WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO DEAL WITH YOUR IRRATIONAL MIND? – CRITICAL THINKING SERIES – PART NINE (9)
Disclaimer: Good Day, Readers. WealthBuildingPowers blog is a financial literacy/competency blog and does not provide specific investment recommendations.
STYRON’S INTRODUCTION – IRRATIONAL DECISIONS LED TO THE BP DEEPWATER HORIZON EXPLOSION- APRIL 21, 2010
My field of expertise is industrial personnel safety. I spent half my career in the oil and gas industry, conducting numerous investigations of incidents caused by poor decision-making. In most cases, poor leadership decisions.
I was attending a routine (non-exciting) Board meeting at Virginia Tech University when I was alerted my company’s {BP} oil drilling platform had exploded, and 11 people were missing, presumed killed.
The BP Deepwater Horizon catastrophe serves as a reminder of the importance of responsible and logical decision-making.
Various factors, including human error, technological failure, and systemic issues within the company, caused the BP explosion. Several leadership decisions disregarded significant risks or the opinions of others. Business interests and goals took precedence, leading to a breakdown of redundant safety systems, standard operating procedures, communication, collaboration, and accountability.
Today’s blog demonstrates how individuals and groups can make wrong and deadly decisions. The Critical Thinking series provides various tools to improve your decision-making competencies.
Eleven men {sons, fathers, brothers, husbands} lost their lives on April 21, 2010, due to the BP Deepwater Horizon explosion. The names of the 11 victims are:
- Gordon Jones
- Dale Burkeen
- Roy Wyatt Kemp
- Karl Kleppinger Jr.
- Jason Anderson
- Aaron Dale Burkeen
- Donald Clark
- Stephen Ray Curtis
- Gordon Leigh Sumner
- Curtis Michael Thomas
- Blake Wesley Quine.
Their families and loved ones continue to mourn their loss.
CRITICAL THINKING SERIES
Jim Leemann, Ph.D.
I am sure none of you reading this column would do this, but have you ever texted when you were driving? Ask yourself, is that text so important that you are willing to risk your life to create and send it? I think most of us would consider this behavior to be irrational.
What does it take to deal with your irrational mind?– PART NINE (9): CRITICAL THINKING SERIES
History is replete with examples of individuals in both the private and public sectors making irrational decisions that have led to serious unintended consequences. Some of these decisions included Decca Records declining to sign the Beatles, Mars turning down M&Ms being in “E.T.,” Thalidomide’s use as a morning sickness treatment in pregnant women, Hindenburg filled with hydrogen instead of helium, Napoleon invading Russia, Hitler invading Russia, Prohibition just to name a few.
Indeed, there are numerous individuals who have made irrational decisions resulting in their being sentenced to prison. This column focuses on what causes irrational thinking and what you can do to use your Critical Thinking to avoid falling into the trap of irrational thinking.
Where Does Irrational Thinking Come From?
Irrational thinking surfaces from two principal human motivations, namely Human Egocentrism and Human Sociocentrism. As Drs. Richard Paul and Linda Elder describe in their Critical Thinking – Learn the Tools the Best Thinkers Use, these two motivations are overlapping and interrelated motivating impulses behind human irrationality. As they define:
- Human Egocentrism is the natural human tendency “to view everything within the world in relationship to oneself, to be self-centered,” and
- Human Sociocentrism is the natural human tendency “to view everything within the world in relationship to one’s group, to be group-centered.”
Drs. Paul and Elder further clarify that Human Egocentrism comprises two characteristics, namely seeing the world in self-serving terms. For example, this occurs when one wants to get personal recognition for oneself, typically through nefarious means or at the expense of others’ rights or needs. The second characteristic centers on the desire to maintain one’s beliefs or rigidity-of-thought. In other words, they see their irrational beliefs as being rational.
Human Sociocentric thought is an extension of Human Egocentric thinking in a group setting. Virtually all Sociocentric groups are comprised of Egocentric members, all of which are focused on themselves. Drs. Paul and Elder describe Sociocentric groups as seeking what they want without regard to the rights or needs of others and rationalizing the beliefs and behaviors of the group, regardless of whether they are rational. Other important descriptive characteristics include:
- Having a narrow-minded perception of reality.
- Cultivating an almost arrogant self-referencing.
- Others who are different are considered suspicious and mistrusted.
- Possessing the truth, believing they are right.
- Holding extreme positions and goals.
- Leaders focus on generating collective thought.
- Adopting a proprietary outrageously persuasive rhetorical vocabulary.
All of us tend to gravitate toward joining a group or groups, and then we egocentrically identify with that group. Rarely do we object to the direction the group is taking because, irrational as it may seem, we do not see it that way.
Take a moment and look back over the characteristics for Egocentrism and Sociocentrism and think about how these apply to yourself and to groups in which you have been or are a member.
TAKING CHARGE OF YOUR EGOCENTRIC BEHAVIOR
It is not natural for us to consider the rights and needs of others, nor appreciate others points of views or even our limited point of view. In other words, we do not naturally recognize our Egocentric ways and in order to recognize our behaviors, we need to be trained to do so. Instead of using intellectual standards to think, we use self-centered psychological standards to figure out what to believe or reject. Some common psychological standards are:
- It’s true because I believe it.
- It’s true because I want to believe it.
- It’s true because I have always believed it.
- It’s true because it is in my self-interest to believe it.
Our Egocentric nature erects a formidable barrier to our utilizing our Critical Thinking skills. This is due in great part to our beliefs that we have figured out how everything in the world works.
Egocentric thinking provides us self-gratification and self-validation. We become gratified when we are able to internally validate our current belief system, even if that validation was accomplished through unethical means. It is only when we step back and honestly and rationally analyze ourselves with respect to these tendencies that we can engage our Critical Thinking skills. Of course, this self-awareness rarely takes place at the same time we are focused in on our Egocentric thinking mindset.
Successful Egocentric Thinking
Many examples of Egocentric thinking surface in individuals who have significant power and status in the world, such as politicians, lawyers, businesspeople, and others. Often, they are skilled in getting what they want through rationalizing unethical behavior with great cleverness. They will only rely on ethical principles when it comes to securing what they want for selfish reasons. The only time powerful people will take others’ rights and needs into account is when they absolutely have to in order to get what they want. Egocentric politicians will agree with a certain group’s position (e.g., union insisting on continuing COVID lockdowns) in order to secure their votes in a coming election. Egocentric cryptocurrency CEO inflating earnings expectations while over-leveraging the company into bankruptcy.
Unsuccessful Egocentric Thinking
Problematic issues surface for the Egocentric thinker and his or her audience when the thinker is unsuccessful in getting what he or she wants. Drs. Paul and Elder point out that when an Egocentric thinker is unsuccessful, these are some of the feelings the thinker might experience: defensiveness, arrogance, apathy, alienation, indifference, resentment, depression, anger, irritability, chronic self-pity, and/or depression.
Rational Thinking
We are all capable of thinking and acting rationally, but one must work at it to make it happen. Drs. Paul and Elder provide the following suggestions on how to employ rational thinking over Egocentric thinking.
- Respect the evidence presented to you even though it does not support your views.
- Learn to be empathetic toward the viewpoints of others, even those you disagree with.
- Understand the implications of your own reasoning toward others.
- Be compassionate toward others and make sacrifices, if necessary.
- Engage with others to solve problems.
- Pay attention to your own Egocentric thinking and take Critical Thinking steps to correct that tendency.
- Recognize your point of view is always incomplete and often blatantly self-serving.
- Look for lapses in your logic and note these lapses are problematic.
- Consider and understand others’ points of views by seeing situations from more than one point of view.
- Avoid confusing the actual world with your perspective of the world.
The Egocentric mind works to mask the truth about what it is actually doing, while signaling it is being rational and fair. Our Egocentric self creates an illusion of perspective mindset. Critical thinking allows us to recognize our Egocentric thinking process.
Rational thinking does not cover-up for a hidden agenda, nor is it trapped within one point of view. It is open to all relevant points of view and available pertinent data and information. Importantly, the rational thinking mind is willing to admit when it is wrong and to learn from its mistakes. It takes charge of its emotions when reacting to a situation and uses its emotional energy productively.
TAKING CHARGE OF YOUR SOCIOCENTRIC TENDENCIES
Strange things happen when you gather together Egocentric individuals into a group. They tend to take on new roles, form “in-group” cliques, are drawn into extreme positions, and surrender to peer pressure. Such in-groups often ignore the rights and needs of others to the point of violating the rights and needs of others. When these in-group Egocentric individuals are under the sway of Sociocentric thinking, the in-group assumes a privileged position over other groups. Ignoring the needs and desires of the other groups, the in-group justifies itself in getting its way and camouflaging the double-standards of the in-group. A recent example of in-groups imposing their standards on other groups that they would not want inflicted on themselves, which resulted in pain and suffering is revealed in the on-going feud between the “Vaxxed” in-group and “Unvaxxed” other groups across the globe. The “in-group” easily ignores its hypocrisy when under the sway of Sociocentrism.
Instead of using intellectual standards to think, the in-group uses group-centered psychological standards to figure out what to believe or reject. Some common psychological standards are:
- It’s true because We believe it.
- It’s true because We want to believe it.
- It’s true because We have always believed it.
- It’s true because it is in Our group-interest to believe it.
Drs. Paul and Elder note that as individuals deceive themselves through their Egocentric thinking, so too in-groups deceive themselves through Sociocentric thinking. In either case, selfish interest and validating uncritical thinking are the outcomes of this thinking.
The Nature of Sociocentrism
All of us are members of one or more social groups, such as our country, culture, profession, religion, family, and peer group each of which has a social definition of itself and, as Drs. Paul and Elder note, a set of unspoken “rules” that guide the behavior of its members. As a member of the group, we are expected to identify ourselves with:
- A name that defines who and what we are.
- A way of talking.
- A set of friends and opponents.
- Group rituals in which we must participate.
- Expected behaviors involving fellow group members.
- Expected behaviors when around an opposition group.
- A hierarchy of power within the group.
- A way of dressing and speaking.
- Social requirements to which we must conform.
- A set of taboos or forbidden acts we must studiously avoid under threat of punishment.
Belonging to a group certainly offers advantages; however, these can come at a price. Adhering to the above expectations is typically done unknowingly. To belong, members embrace the rules of the group and readily identify with the group. Most groups expect members to conform to certain lines of thought and behavior and frown upon or even punish independent thoughts or behaviors.
The Dangers of Sociocentric Thinking
Egocentric thinking individuals in a Sociocentric thinking group setting tend to distort concepts, ideas, and language to facilitate pursuit of their vested interests, never thinking what they are doing is inappropriate. Groups often sustain themselves by finding fault in opposing groups’ ideologies or they project whatever misdeeds they are doing onto another group to smear that group’s reputation. The advent of social media and leftwing biased mainstream media have significantly accelerated the damage these groups can inflict on their opposition.
Conclusion
All of us can fall prey to Egocentric and Sociocentric thinking tendencies if we do not take the time to admit and understand that is exactly what we are doing. The previous Critical Thinking columns presented here, provide you with a variety of tools to ward off the temptation to personally embrace Egocentric thinking or Sociocentric thinking in a “group think” setting. It is important to recognize avoiding this trap is easier said than done since Egocentric and Sociocentric thinking both occur subconsciously. Various forms of punishment are leveled against those who disagree with the group’s beliefs, expectations, and behaviors. The key is to be alert to those moments when as an individual or as a group member, you become aware of being selfish or your thinking becomes rigidly narrow in scope and focus.
For a deeper understanding of Critical Thinking, I invite you to explore the following reference sources by Drs. Richard Paul and Linda Elder, published by Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham, MD:
- Critical Thinking – Learn the Tools the Best Thinkers Use (Concise Edition).
- The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking – Concepts and Tools.
- The Foundation for Critical Thinking https://www.criticalthinking.org/
- Critical Writing – A Guide to Writing a Paper Using the Concepts and Processes of Critical Thinking by Dr. Gerald Nosich, published by Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham, MD.
- Sway – The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior by Ori Brafman and Rom Brafman.
Bio: Jim Leemann, Ph.D.
Dr. Leemann has had a 45-year career that has included being in the forefront of the safety, occupational health, and environmental fields in both the private and public sector. In addition, for 22 of those years, Dr. Leemann was an adjunct assistant professor teaching a variety of environmental and public health courses in the country’s oldest school of public health. In addition to holding a bachelor’s degree in microbiology, master’s degrees in industrial hygiene and environmental engineering, his doctorate is in systemic management, which he has used to apply systems thinking methods to address organizational management problems.
WHAT SUBJECTS DO YOU WANT TO READ NEXT? WHAT QUESTIONS CAN I ANSWER? UNTIL NEXT TIME!
LET’S MAKE SOME MONEY – CRYPTOCURRENCY, ANYONE?
YOUR GREATNESS IS NOT WHAT YOU HAVE; IT’S WHAT YOU GIVE! – CHARITIES I SUPPORT
St Jude Hospital: https://www.stjude.org/
Wounded Warrior Project: https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org
Folds of Honor: https://foldsofhonor.org
Wilson’s No-Kill Animal Shelter: https://wcnkas.org
TRUST ME – YOU WILL LIKE THE BELOW BLOGS!
NEW SERIES – CRITICAL THINKING
USING CRITICAL THINKING IN PURSUIT OF POST-HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION – CRITICAL THINKING SERIES – PART 2
CRITICAL THINKING – TOP TEN IN-DEMAND SKILLS FOR MANY EMPLOYERS! – CRITICAL THINKING PART 3: WHAT ARE THE UNIVERSAL STANDARDS OF THINKING?
CRITICAL THINKING – WHAT LEVEL OF THINKING ARE YOU? CRITICAL THINKING PART 4
THINKING IS DRIVEN BY QUESTIONS, NOT ANSWERS – PART 5 CRITICAL THINKING SERIES: WHAT QUESTIONS DO THE BEST CRITICAL THINKERS ASK?
WHAT {DO YOU, AS A} CRITICAL THINKER, DO TO LEARN? – PART 6A – CRITICAL THINKING SERIES
WHAT DO YOU AS A CRITICAL THINKER DO TO LEARN – PART 6B – CRITICAL THINKING SERIES
WHAT HABITS DO CRITICAL THINKERS USE WHEN READING AND WRITING? PART 7A – CRITICAL THINKING SERIES
PART 7B: SUBSTANTIVE WRITING: WHAT HABITS DO CRITICAL THINKERS USE WHEN READING AND WRITING? – CRITICAL THINKING SERIES
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A FAIR-MINDED CRITICAL THINKER? – CRITICAL THINKING SERIES – PART 8
To Join Wealth Building Powers BLOG:
PLEASE SIGN UP TO FOLLOW ME BY PROVIDING YOUR E-MAIL IN THE WORDPRESS BLOG PAGE SUBSCRIBE BOX!
Thank you to my followers and readers for your likes and comments. All comments, recommendations, and feedback are welcomed and utilized to improve this blog.
ABOUT ME
I am a proud nerd (as my beautiful wife and daughter have told me) investment and finance blogger with an N.C. State, Chemical Engineering, University Rutgers, MBA and Harvard University, Advanced Management education.
I left a corporate career because I desired to make a difference as a speaker and writer. I was blessed to be coached and mentored by strong women and men in my family and professional life. It is my time to serve and give back.
DISCLAIMER
I started my first business at ~13 years of age (a small but brilliantly created plant nursery). I am a successful investor in stocks, options, real estate and am happy to share my finance and investment lessons. I am NOT a licensed financial advisor. Please do not construe my suggestions on this blog as recommendations for your situation. As an investor, you must establish your risk/loss tolerance. Investment in any asset involves risk, including complete loss.
Please seek your licensed CPA or fiduciary financial advisors for individual financial advice.
I write this weekly blog to make an impact by reaching an audience and demonstrating the need for Financial Literacy. I will help you get there.
To follow my daily posts on Instagram, CLICK BELOW:
http://instagram.com/wealth_building_powers
