TESTING MYSELF:  AM I BEING FAIR AND A GOOD THINKER?
AM I CONTRIBUTING WHAT I COULD FOR MYSELF AND OTHERS?


This page is designed to point out a few things to consider.  If a person is truly to be a good thinker and to be constructive in life, the person would be following the Checklist For Smart, Effective Thinking.  The relevant quote in this matter might be the one from the '70s:  "If you are not part of the solution, then you are part of the problem."  Non-thinkers tend to do harm by exacerbating the problem, often encouraging by example or exhortations poor thinking and excessive emotionalism by others.
The person who questions what I say about something or even just discusses something I don't agree with:

__Is accused by me of taking the extreme oppositive, unreasonable position.
__ Is attacking me as a person
__ Evokes antipathy in me and I push the other person away or even attack them or make them into "the enemy"
__ I excuse the actions of those who I agree with or support, while I may also criticize the other side for the same or similar things!!!!




__ I do not engage in black and white thinking and I am very well versed in and able to avoid the thinking errors.

__ I  consider the tradeoffs and do not see my viewpoint as the "right" one, without honoring the logic and values of the other side. especially in emotional issues I am passionate about.

__ I do not believe that the other side has bad motives and/or is evil. 

__ I only form my opinion after engaging in assuring it is based on actually facts and excellent reasoning.

__ I never call the other side names nor exaggerate their "badness" and my "goodness".  We are all just humans trying our best, within the limits of our awareness.

__ When I recognize my primitive instinct to get upset even in situations that are not involving actual imminent danger, I stop and realize that it is not an emotional issue and is not about being right.  I calm myself and return to "my senses" (thinking) in order to determine what to do, if anything, and what will work for progress. In many cases, I recognize that there is nothing that I can actually do that will cause progress, so I do not speak of it.  I certainly do not make the upset of others greater by engaging in argument or righteousness.