A look at good decision-making through the lens of effective communication
A look at good decision-making through the lens of effective communication
Ethical thinking requires one to view the world soundly and carefully. We will begin our study by examining basic theories of thinking that result in solid critical thinking. This chapter introduces problems with human thinking and follows the tendencies that cause issues in ethical leadership. We will explore the idea that effective leadership incorporates the concept of thinking well and that this may be difficult for many to consistently do. Humans need to continually work to improve their critical thinking skills, so we become effective and honest in our interactions with others. To do this, we must view this through the lens of continual practice and improvement.
Human thinking patterns
From basic psychological study, there are conflicting theories relative to the human thinking processes; but it is clear is that there are tendencies that are important to evaluate. I refer to these trends as human thinking patterns. This is not to imply that we are carbon copies of one another, or we are not unique in our perceptions or viewpoints. Instead, when analyzing how individuals think, understanding certain tendencies may help us to become more attune with our own thinking habits and to effectively identify those trends in others. Two of the most powerful factors that influence our thinking patterns are conditioning and association.
Conditioning represents the way our surroundings or environment influence, or may control, in some instances, our processing and understanding of the world around us. Looking at behavioral psychology, we see how much we are impacted by factors around us, and more revealing, how we are less likely to see how those forces influence us. These conditioning patterns can be self-inflicted and be either consciously, unconsciously, or even subconsciously present.
Psychology reveals that we process and retain knowledge through association as well as other known and unknown factors. Simply put, we recognize and process information, and then store thoughts according to experiences, environmental placement, and our understanding of the world. As such, association can have an important impact on how we interpret or make sense of the external world around us.
When we consider the importance of these first two concepts, we must evaluate the implications of their effects in reference to sound thinking. Individuals are impacted by the influences of their thinking, therefore we can predict potential issues or encourage individuals to employ useful thinking patterns that can off-set perception-based mistakes that can lead to negative outcomes or problems.
Beyond these two terms, we also can turn our attention to cognitive and temperamental thinking to help us understand our thinking patterns.
- Cognitive thinking refers to our tendency to carefully evaluate words, use logic, and construct a full consideration of possible reasons and outcomes of ideas or actions. Thi