16 Knowing Yourself
发布时间：2023-04-13 16:20:19 来源：文档文库
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CHAPTERSIXTEENKNOWINGYOURSELFWesternphilosophyvirtuallybeganwithSocrates'advice,"Knowthyself."Eversince,thoughtfulmenandwomenhaverealizedthatknowingoneselfisthekeytowisdom.Whyisself-knowledgesoimportant?Becausesomanyoftheobstaclestoclearthinkingarefoundnotintheproblemswemustdealwith,butinourselves.Ofcourse,innumerablefactorscontributetohowwefeelandthinkandact.Tobecomplete,anyinventoryofthemwouldhavetoincludeanswerstothefollowingquestions:AmIquietortalkative?Generallyoptimisticorpessimistic?Hard-workingorlazy?Fearfulorbrave?Seriousoreasygoing?Modestorproud?Competitiveornoncompetitive?AmInervousorateasewithstranger?DoIretainmypoiseandpresenceofmindinemergencies?AmIconfidentineverythingIdo?DoIresentcertaintypesofpeople?(Thepopularclassmate,forexample.WouldIbemoreaccuratelyclassifiedasaleaderorafollower?HowtrustworthyamI?CanIkeepasecretormustIrevealittoatleastoneortwoothers?AmIloyaltomyfriends/doIever"use"people?HowsensitiveamItothefeelingsofothers/doIeverpurposelyhurtothers?AmIjealousofanyone?DoIenjoycausingtrouble,sowingseedsofsuspicionanddissensionamongpeople?DoIrushtospreadthelatestgossip?DoItalkbehindfriends'backs?Aremycommentsaboutothersusuallyfavorableorunfavorable?DoIcriticizeother'srealorimaginedfaultsasameansofboostingmyownego?DoIkeepmypromises?HowtolerantamIofpeople'sfaultsandmistakes?AmItruthfulwithotherpeople?Withmyself?HowobjectiveamIinassessingmyskillsandtalents?HowintelligentamI?HowstudiousamIinschool?HowmanydifferentrolesdoIplaywithotherpeople?Whichofthoserolesareauthentic?WhicharemasksdesignedtohidpartsofmyselfIwouldbeashamedorembarrassedtohaveotherssee?Howreasonablearemyplansforthefuture?DoIworkwellunderpressure?CRITICALTHINKINGINVENTORYInadditiontotheforegoingquestions,numerousquestionsaresuggestedbythepreviousfifteenchapters.Toassistyouintakinginventoryofthehabitsandattitudesthataffectyourcriticalthinking,askyourselfthesequestions:1.Exactlywhatinfluenceshaveshapedmyidentity?Howhavetheydoneso?Howhasmyself-imagebeenaffected?InwhatsituationsamIlessanindividualbecauseoftheseinfluences?2.InwhatwaysamIlikethegoodthinker(asoutlinedinChapter2?Inwhatwayslikethepoorthinker?Whatkindsofsituationsseemtobringoutmybestandworstqualities?3.Towhatextenthasmyperspectiveontruthtendedtobereasonable?(SeeChapter3again,ifnecessary.4.HowcarefulamIaboutseparatinghearsayandrumorfromfact?Aboutdistinguishingknowingfromassuming,guessing,orspeculating?5.HowoftendoItakethetroubletomakemyopinionsinformed?6.TowhatextenddoIthinkthat"mineisbetter"?(Notonlythepersonal"mine,"buttheethnocentric"mine,"aswell.Inwhatwayshasthiskindofthinkingaffectedmyviewofpersonalproblemsandpublicissues?7.InwhatmattersamImostresistanttochange?Isthecauseofmyresistanceinsecurity?Isitfearofsomething?Ifso,ofwhat?8.TowhatorwhomdoIfeelthestrongesturgetoconform?Inwhatsituationsahsthisconformisttendencyinterferedwithmyjudgment?P3-C16-1
CHAPTERSIXTEENKNOWINGYOURSELF9.Howstrongismyneedtosaveface?Whataspectofmyimageismostprecioustome?WhichofmyrolesamImostsensitiveabout?WhichpeopleamImostanxioustohavethinkwellofme?Inwhatsituationshavemyface-savingmaneuverscorruptedmythinking?10.DoItendtomakehardgeneralizations(stereotypesaboutmembersofmyownraceorotherraces?Religions?Politicalorsocialorganizations?Anyoftheotherpeople,places,orideasmentionedinChapter10?Whatcausedmetofirstformthosestereotypedviews?Inwhatwayshavethoseviewsinterferedwithmyevaluationofparticularpeople,places,orideas?11.TowhatextenddoItendtooversimplifycomplexmaters?AmIjustunwillingtotakethetroubletolearnthetruthinitscomplexity?OrdoIfeelthreatenedbyanswersthatarenotneatandtidy?Whathasmademethisway?12.TowhatextenddoItendtojumptoconclusions?DoItendtodosoinsomeareasbutnotinothers?Ifso,whichareas?Andwhythedifference?DoIdrawmyconclusionsprematurelyoutofconvenience?Ifso,ismypurposetosoundauthoritativeandimpresspeople?InwhatrecentsituationshaveIformedhastyconclusions?13.AmIawareofthedegreetowhichIassumecertainthingstobeso?InwhatmattersamImostinclinedtoassumetoomuch,totaketoomuchforgranted?14.Whichofmybeliefshavebeeninfluencedbylogicalfallacies:specifically,byillogicalconclusions,either-orthinking,attackingtheperson,shiftingtheburdenofproof,falsecause,strawman,orirrationalappeals?15.Towhatextenthavetheproblemslistedabovecombinedtounderminemythinkingaboutimportantpersonalandpublicissues?16.Whichoftheproblemsinquestions1through15interferewithmythinkingmostfrequentlyandsignificantly?USINGYOURINVENTORYAsimportantastheforegoingquestionsare,theseisonequestionthatisconsiderablymoreimportant–howcanyoumosteffectivelyuseyourpersonalinventorytoimproveyourcriticalthinkingperformance?Theanswerisbyfollowingthesesteps:First,answerallthequestionsinthecriticalthinkinginventoryhonestlyandthoroughly,acknowledgingnotonlythepleasantfactsaboutyourself,butalsotheunpleasantones.(Ifyouignorethelatter,theywillinfluenceyounoless;infact,yourrefusaltofacethemm
