who is the we that can have a self?
Ego or personality or even the idea of being a separate self may well be just a concept.
 
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