Originally posted by Kurk
mah man 👆Then you'll be pushed around by anyone exploits your weakness.
Where else can we find critical thinking in the biological world?
I will say that balancing emotions and logic is necessary to be practical in the real world, as the general population is limited to how much they can embrace rationalism.
And no, I prefer stable relationships over promiscuity as well as working productively for long-term goals over mindless leisurely activities—all for rational reasons.
Not if I know my weaknesses. Self-awareness is key. To be overly emotional and unaware of the result of that is a bad sign for personal development, but if you know yourself well enough, you can make yourself more resistant to manipulation or coercion. You build armour. You don't let people see your weaknesses, either. I'm a fairly unstable person emotionally for whatever reason, but nobody knows it - I apply my mask every day and so people think I'm a generally well-rounded person. I take charge with natural ease, and never let people see the pressure getting to me, and I deliver results with expertise, and nobody will ever know that all the time, I was an overflowing mess of emotions, always on the edge of snapping. That's a big part of the balancing act. Self-awareness is far more important than almost anything else in life, imo.
Also, being empathetic can help vastly in the world. So you don't want to be held responsible for hurting someone's feelings? Sure, go ahead and insult them or say whatever you want to say. But there's a lot to gain from mincing one's words. You can gain the support of enemies through empathy, you can make people like you enough to promote you by reading and understanding people. Psychopaths do it whilst faking it. I do the same thing, except I happen to be genuine. The end result is the same.
Critical thinking can be found in many parts of the biological world, in the ways that animals hunt and forage. If a gazelle is running in a semi-circle to shake of its pursuer, the lion takes a straight path instead of keeping on its tail and catches its prey. Apes use tools to open nuts too difficult to smash open with a rock. Etc. It's everywhere.