今天早一点写,找个安静的时间先读~
做一个学会观察的人很重要,因为只有你足够会观察,你看到的、听到的信息才足够完整,对你的批判性思考很有好处。
开篇作者就举了几个例子,思考一下我们是否有关注父亲眼睛的颜色,母亲头发习惯往哪边卷,等等身边需要我们提高感知、观察水平去留意的细节。
Observing People
作者讲述了如何用去观察人,如果我们能够更有效地观察他人,可以提升我们的批判性思考水平。侦探就有很高的观察水平。(基本的观察我们多少会一点,因为你跟一个人沟通,他是否用心在沟通我们能感受到,是直视你的眼睛用心地倾听交流,还是无法掩饰地流露出不耐烦,比如看手表以及细微的脸部表情等)
观察人不光对思考有好处,这种细致的观察可以使我们更加的敏感、对他人更加的考虑周到thoughtful。
作者举了一个例子,一个已经进行9周、并且课堂作文练习在第一节课就声明的作业课上,一个学生向老师借钢笔。虽然老师什么都没说,也看不出不悦,慢慢掏出笔,走到他桌前,把钢笔借给他了。但如果这个学生足够有观察力,可以感受到老师的不悦以及“What’s the use?”的怀疑。
Observation in Science and Medicine
科学与药物上的发现也是通过观察。比如心脏病的确诊,青霉素的发现penicillin等等。另外也要注意不要犯错:post hoc fallacy。能观察、推论是很好的,但是注意因果关系是不一定成立的。
The Range of Application
Becoming More Observant
我们还是会受到mine is better的思想影响,很多时候我们都只关注自身。但是真正会观察的人,会把观察点放在身边的人身上。
下面这一段真的很有趣,全面节选过来,实践思考。(个人思考:这个让我想起在知乎上的一个问答,做公交车的时候做什么好。 对我来说,听东西很难因为太吵,看书和手机又很伤眼,所以一般就三件事情可以做。一是睡觉,二是思考最近的计划安排、背东西、想设计、理思路,三就是观察身边的人了,观察每个人的样貌、衣着、在车里的动作,思考推测他们的职业、故事等等。)
A good way to start becoming more observant is to practice receiving sense impressions more attentively. At the next meeting of an organization you belong to or any other gathering, try to notice things you would normally miss: objects in the room, the arrangement of the furniture, the positions of the people in relation to one another, the subtle reactions of people during the discussion. The next time you are walking around your neighborhood or in the mall, try to see how many things you’ve been missing. Which houses are best cared for? How many people smile and nod or otherwise greet you? What activities are people you pass engaged in? Do they seem to be enjoying what they are doing? How many different sounds do you hear? Which sounds dominate? Are they pleasant or harsh? How many different styles of walking can you detect among the people you pass? How many stores have closed? Which stores are most crowded?
When you are reading a magazine or newspaper or watching TV,look for the significance of things. Consider the connections among ideas,even apparently unrelated ones. An article about an astronomer’s location of a new galaxy may reveal something about concentration and mental discipline. A TV show about the effects of negligence and abuse on children may suggest a new perspective on marriage or divorce or the Hollywood image of romance.
Reflecting on Your Observations
这里作者给了特别好的建议,值得我们去践行。我们可以养成反思自己观察的习惯。最好的方法就是每天找一段10-15分钟能安静思考的时间,能够排除一切的干扰,然后你记录在过去一天你听到的看到的,然后问自己发生的这些事情意味着什么,他们跟其他重要的问题有什么关联。通过这样的思考,你可以提升自己的思考水平。
比如说一个案例是,一夫妇开车的时候为了避免撞到一个狗,翻车了。女的肚子里有16个月的胎儿,因此男的就起诉了狗主人。问题的关键在于胎儿在未出生前是否被当成一个人。对这个问题进行进一步的反思就是对流产的判定。