My theme for these posts is “Critical thinking.” Previously, I told a story about my young son using a hammer on a ship’s bell I bought for my wife. Was it a genuine bell made of brass, or a fake made of porcelain?

It’s only when we give ideas or beliefs really hard hits that we can tell which ones are genuine and which ones are not. Hit the truth hard, and it rings out loud and clear. Hit a lie hard, and it shatters into pieces.

This testing of beliefs by giving them a hard hit is known as “critical thinking.”

Critical thinking sounds tricky, like something that only experts or academics can do. If you listen to the media and to many conversations, you might get the idea that:

• Only medical doctors can think critically about health.
• Only scientists can think critically about the climate.
• Only minority groups can think critically about gender and race.

But these ideas are not true. Critical thinking is not an advanced skill, because there is no idea in the world so complicated that it cannot be explained with easy words in easy sentences.

Next in This Series

Beliefs are Not Shadowy Ghosts

Some Other Interesting Links

Holding On, the first few chapters of my teen novel that will be published through Elephant Page in the second half of 2025.

The Hosea series – an eight part exploration of the most powerful love story I have ever heard, with some great relationship advice.