Fancy seeing you here! Thanks for returning for a read, which is all about being critical. In your thinking that is!

Why are you even talking about this Katie?

OK, excellent question! Here's the what. I want you to think critically about advice you receive or see others receive.

Here's the why. I spend more time than I probably should on social media sites and more often than not, I come across a post in a group or forum where the original poster is seeking medical or behavioural advice about their pet or sharing posts, and answers that align to their confirmation bias or worse contain outdated or harmful advice within. It's quite scary!

Now I am totally aware that asking Dr Social Media is common place, and there is so much information out there it makes your head spin. And in these times of #fakenews in the age of modern technology and easy access to the interwebs via all sorts of devices and all that, that we as human beings, who are advanced in terms of intellect and knowledge, are so easily drawn into believing something because we read it once somewhere. Look a little deeper.

If someone shares a video with you, watch the video with no sound, or ignore the blurb. Ask yourself if the person or animal involved has consented to what is happening to them, if the they look scared or angry, or if you can spot something the poster hasn't and so on…question everything don't just accept it.

Sometimes someone else's view of what they see isn't what is actually occurring in front of them. Shocker!!! I know, I’m opening a can of worms, but in all seriousness, don't believe everything you see, read or hear. Instead take in the information and get opinions from all directions, gather facts from credible and empirical sources not tabloids and click bait headlines then make a decision based on this evidence.

I even want you to use your critical eye on my own blogs...because I want them to form the basis of research for you, to go out there and discover more and form your own opinion. These thoughts and ideas are mine, drawn from experience, education, research and critique!

The best reason I can give you is to allow yourself to evolve and learn because learning is essential to survival and frankly if your opinion can be swayed, perhaps to one of a more empirical and evidence driven opinion then you'll be one step ahead of the game and might surprise yourself and even better, it might save your pets' life or make life better! And if you find yourself enjoying being critical (in a thinking perspective that is), did you know that you can learn even more at this place, click here.

Happy days to you all,

Katie

critical thinking and why you should do it

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