Think. Examine. Question.

We live in a time of opinions, of “hot takes” and reaction videos. Quick judgments and extreme views have become a currency on social media. Controversy is being courted for the sake of attention and outrage is being farmed for the sake of views. Information has never been easier to acquire, yet it seems like the well it springs from has been poisoned. The truth mixes freely with intentional lies and accidental misinformation, search engines redirect to their own AI hallucinations and preserved historical records are diluted by made-up fantasies.

An even greater concern is that people come to believe that their opinions are correct simply because the internet appears to validate them. Algorithm-driven platforms reinforce confirmation bias by repeatedly exposing users to content that mirrors their existing beliefs. We like the echo chamber that much of our interaction with the outside world has become, where our own stances and beliefs are fed back to us by the algorithm that determines what we see and what we don’t. Many people prefer to be told that they are correct, that they are on the right side of history, that anyone who believes otherwise is a moron or a paid troll. It is a particular kind of belief in one’s rightness that is going around nowadays – a belief that, to paraphrase Nietzsche, means not wanting to know what is true. It’s a very dangerous kind of belief, that makes for a very dangerous kind of world.

It’s in this kind of world that the ability to think for ourselves, to think critically, is of the utmost importance. Thinking critically is not just the ability to question information that is presented to us – it is an ability to question beliefs held by others and those we hold ourselves.

One of the first names we think of when it comes to questioning and examining thoughts and beliefs is the Greek philosopher Socrates. Socrates asked questions to investigate claims about right and wrong, to measure them against other claims made by the speaker and find any conflicts and inconsistencies. It was in finding possible conflicts that Socrates could refine definitions, and in the process expose hidden biases and make those he spoke with rebut their own arguments, with their own words. He did all this with a humility grounded in his conviction that he could never be certain of anything.

That same attitude of humble questioning, of coming from a position of uncertainty, can be harnessed for our critical thought. Much of the information presented to us nowadays is a product of biases, known and unknown. Even worse, these biases are often hard to unearth because the sources of the information are so often anonymous, untraceable and unaccountable. Even when there is a real name, a real person attached to information, increasingly what is offered is a mere opinion, subjective and phrased in a way that will create maximum “drama” or controversy during an age when many livelihoods are linked to attention. Increasingly, especially in social media, opinions are dressed up as facts and hypotheses are framed as conclusions. Oftentimes, these are accepted uncritically by the public because it appeals to their emotions. In an era when even trusted institutions are no longer immune to compromise, intellectual rigor becomes not just valuable but essential – guiding how we scrutinize what we think we know and in deciding what deserves our belief.

As we sift through the noise in media, especially online, we should ask ourselves: is this a fact or an opinion? If the former, is it from an eyewitness? What is the evidence of this fact? Is there data to validate or invalidate this? Is there a record or documentation to prove or disprove this? Is the record something that comes from an official source or a trusted source? If it is a study, has it been published in full, revealing its scope and who funded it? Is there a claim of causation or merely correlation? Has the record been checked for falsification, editing, AI generation? Are there conflicting reports, studies or evidence?

But more than filtering our flow of information, Socratic thinking should also be applied to our own beliefs. There are many beliefs that we think and proclaim to be “truths” but we have never examined whether these beliefs are supported by evidence or whether they are merely assumptions. But we must first determine what exactly we believe in. Our beliefs are too important to be left so carelessly defined. Then we must ask ourselves: what evidence supports this belief? Is it strong, recent and credible? Are there cases where this belief does not hold? Did I arrive at this myself – or did I just inherit or absorb it from others? Am I assuming intent, causation, or moral value without proof?

The Socratic method also involves exposing inconsistencies in one’s beliefs. When there are two ideas that could not be both true at the same time, this means that at least one belief needs re-examination. In determining whether there are inconsistencies in our beliefs we should ask ourselves: do I apply this belief consistently? Do I make exceptions when it benefits me? Does this belief conflict with other beliefs I hold?

When we find inconsistencies in our beliefs, it does not automatically mean that we are wrong, it just means we need to further refine our beliefs. When we realize that there are flaws in our beliefs and reasoning, then we take the first step towards being more open to opinions contrary to ours, being willing to reconsider our own beliefs, being more open to new evidence, knowing the limits of our knowledge and ultimately it leads to growth and intellectual progress.

Socrates’ most famous quote remains to be that the unexamined life is not worth living. To do so we must be open to listen and be receptive to what we are unused to. We must not retreat to what we know and what is comfortable. Mental growth comes when we allow room for disagreement and when we confront ideas that challenge our own.

Think. Examine. Question. In a world so often out of control we can, at least, know where we stand and, in making our stand, live a life worth living.