So, in January, I started a newsletter on substack. If you have not subscribed, please do so with this link. My tagline and the value I offered was summarised in this statement: “Busyminds: Getting the best of critical thinking.” My reason for that was simple.

As at that time, I was, and still am invested in observing sociopolitical events around the world. So I observed that wherever there was a sharp political divide, everyone on either side held to the notion that their views were right. I began to ask myself how both sides could be right. In trying to decipher who was right, who was wrong, and what the truth is, I stumbled upon the concept of critical thinking. Coupled with the Information overload on the Internet, I knew that this was the vaccine needed to suppress the disease of excess knowledge. In summary, I was offering the value of discernment.

So I started in full gear, dropping insights and concepts that worked for me in my journey. I thought “hmmm, this should attract the whole world to learn.” I am glad to inform you that I was wrong. Apart from a few friends and family who pitied my writer’s labor, I meant nothing to no one. I forged ahead still.

Down the road and months later, the frustration got to me. I decided to recalibrate. So I started asking questions. Some of those questions were; “do I even know what critical thinking is?” “Am I insulting the intelligence of my potential readers?” “Was my concept too boring or was it just ineffective?” These and many other questions were asked. Then I realised what I had missed.

I missed something simple. It was clear as daylight and if only I examined my own journey, I would have seen it. Here is what I missed; the fact that you cannot teach critical thinking. If you teach critical thinking, then you are not teaching critical thinking.

I have seen this statement scattered over the Internet (I mean Twitter); ‘critical thinking should be taught in schools.’ But in my experience, there are few good sounding statements worse than that in practise.

What do I mean? Well, you can teach the benefits of engaging critical thinking. But you almost certainly cannot teach the pathway of critical thinking. Yes, you may teach philosophy, logic, and logical fallacies. You can read as many mental models as you want, but you cannot teach critical thinking. There is a reason why.

When people hear critical thinking, they imagine some sophisticated abstract theorization process that philosophers and intellectuals do. But I see otherwise. 

Nothing pushes people to seek critical thinking like situational conditioning. At the start of this essay, I stated why I went looking for critical thinking as an antidote to information overload. Until one finds a reason to, he doesn’t have to. The strongest motivation for seeking out critical thinking is an urgent need. For most people, extensive thinking and discernment is not a need. Without this pressing need, whatever you do is just a waste of time.

Understand that the world and the people in it thrive on priorities. If you don’t have a need or interest for exploring labyrinths of thought and knowledge, critical thinking is not for you. So, if you were to put kids, apathetic kids in your class with the intent of feeding them critical thinking lessons, you will be raising resentful people who will have the same animosity for critical thinking as they do for calculus.

For a world that primes productivity and efficiency, money is the priority. By that measure, money is a need, it is the target, and it is the measure. Here comes the sad part. For most people, critical thinking is not a need when it comes to making money.

The world is tight. Everyone is looking about to make their daily bread. On realising this, I knew I was selling the wrong thing to the wrong people. I was offering mental value to people whose priority was material need. I was in the wrong business. Then, I decided to restructure. So I came upon my new tagline; “Busyminds: Pursuing your curiosity.” It is quite simple.

There are a subset of people who see knowledge as a priority, and not in the slightest way because they want to to make money with it. These are people obsessed with knowing and following the question wherever it leads. These are the people I started looking for. It is all about interests and curiosity now. So I ask you these questions: “if money were not a problem, what would you be doing?” “If teaching was all you had to do in this life, what would you teach about?” If you can answer both questions (take your time to), and you are willing to pursue that topic of interest and curiosity, then maybe I can help in my own way.

I have quit trying to change the world. I am keen instead, on answering the questions my heart asks, and developing a holistic method of looking at the world. I want an aerial view of knowledge where everything is clear in sight, and an angle where all I have is inner peace.

I just need the damn questions answered. If this is you, subscribe to my Newsletter link

Till we talk again. Your friend,

Busyminds.