Sowell: Is Thinking Obsolete?

While it is not possible to answer all the e-mails and letters from readers, many are thought-provoking, whether those thoughts are positive or negative.

An e-mail from one young man simply asked for the sources of some facts about gun control that were mentioned in a recent column. It is good to check out the facts — especially if you check out the facts on both sides of an issue.

By contrast, another man simply denounced me because of what was said in that column. He did not ask for my sources but simply made contrary assertions, as if his assertions must be correct and therefore mine must be wrong.

He identified himself as a physician, and the claims that he made about guns were claims that had been made years ago in a medical journal — and thoroughly discredited since then. He might have learned that, if we had engaged in a back and forth discussion, but it was clear from his letter that his goal was not debate but denunciation. That is often the case these days.

It is always amazing how many serious issues are not discussed seriously, but instead simply generate assertions and counter-assertions. On television talk shows, people on opposite sides often just try to shout each other down.

There is a remarkable range of ways of seeming to argue without actually producing any coherent argument.

Decades of dumbed-down education no doubt have something to do with this, but there is more to it than that. Education is not merely neglected in many of our schools today, but is replaced to a great extent by ideological indoctrination. Moreover, it is largely indoctrination based on the same set of underlying and unexamined assumptions among teachers and institutions.

Education is not merely neglected in many of our schools today, but is replaced to a great extent by ideological indoctrination. Moreover, it is largely indoctrination based on the same set of underlying and unexamined assumptions among teachers and institutions.

It could be an unintended consequence of the women's rights movement.

Years ago women teachers were the same people who today run companies ... In the 'old days' those women were primarily relegated to 'teacher or nurse'... And they made great teachers and nurses. Of course it was unfair - and changes needed to be made... but there were some great teachers.

Today's teachers come from the same class as the people who used to sell shoes and work in factories. Union types - not the types usually associated with critical thinking...

“I had to remember produce codes, even had to learn WHAT all the produce was to identify it.”

Haha! I was just at a store the other day and I bought a squash. The checker girl picks it up, looks confused and turns to me and says, “what is this?” I couldn’t help laughing at her as I answered that it is a butternut squash! Now, whenever I go there I make sure and identify all produce for her. As she picks it up, I tell her “orange, apple, potato, etc.”

“Thank technology for much of this mind atrophy in young folks.”

One more thing. The root cause goes deeper than technology. It is actually caused by the phenomonal success of Capitalism and Liberty. This country is the greatest in the world because of our foundation and history of the promotion of liberty and free markets. It brought us such success that we were able to overcome discomforts that were foisted on man by nature. We no longer have to go to bed when the sun sets, we no longer have to freeze when it is cold, bake when it is hot or just be wet in rain. We are able to send our waste away from our general vacinity to lower the risk of sickness. Finally, we are also able to “trade” for food and are not forced to hunt.

All of this is relatively new to man and it is the direct result of rewarding thought and punishing “not thinking.” It was natural that if you wanted to ban guns, then you would DIE of starvation or lack of meet. It was natural that if you attacked the productive by “smearing waste” on their property (think OWS and cop car) then you would be punished with some illness that would teach you to THINK differently.

We have been so successful that now we have a society that does not punish anyone for this lack of intellect. In fact, we reward those NON THINKERS the most in our society and degrade the thinkers.

It was apparent to me when I was on vacation and actually had to watch some Brian Williams news broadcast. It was a story about some diet supplement on the market and how it was just terrible for people. They were lamenting about GNC selling this aweful product and they even asked an FDA drone how they could sell it. Their statement at the end was that the government can’t outlaw it, but that the producers and sellers were still immoral for selling a legal product! I started laughing and had to actually point out to others how insane that news story concluded. I could honestly see the light bulbs being re-lit as I could do some teaching about thinking.

Heck, we have had such success that we are able to actually retire. Yet, we are so filled with non-thinkers that many get angry when we question taking from the poorest people to provide for the wealthiest. One is not punished (naturally) for failing to plan to provide for one’s self, instead the planner and saver is punished for their responsibility.

It is a bizarro world and one that is doomed to crash. The only question is when and how hard.

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