Higher Thinking 2025/03/30

Tim Urban has become known all over the world of Ted’s talk in which he deals with the issue of procrastination. With humor and clarity, he explains how an “immediate satisfaction monkey” contradicts the “rational thinker”. In addition to the enjoyable tone, his exhibition offers valuable views to enhance more rational decisions, and to call not to get rid of the effort, and to act with logic and betting in the long term, leaving the negative effects of procrastination in evidence.

Less widespread, but interestingly interesting, is URBAN about how society faces problems and how we think about humans in this context. In his opinion, along with the traditional spectrum between the “left” and “right”, there is a vertical axis that describes the type of thinking we adopt. On one end, there is high -level thinking, directed at rationality, thinking and the ability to make the nuances. On the other hand, low -level thinking, which is characterized by emotional, simple and two, is very similar to the performance of the immediate satisfaction monkey.

It does not matter only what we think, but how do we think. We can have different economic, social or political positions, but it is also possible to evaluate the depth and quality of thinking, exceeding the position that is defended.

High -level thinking is characterized by considering multiple views, identifying the complexity of problems and promoting constructive dialogues. It does not contradict the evaluation well or badly what is objective. On the contrary, the low level tends to excessively simplify, enhance the logic of polarization “for us” and moves with the pulses.

Thus, restoring the left right axis, we can find people on both sides who share thinking about the high level. Or, on the contrary, individuals who have opposite positions coincide in a contradictory way in a very polarized way of thinking.

Part of the current political spectrum chose to tend to narrate towards low -level thinking. It contains some logic: it provides immediate benefits, generates sounds, attracts the attention of the media, etc. However, this strategy usually moves away from real search for truth or public good. In fact, when there is no commitment to the truth, everything becomes easier, in that practical vision, I can emphasize, scream or deny what suits me, only through personal attention and without the need for an account.

If we transfer this vertical axis of thought to other issues – such as the environment, religion, animals, or football rights – we will find that the same logic is repeated: the type of thinking is preserved as a decisive variable, and with it potential captains multiply.

According to URBAN, low -level thinking growth is one of the factors that explain the increasing social polarization. His intuition leads me to the belief that the real debate is not in the position on one side or another, as it focuses on the type of thinking that we keep. This is in this vertical axis where we may play much more. There, for example, the importance of universities in thinking about critical thinking, equivalent to higher thinking in urban areas.

If, in addition, we add a third dimension, we can call it “real search for the truth”, an interesting spectrum is created from three dimensions. In this, the high -level thinker may not be completely sincere or fall into some pride, while the other, perhaps less developed, may be sincerely committed to finding the truth, despite the complexity it involves.

The current thought crisis is not just a theoretical issue. It has extensive effects on public policy, economics and social affairs. Fears that violence and violence are allowed with a reaction of equal density, but in the opposite sense; This only increases their exacerbation. Instead, more people – especially leaders are extended in various fields – embody a high -level idea.

Perhaps this is the reason that the future of our democracies, our societies, on families and youth, depends, to a large extent, on our ability to generate a culture of deep thought, accompanied by the righteousness of those who practice intellectual humility. Although it seems a difficult goal, it is a dream that can be achieved for those who devote ourselves to education and we are witnesses, day after day, from positive changes in many people. With the same necessity; Difficult, but not impossible.