Sparking Cognitive Ignition

In the United States of America, and probably elsewhere in the world, the first and foremost lessons we received in our youth indoctrination centers were to sit down! … be quiet! … follow instructions! … and most important, do not question!

'But why?' … 'Because we have a schedule, so no time for questions.'

'But why?' … 'Because that's just the way it is.'

'But why?' … 'Because I said so!'

Do not question orders. Do not question authority. Do not question what you've been told. DO! NOT! QUESTION!

This legacy of anti-intellectualism goes back a few millennia.

Implicit in the stories of Pandora and Eve. Punished for wanting to know.

Explicit in sayings like, ‘curiosity killed the cat’ and ‘ignorance is bliss.' Effective pieces of propaganda in a crusade against the wonder and curiosity instrumental to think critically and creatively.

Fortunately, the wild free spirit residing deep within every living being can never be fully tamed. And when there is an opening, that spirit can coming clawing and roaring back to life.

Many continued to stand. Many continued to speak. Many continued to do what they believed good and true. But most important, many continued to ask questions.

They questioned everything!

They questioned orders. They questioned authority. They questioned what they were told. Some were even so bold as to question the questions they were asked to consider.  

“Why Are We Here?”

Well aren’t we jumping the gun?

"WHY are we here?" assumes, we are here.

So first things first ... Are we here? ... Are we present?

Or are we mystifying in recent pasts or distant futures?

Already ready to make a final judgment about if we agree or disagree.

Inhale ... slow ... deep ... 5 ... 6 ... 7 ... 8

Focus on the feeling your lungs expanding / contracting.

Focus on the feeling of the air passing through your nostrils.

Exhale ... slow ... fully ... 4 ... 3 ... 2 ... 1

Breeeaaathe deeeep

You here, now?

Ok! We can proceed to WHY.

Questioning Questions

Can questions disrupt cognitive atrophy conditioned into many people?

Can questions reactivate cognitive potency of which sapiens are capable?

One way to begin, as we just saw, is to ask:

“What assumptions does a question assume?” (We are here)

“What questions did we NOT ask? (ARE we here?)

“Why is the question important? What might the answers allow us to do? (Take some action to make sure we are present and focused.)

Are there better questions to disrupt cognitive atrophy and reactivate cognitive potency?

When you ask ENOUGH questions, ask different questions, ask new questions, you start to consider things you hadn’t thought.

Questioning Critical Thinkers

How does a 'critical thinker' know they are thinking critically?

How does a 'free thinker' know their thoughts are free?

Do critical thinkers, ever think critically, about their critical thought process?

Questioning Critical Thinking

What is critical thinking? What is NOT critical thinking?

What is vital and essential? What is NOT vital and essential?

Who or what decides what is vital and essential?

Who or what decides what is NOT critical?

People tend to conflate critical thinking, with constant critique and complaint.

Is your critique and complaint vital and essential? Does an ability to critique and complain demonstrate intelligence or irritation?

Questioning Free Thinking

Do free thinkers turn down payments of pennies for their thoughts?

What is free thinking? What is NOT free thinking?

What is self determined and self defined?

What is NOT self determined and self defined?

What is free? What is NOT free?

People tend to conflate contrarian or fringe thinking with free thinking. And get trapped in this thinking.

How does a free thinker not get enslaved by their thoughts?

Activating Thoughtful Thinking

In the emerging A+Original Unions of Earth, the first and foremost lessons people received in cognitive reactivation were to stand up! … be loud! … lead experimentations! … and most important, ask thoughtful questions!

What is thoughtful?

What is NOT thoughtful?

Ask thoughtful questions to your family. Ask thoughtful questions to your friends. Ask thoughtful questions to your foes.

ASK! THOUGHTFUL! QUESTIONS!

Is thinking always what's needed?

Or do we need emotional content?

How do we transcend our thinking?

Fortunately, the wild free spirit residing deep within every living being can always be fully freed.

A Proper Gander

Experimental pieces of propaganda evolved...

‘ignorance is stupid’

...promoting the desire and pursuit...

‘knowledge is bliss'

...central to a culture that supports...

‘curiosity birthed the pack’

...the wonder and curiosity instrumental to think critically and creatively.

'questions are key'

An Experiment: QUESTioning Quests

In the emerging A+Original Unions of Earth, one of the first and foremost lessons people receive in cognitive reactivation is to lead experiments!

One such experiment was the "Conversational Menu" which asked:

Are questions a key to create deeper listening and comprehension?

Are questions a key to create clearer articulation and expression?

Are questions a key to create stronger communion and connection?

Are questions a key to recreate our conversational and relational reality?

Prior to Conversational Menus, most conversations led with statements, assertions, and assumptions.

Most assumptions in these conversations assume the other had similar visions, similar definitions, similar intentions, and similar questions.

The content and context of our questions can open wildly different paths and responses. At times we are fundamentally on different quests trying to solve for totally different problems.

Conversational Menus created a way both to filter the minds moving in contrary ways and find the minds moving in complementary ways.

Conversational Menus created ways to escape the eco chambers of our own making and to engage the conversations we wish to entertain.

Conversational Menus created ways to think critically about our own critical thought process by inviting the alternative questions posed in anothers' Conversational Menu.

Choose Your Quest

Some pathways to go from here. If you choose to accept.

Pathway 1: Find 4 or 5 of your favorite questions from the following "Conversational Menu" to explore with people you know.

Pathway 2: Add to, rewrite, or totally replace the questions on this "Conversational Menu" to discuss with people you know.

Pathway 3: Create your own Conversational Menu without looking at the above model so your thoughts aren't influenced. Any more than they have.