"Urban Legends"

Urban legends creep through our society, by way of rumor, one person at a time. They elicited fear, anxiety, humor and caution: Will you wake up in the bathtub without a kidney, is there a homicidal maniac hiding in the back seat of your car, and are there really people in Nigeria who need you to wire them millions of dollars? It’s possible; it happened to a friend of a friend and I received the original email…

Why do we believe in urban legends? Is it the suspense? Are the stories about real people in believable situations? Or, is there some truth in the stories?

Urban legends have been around since the 1930’s. But, over the past 10 years, urban legends have increased in number because of the internet. Sending information over the internet is easy, fast, popular, and does not require disclosure. I believe that the wide discrepancies in “the truth” proliferate throughout the internet because the internet has no boundaries. When using the internet, you can be anyone, say anything, and send information to as many people in one setting, as you wish. He or she can hide their identity, pretend to be someone their not, and play out fantasies. Urban legends have become a part of the phenomena.

But why send discrepancies?

They usually contain information that is not easily verifiable. The person starting the urban legend may feel superior during its initiation. Humans have a need to trust people, for their own comfort; and if you trust someone, you will believe anything. Detailed urban legends lend to their credibility. Lastly, lack of critical thinking allows you to take things for their “face value”.

My Take Away: I believe that it is human nature to tell stories or discrepancies that feed into our emotions and fears, and if there is an audience, the rumors will continue.

Additional links:

Snopes.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-B2dqUcSiJI&NR=1
http://www.lifeinthefastlane.ca/urban-legends-revealed/offbeat-news

A Definition of Critical Thinking

-University of South Austraila, 2006
Critical thinking is self-guided, self-disciplined thinking that aims to take the reasoning we all do naturally to a higher level. It is the art of analyzing and evaluating with the goal of improving thought. When making a decision, it is the difference between weighing information to come to a logical conclusion and making a snap judgment without understanding the information.

Critical thinking is described as a “development process” that requires learning and hard work.
The development of a critical thinking encompasses the following stages:

1. The Inform and Describe Stage: is when you are analyzing your topic and breaking down the context

2. The Discover and Explore Stage: is when you identify, and gain insight on your topic; and put away your bias.

3. The Negotiate and Co-Operate Stage: is when you are gaining information from outside sources, on both sides of the topic, by asking questions.

4. The Test and Revise Stage: is where you compare all information gathered, with information that you previously had about the topic.

5. The Integrate and Apply Stage: Also known as the “Reflective Stage”, is when you analyze all the information and begin to bring together all ideas and information to make you become more knowledgeable on the topic. And then you come to your logical conclusion.

My realization take-away: Critical thinking was more in depth than I originally envisioned. Critical thinking involves stages that must be completed to become effective. Critical thinking makes you put aside your own personal bias and non evidenced based beliefs. All points of view must be considered in putting everything into perspective.

"Intelligence is something we are born with,

thinking is a skill that must be learned."

Dr. Edward DeBoro

video-critical thinking overview:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-J9s_x1zwB4