BRAIN HEALTH RAP

This series of posts attempts to break down the critical thinking process into a number of steps that build upon each other. So far we’ve looked at:

•  Improving the organisation of information stored in the brain
• Analysing information in order to identify aids to critical thinking such          as possible relationships and/or recognise patterns within sequences.
• The critical thinking component itself
• Identifying good questions to ask yourself and others about what you are reading or hearing.

In this post I want to go into a little more detail so that you have a guide or checklist, if you like, to aid you get more out of your reading. It is based on tips that are generally available from a number of sources. So here’s something with which to work:

• Where is the author coming from – what’s the approach or perspective?
• What other approaches could have been used?
• Is the author directly involved in the subject or writing as an outsider?
• What are main points and do you agree with them? Is the argument being promoted in logical steps?
• What sorts of evidence are presented and are the well-research, logical and non–emotive?
• Does the author use valid reasoning
• Does the author use facts or unsupported generalisation?
• What inferences are made ad do you agree with them?
• If the author presents or interprets the ideas of others? Do you it was done fairly?
• Does the author show bias r provide a balanced of the subject?

Try the guide and see what you think

This series of posts attempts to break down the critical thinking process into a number of steps that build upon each other. So far we’ve looked at:
* Improving the organisation of information stored in the brain,
* Analysing information in order to identify aids to critical thinking such  as possible relationships and/or recognise patterns within sequences.
* The critical thinking component itself.

We concluded the last post by saying that one secret to being a good critical thinker .is being able to identify good questions to ask yourself and others about what you are reading or hearing. Read more…

This series of posts attempts to break down the critical thinking process into a number of steps that build upon each other. So far we’ve looked at:

* Improving the organisation of information stored in the brain,
* Analysing information in order to identify aids to critical thinking such as possible relationships and/or recognise patterns within sequences.

In this post we look in more detail at the critical thinking component itself. Read more…

In the first post in this series we said that critical thinking is all about “thinking for yourself” and that simply being critical is letting others think for you. I’m sure you don’t like the sound of that – imagine someone else controlling your mind! Fortunately it doesn’t have to be that way. Read more…

Critical thinking isn’t about what you think – it’s about how you think! Let me try to explain what I mean. Read more…

Plato believed in the existence of inner man. His perception of man has a body and soul with the spirit outside – external to man. In Plato’s view the soul existed before the body and was independent of it.

Aristotle’s philosophy moves away from the emphasis on the spirit as being external to man. Aristotle saw the spirit as the immortal soul of man. In fact, Aristotle considered there were two aspects to the soul:
                                    – the mortal aspect which belonged to the physical body and
                                    – the immortal aspect which belonged to the spirit.

If you are interested in digging further into Greek philosophy, both Plato and Aristotle held what are now totally unacceptable views on the status of women.  In Greek society a woman’s main function was considered to be the reproduction of children

So what is metaphysics and what do we mean by the nature of man? Well, let’s start with a look at metaphysics…

The main tradition has been to use ‘metaphysics’ as a title for philosophical as distinct from scientific or experimental inquiries. Read more…

About a week ago I experienced nausea, loss of balance and hot ‘flushes’ – all in the pursuit of health!  But it’s not bad news at all. You see there’s a particular practice in which such symptoms are a sign of progress. Read more…

Here’s an invitation to take a scary journey – it’s a journey to a little known state called honesty and you’ll have to travel alone through hostile territory. Read more…

Women often refer to ‘glass ceilings’ as a barrier to a successful career and rightly so. However, I suggest there is a powerful yet overlooked factor that makes the journey even more stressful. Read more…

In the “National Interest” is a term much favoured by politicians to invoke support for policy implementation.  But what does it really mean – in fact, does it have meaning at all and why it is so effective? Read more…

While there is much focus, and rightly so, on the efforts of various governments to control the flow of information on the Internet there are other and perhaps more sneaky restrictions on your freedom to choose that are often overlooked. Read more…

People often complain about governments always taking. But governments can be benevolent too! Just look at how readily governments around the world are acting to protect us from information overload Read more…

TV presentations of celebrity chefs seem to be in vogue. And it seems obligatory for celebrity chefs to be bad tempered. So I ask myself how can angry chefs produce good food… they must do because most of them own restaurants that have been awarded Michelin hats.   Read more…

In this post I’m going to explore the potential for a world without leaders. I’m going to argue that, whether or not it is intentional, leaders act like parasites in that they suck the life-force and value out of followers. Read more…

Negatives can be positives and, no, I’m not about to announce an astounding new breakthrough in psychotherapy. Instead, it’s high-fives time for your nose! Read more…

I felt the urge to start with the theme of a popular TV advertisement and say “my god isn’t like your god” – so I have!

You see, my god is inside not outside. If your god is outside you’ll probably, and quite rightly, want to dismiss the following discussion – I’m certainly not out to change anyone’s belief. – it’s none of my business. Read more…

I just recently moved to another house. I’d placed my furniture and appliances just where I wanted them. Now I’ve decided to move things around… for my brain’s sake! Read more…

How would you like to join me on a journey – a journey that goes “beyond the dinner plate”? It’s an exploration of food alchemy.

By food alchemy I mean the transformation of food into energy that the body can use. You see, food is not what it seems. In fact, food is very secretive and keeps its inner mysteries well hidden from view. Read more…

So what is it about darkness that makes it both magic and powerful? Read more…

In this two-part series I want to explore the effect of darkness – as in a lack of light – on our senses. I’m not yet sure how it might unfold so while I gather my thoughts a bit of scene-setting might be in order.

And what better way than by using the lyrics to “The Music Of The Night” from “The Phantom Of The Opera” by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The song is about seduction. Read more…

Honestly, I’ve never seen so many people walking around water bottle in hand – it must be at pandemic proportions!

 If that’s you… do you know why?  Perhaps you’ve heard that it’s supposedly healthy to drink lots of water or maybe you’ve seen the slogan “drink 6 to 8 glasses of water each day”. Read more…

You have to admit that food and beverage manufacturers know a thing or two about designing foods and drinks… in fact, they know exactly how to tick all the right boxes! But we can’t really blame them… after all we are letting the seduction happen! Read more…

Regular readers of my posts will know I often make reference to primitive man and babies. I do so because I believe, for example, our DNA (genetic code) has changed very little over time and that babies provide a largely unconditioned behavioural expression of our primitive DNA.

As such, babies and toddlers can provide useful clues to basic patterns of behaviour that we adults have become so adept at not only suppressing but effectively deleting from our subconscious mind.

What’s all that got to do with martial arts? Read more…

You may be familiar with the phrase “the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth…”  It is used in court to swear in a witness and basically means don’t leave anything out and don’t tell lies.

No doubt most witnesses do their utmost to tell the truth but just how reliable is witness evidence and what has it got to do with the brain. Read more…