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Internal Difficulties in Achieving Clear Thinking
I've written before about the importance, and sometimes the difficulty, of achieving clear thinking. Sometimes these difficulties stem from internal factors, such as prejudices, strongly held beliefs, transferences or denial. I've described previously how to deal with these problems.
External Difficulties
But it can also be difficult to see things clearly when external factors cause confusion. One source of confusion is the prevalence of false information in the news. Not only are other countries attempting to sow false information on various websites but Americans, both liberals and conservatives, are creating false web pages. This problem can be dealt with by relying on the most reputable sources of news.
A New Source of Confusion
Now we have a new source of confusion. In this time of heightened conflict, those who wish to mislead us are resorting not just to words but to actions. Yesterday morning (at around 2 a.m.) a group of 15-20 people in all black military gear went to the home of Oakland's mayor. Chanting "Wake up, Libby," they set off firecrackers and vandalized her home, spray painting graffiti and splashing red paint on the walls. The messages said, "Defund the OPD" (the Oakland Police Department).
Who were these people? Were they truly people who were protesting against police aggression? Or were they people who wanted to provide rationale and proof that the President was correct in planning to send federal agents to Oakland? And are the few people who throw objects at the police during largely peaceful protests simply very angry protesters? Or are they part of the opposition, trying to give the protesters a bad reputation?
What can we do?
One might be tempted to think one way or the other based on one's own political persuasions. But clear thinking necessitates being objective. The truth may not always be immediately knowable, but it behooves us to do our best to understand. This will help us do what is best for ourselves and for those we care about.
My complimentary Tool can help. In Step 3 you can wish for a new mental pathway that will be dedicated to helping you understand confusing situations as clearly as possible, by seeing all the possible aspects of a situation, and by overriding any internal difficulties you have with clear thinking.
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