this post was submitted on 27 Jun 2026
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[โ€“] christian@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 hours ago

intrinsic critical thinkers whose nature overcame their upbringing

I'm going to push back on this because I don't think it's true and also because I think it's harmful.

There are not people who are naturally inclined not to think critically. Just as much as upbringing can shape someone's worldview, environment can shape willingness and capacity for introspection. People don't think critically when they're naturally predisposed to do that, they think critically when they're either adequately distanced from the disincentives for reflection they've known forever or when the incentives for reflection create enough desperation to overwhelm.

I say harmful because is there anyone who sincerely doesn't picture themselves as an intrinsic critical thinker? Everyone is already there, so the "intrinsic critical thinker" worldview means assuming some people you meet will be worse at it. "I'm naturally better at critical thinking than this person" is a mindset that provides a shortcut to dismissing this person's viewpoints without actually evaluating them.