Critical thinking is thinking about your thinking while you’re thinking in order to make your thinking better. ~
That’s a bit of a convoluted quote, but it was the best I could do. The one I used in January of 2024 was much better, as it cautioned you–and me–to learn a little at a time. However, the primary reason I write this blog every week is to force myself to think about things that interest me and hopefully to provoke thought by others. There is so little deep thought occurring in the world. I believe we could do with more, even if we do it in bite-sized pieces. Here’s something to chew on.
The story that launched my critical thought rant
A week or so ago my brother sent me a BBC article (August 2024) that described a study done among the people who live in the rainforest and appear to have healthier hearts than most. Fair enough. I like to learn. Initially I was intrigued, but then I became annoyed. Here’s the intriguing part:
The story is about the Tsimanes community of approximately 16,000 souls. One woman they spent time with was ~84 years old, and she was still highly energetic, using her machete to chop down a plantain tree and carry a huge bunch of the fruit on her back for the return hike to her hut. She is not atypical. Her amazingly healthy arteries and brain that is aging at a slow pace are shared with her fellow Tsimanes. They are not, however, shared with most Europeans, North Americans or any number of other groups studied.
There is a good reason for this, as the Tsimanes don’t stop moving much. That is, they are active 90% of their waking hours as opposed to many other groups who don’t even hit the 50% mark. Their lives aren’t easy; they are constantly hunting or gardening to produce sustenance. They have a low-fat, high-protein diet, and have virtually no access to processed foods. They could live forever, right? Not exactly.
Post-critical Thinking
As so often happens, it takes a while for me to ruminate on new information before it truly sinks in. So it was with the research on the rainforest community. My initial reaction was, “Oh my goodness, I do need to lay off the bacon and bologna.” And then I finished the article.
The Tsimanes do not keep track of their birth dates, so their ages are estimates, arrived at in part by the approximate ages of their children. Still, there is no doubt many of the people studied were elderly and in better shape than most of us. Hands down. However, and it’s a big however, their average lifespans are around 50. 50 years old. That’s a 19th century life expectancy number. The Tsimanes’ hearts and brains are in magnificent condition due to their lifestyles and lack of access to pre-packaged food. But that same lack of access is killing them because they don’t have the vaccines and other medications that get many of us through childhood relatively unscathed.
Surely you aren't wondering at the connection to critical thinking. Surely.
The reason I was so frosted (after I sat and thought about what I’d read) was that the vast majority of the article was attempting to sell the reader on a primitive lifestyle that practically guarantees good health and vitality. Keep moving; eat lean; don’t eat fried food. Walk 10-15 miles a day to harvest fruit and said protein. But don’t get sick.
Only about 10% (?) of the article addressed the life expectancy issue, which was placed below the fold (in newspaper-speak). I am now wondering what the point of the research was. We already know a lean/low-fat diet and staying active works wonders for the heart. Maybe no one knew that our brains would be favorably impacted by diet and exercise. Is that it?
I’ll grant you that I am more cynical than some. I will also readily admit that this article is not that important in the scheme of things. But shouldn’t you approach all input with an attitude of inquiry? Maybe not. Many people consume stories like this without giving it a second thought. (See what I did there? 😉) They walk among us and are, presumably, functional. But should we strive for more than an existence that is merely functional? Your life. Your call.
Another fantastic blog! I used to teach a Philosophy for Kids program in my gifted and talented classroom, and the students always begged for more. Critical thinking was a cornerstone of the entire G&T program. Every year I would read an incredible picture book titled “Wise Guy” (about Socrates) to the kids—now I’m inspired to go find it again!
So glad you found the Wise Guy book. Can’t wait to read it. Also, I’ll need to hear more about the G&T program. I assume that’s not gin & tonic. 🤔
Well, officially 😉 it stood for “Gifted and Talented.”
I am a big fan of critical thinking, particularly when I am analyzing the thoughts of others. Better to stay with numbers as they are less prone to lie. Words can be tortured until they confess to the desired truth. As with your aging article, almost everything we read has the answers predetermined with the research cherry picked to support these answers. With the election coming up, we are in high season for this.
Without a doubt. Sigh.
The other critical aspect of life apparently not addressed in the article you referenced was quality of life. Who wants to be physically fit and spend 90% of their time on their feet doing the equivalent of hard labor? Yuck.
Exactly. They move because they must move to survive. The tail end of the article mentions how the community is changing due to encroaching development. Will they, at least initially, enjoy the perks? We’ll never know.
Unfortunately, critical thinking isn’t taught anymore in colleges and universities, and certainly not in primary and secondary ed. Philosophy was the bastion of critical thought, as was rhetoric. Those courses lost popularity with the “customers,” and they flirted with questioning the socialist bent of faculty. So critical thinking courses have gone extinct or have been diminished as curriculum offerings. Critical thinking is no longer required in a society that seeks absolute equality–no one can be better, no one can be wealthier, no one can be smarter, no one can be more successful.
Perhaps it will all turn around one day, long after we’re gone. They will not find what they are “seeking.” It’s rarer than a unicorn and I am not at all convinced that a world of people with identical everything would work out for the better.