Tuesday, December 5, 2006

Reading my mind

Paul, from Aurora Walking Vacation, left a very interesting comment in my journal earlier this evening.

It was:
I know you were being facetious, but this is an example of the kind of magical thinking that allows astrologers, psychics, mediums, and the like to flourish. Of course, WebMD did not really *know* what you were thinking. How many million e-mail inboxes was that mesage sent to? And you think (however jokingly) that they were somehow reading your mind. Even though you said it tongue-in-cheek, you still thought it, and said it, and that is exactly the kind of lack of critical thinking that the entire world seems to have fallen into these days.
  Sorry to mellow your trip, man.
-Paul

My commentary :): First off, Paul, you didn't mellow my trip at all, though I appreciate your trying. ;). Secondly, I think the argument you present is valid among a certain percentage of people (whether they are the minority or majority I cannot say), who fail to critically think in many situations (email forwards are my personal pet peeve example). And that, I agree, is a horrible and society-wide issue.

As an educator, I appreciate your using observable behaviors to determine process (B.F. Skinner would be proud of you!), but what your comment does not take into account is the actual cognitive process I went through - your comment (in the parts pertinent to me) is invalid because you are not critiquing my actual cognitive process.

When I received the email, I did the following:
1. Laughed at the coincidence of getting that email as I was stressing out
2. Thought that some sort of entry on my disorganized life tied to this email would allow for some tongue-in-cheek humor and perhaps a little less stress!
3. Determined that the best way to use the email would be to poke fun at the absurdity of stress and those crazy people at WebMD.
4. Wrote and posted the message, knowing full well that I never at all thought WebMD could read my mind. Let me repeat - My cognitive process decided to use the WebMD email as a tool for humor - it never once dwelled on the actual content or message WebMD intended to send in that email.

What's somewhat amusing to me is that you presumed to know my thought process: "Even though you said it tongue-in-cheek, you still thought it, and said it, and that is exactly the kind of lack of critical thinking that the entire world seems to have fallen into...." That, to me, is a lack a critical thinking. Were you working with an observable behavior? Yes. Were you informed of all the facts that went into the cognitive process behind that entry? No. Did that lead to an invalid critique? In my case, Yes.

Oh, and Paul, if you're ever in Gettysburg there is a FANTASTIC tarot card reader in town I'll take you to; she knows EVERYTHING!

;)

Charley

 
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