Habits of Heart
Critical thinking is an essential practice for any person, organization, or society committed to justly assessing the past, rightly acting in the present, and wisely planning for the future. It’s how we dig beneath bias, habit, and received opinions to a clearer understanding of our own ideas, of one another, and of the world around us.
But contrary to conventional wisdom, the highest quality critical thinking is not a rarified act of pure reason. It’s not the suppression of all emotion or the hegemony of logic above all else. Feeling is not the opposite of thinking, and it’s not actually the heart that gets in the way of good ideas. Only unhealthy relationships with our emotions do that. Healthy relationships with our emotions nurture creativity and clarity, cultivating our most meaningful, valuable, world-changing ideas.
For example…
Serenity allows us to listen and observe from a place of grounded humility, opening us to deeper understandings of ourselves, others, and unfamiliar ideas.
Curiosity inspires us to examine ideas more deeply, even in the absence of doubt or confusion, often leading to new insights or a revised understanding.
Awe and wonder broaden our minds beyond our immediate and concrete concerns, helping us perceive the interconnectedness of all creation and ideas.
Playfulness invites us to explore, imagine, and create more innovative solutions without the limiting pressures of immediate productivity or perfection.
Love inspires us to seek and support the best in ourselves, others, and the world. It motivates us to look beyond material gains, toward a more meaningful abundance and substantive joy.
Only when we integrate both head and heart can we cultivate our best ideas.
