We are the product of our thoughts?????????????

Change your thoughts and you change your world.

Thought makes the whole dignity of man, therefore endeavor to think well, that is the only morality.

What is Thinking ?Thinking encompasses all of the mentalactivities associated with concept- formation, problem solving ,intellectual functioning,Creativity,complex learning, memory and imagery .

Convergent thinkingIt is,Logical,Analytical and predictable thinking It is most useful when we have information

that can be handled logically.

Divergent thinkingIt is characterized by a process of ‘’moving

away' in various directions, a diverging of ideas to encompass a variety of relevant aspects.

This kind of thinking is frequently associated with creativity since it often yields novel ideas and solutions.

?He is a bad journalist because he is a bad

man.Young people are more immoral in their

behavior than older people.Ahmar is bound to be intelligent because

he is always reading.The Pakistanis are the best people in the

world.

Having just arrived in Ohio, I saw a white squirrel. All Ohio Squirrels are white.

One day Ali wakes up with a fever. A few hours later he finds red spots on his skin. he concludes that the fever must have caused the red spots. His friend insists that the spots and the fever are caused by some microbe. Ali laughs at this and insists that if he spends the day in a tub of cold water his spots will go away.

No one can deny the justice of our cause.He mixes with criminals, therefore he is a

criminal himself.Cricketers are superior people Tyson is a cricketer . Tyson, therefore, is a superior person.

Characteristics of clear thinkingDeterminism

Empirical evidence

Objectivity

Some fallacies in common thinkingA fallacy is a technical flaw which makes an

argument unsound or invalid.

Arguments which contain fallacies are described as fallacious. They often appear valid and convincing; sometimes only close inspection reveals the logical flaw. precious

AD HOMINEM ARGUMENTS attack on your opponent personally instead of arguing against his or her position.

Example: Azhar's objections to capital punishment carry no weight since he is a known criminal.

You claim that atheists can be moral--yet I happen to know that you abandoned your wife and children."

VICIOUS CIRCLE you assume what you want to prove

Example: Of course the Bible is the word of God. Why? Because God says so in the Bible.

IRRELEVANCIES arguing a point by arguing everything else.

All children should have ample attention from their parents.

Parents who work full-time cannot give ample attention to their children.

Therefore, mothers should not work full-time

COMMON BELIEF: This fallacy is committed when we assert a statement to be true on the evidence that many other people allegedly believe it. Being widely believed is not proof or evidence of the truth.

Example: Of course Mr X was guilty in

surrey palace. Everybody knows that.

DUBIOUS AUTHORITY appeal to an expert who is not expert in the area of concern.

ATTACKING A STRAW MAN refuting real arguments with silly example.

Example: Those who favor gun-control legislation just want to take all guns away from responsible citizens and put them into the hands of the criminals.

ATTACKING A STRAW MAN refuting real arguments with silly example.

Example: Those who favor gun-control legislation just want to take all guns away from responsible citizens and put them into the hands of the criminals.

ARGUMENT FROM ANALOGY or FALSE ANALOGY:

An unsound form of inductive argument in which an argument is based completely or relies heavily on analogy to prove its point.

Example: This must be a great car, for, like the finest watches in the world, it was made in Switzerland.

PITY AND OTHER EMOTIONAL APPEALS I am a single parent, solely responsible

for the financial support of my children. If you give me this traffic ticket, I will lose

my license and be unable to drive to work.

PSEUDO QUESTIONS: questions that lead to nowhere,

Example .How is the mind related to the body?

CHANGING MEANING

PREJUDICED ARGUMENTS

Example: Jim Bakker was an insincere Christian. Therefore all Christians are insincere."

APPEAL TO IGNORANCE or Ad ignorantium. Arguing on the basis of what is known and can be proven. If you can't prove that something is true then it must be false (and vice versa).

Example: You can't prove there isn't any ghost, so there must be one.

FALSE DILEMMA (often called the either/or fallacy because the argument nearly always includes the words "either... or..."). This fallacy assumes that we must choose between two opposite extremes instead of allowing for other possibilities, especially for the possibility of choosing an alternative between the extremes.

Example: Women need to be either brilliant or beautiful to survive in this world.

OVER-GENERALIZING CONDEMNING WHOLE CLASS FOR A CHARACTERISTIC POSSESSD BY

SOME.Example: Jim was an insincere Christian.

Therefore all Christians are insincere."

Thinking CriticallyBe skepticalWatch the definitionsBeware of overgeneralizationRedefine problemsUse fractionationConsider the oppositeTake the perspective of another person

Some factors which inhibits our ability to think clearly and logicallyEmotionsNarrow-mindednessCynicismNaïve optimismSkepticismAgnostic attitude

SOME WAYS OF THINKING INTELLIGENTLYAnalytical thinking, the ability to solve

problems and judge ideas.Creative thinking, the ability to formulate

new or clever solutions to problems andPractical thinking, the ability to use your

ideas and implement them effectively.Our thinking is most effective when these three

aspects are in balance.

How to develop Clear thinking?ANALYTICAL THINKINGAnalytical thinking involves conscious direction

of our mental processes to find thoughtful solutions to problems.

1.Recognize that there is a problem2.Define the problem3.Represent information about a problem

accurately4.Invest resources

5.Allocate resources wisely6.Track your progress during the problem-

solving process

CREATIVE THINKINGActively seeking out and planning to

become a role model.Question assumptions and encourage

others to do so, too.Take sensible risks and encourage others

to do the same.Allow yourself and others to make

mistakes

PRACTICAL THINKINGRecognize your pattern of strengths and

weaknessesStrengthen those skills in which you

excelBelieve in yourself.