A Simple Metaphor For Critical Thinking

A video essay on critical thinking, how to develop it, and a train with a broken announcement system.

Featured article: A Simple Metaphor for Critical Thinking

Other Resources:
My new course on keeping a writer's diary:
Selected Writings:
My Essays:
My playlist on Reading:
My collaborative novel about Melbourne: There's A Tale To This City:

[juanmacias]

It's amazing to see more people acknowledging the need for real critical thinking, and seeing the world.

[sie_n]

I love the quote "Social media paints reality as a wasteland." And pretty awesome video! ♡

[thehoodieguy]

I love these new ideas of filming and telling us a message in a more creative way 💯

[xzoni]

I’ve been following your channel for about 3 years and I just admire how you’ve grown and gradually found your style! I wish you the best of luck in the creative field for the future and I can’t wait to see what’s next!

[theyoungfool.]

This, this right here was amazing.

Add some low volume music more sounds from each background, note areas in the recording that could use silence from background music, film shot moments were your in the background speaking what’s being recorded.

There’s so much that can be done with this and you’ve found something extremely fun to add to your videos, love it!

[NostalgiaandChaos]

Enjoying the creativity in the shots and video presentation.

I've been thinking a lot about life lately, trying to take a step back and realize there is good in the world. I think news and the almighty algorithm has discovered in a big way that negative news is a huge driver of retention, but unfortunately that leads to basically only negative news starting to show up. It takes a bit of effort to take a few steps back and see the world for what it is.

I have also completely cut off social media lately, if a friend or family wants to reach out they have my phone number. I cut off news because I couldn't make it through a segment without getting incredibly stressed out. I've been kinda chastised about both decisions, but it's lead to a better mental health for me and it's given me time to think about what matters to me and what I want to do with life.

It's definitely taken a lot of introspection. I want to keep up on the events of the world, but I would love huge doses of good news too. How can I balance the 2, should I balance the 2? Should I just fill an RSS feed with news and stories that are only from "uplifting" sites? Is that burying my head in the sand too much? It takes a lot, but it definitely helps to take those few steps back and look at the world as it is.

Hope you're doing well, Robin.

[wodangrambyel]

Hi, Waldun. Every time I hear someone saying that we need to think critically, I feel like I'm dealing with a pickpocket. The only form of authentic reflection that I have found up to now was the one that arose unpretentiously. Nice video, any way.

[coocoointhebrains]

That was so well done 🎉❤ it's true that we need a reminder because when life gets too hectic we don't have enough energy sometimes to keep thinking critically. We get to the point where we need to trust something simple because we're too burned out to think further

[kadesharp]

Mr. Waldun,
I really enjoy your videos especially on reading. You have made several videos now on the topic, and it seems you have gradually tweaked your methods. Could you please make a video with a comprehensive view of how you now read and remember? Much appreciated

[cleopatrickk]

I am in love with this new video format 🙌 keep up the phone calls, Robin. Powerful metaphor as well.

[grilledcheesebb]

Your videos have gotten so much more arty lately! Miss the old style but also like this new one :)

[Camila-dkwc]

Wow! That's a really well done video! and the message...👏🏻👏🏻
The best 2 minutes I've watched in a while. Thanks :)

[ndimonaco]

I am in love with everything in this video, so amazing. ❤

[tomspoors]

Fascinating piece Robin, thank you! Lots of semiotics here about social construction of reality well captured in "..our relationship with reality [is] filtered through an exchange of symbols and spectacles and it's all full of images, full of trickery and, at times, those symbols they like to go rogue and pretend to be reality." This is the core idea behind René Magritte's 'The Treachery of Images' with its well-known tagline 'ceci n'est une pipe' (this is not a pipe) written below a picture of a pipe.

[jasminegold]

Awesome video format. Critical thinking is sorely lacking these days.

[Angel-hnth]

I just wanted to say GRACIAS. You have a wonderful channel.

[nedmerrill]

Deep thoughts on a trivial incident. Joycean.

[bxsnsmf]

Hello there I love how you put critical thinking out there as for me I have a learning disability it's hard for me sometimes to even look back at the world and just think I wake up every morning and think to myself wow this world that I live in isn't so bad and maybe I do need to pay attention more that's around me sometimes I feel like I'm trap in a box who can't get out but the moment when I think and learn how to get out of the box I push down and I break the box because I've over come so many opsticals if I'm saying it right cause a lot of people always say oh your never gonna learn you can't do this or that and you know what I can do it just because I'm different from everyone else doesn't mean I can do things yes I know that I have to pay attention to the world so does everyone else and in that moment I feel free of my speech and if people don't like it oh well and if they don't believe me than I guess they don't believe and yes it's true you should always listen to the announcements there always important in life like I said of someone is giving a speech you listen if someone is talking to you you listen and yes most of the time you may not understand the announcements and what they are saying but it's the thought that counts thank you for making this video 😊

[Geemeel]

Brilliant, with a capital 'B' 👏🏽👏🏽

[vladimirwilliams]

it sounds like patrick bateman speaking