This is Optimal Living Daily episode 1556, The Case for Independent Thinking by Ali Kornich with wantless.co.uk I'm your narrator Justin Malik, reading you blogs every single day of the year to help you live a more meaningful life. I cover personal development or self-help, minimalism, productivity and more. Our other four shows cover finance, health, relationships, and questions and answers with a life coach. So you can check those out, just search for Optimal Living Daily wherever you're hearing this to find all of our shows.
But for now let's get right to the post as we optimize your life. The Case for Independent Thinking by Ali Kornich with wantless.co.uk Many centuries ago, Rene Descartes coined the phrase, I think, therefore I am. He believed that the first defining aspect of humanity was that we are creatures of thought. The only reason we know we are truly alive is due to the fact that we can think about our existence.
Our ability to think independently defines our humanity. Our ability to think independently is being challenged. Far from the 1600s when Descartes made his philosophical proclamation in the 2000s, we often don't take advantage of our humanity as he previously defined it. Oftentimes when we are called to think about something or come across a question to be answered, we quickly pull out our devices and mask Google.
Pretty much everyone I know does this, myself included. This practice, while very convenient and expedient, actually may cause more harm than good. Quickly turning to Google for the answer is evidence that we are losing the patience, the ability, and the will to engage in independent, deep thinking. I think, therefore I am, has turned into, I Google, therefore I am.
Why is deep thinking important? Deep thinking is an indicator that we are engaging, retaining, and building upon learning opportunities. If we don't pause and attempt to puzzle out answers for ourselves, we lose a valuable opportunity to enhance the power of our minds. Immediate access to data is changing our ability to think independently and engage in deep attention.
I'll explain this further using an example I bring up quite a bit in teaching. If we want to become physically stronger, we have to eat right and exercise. We can't just take supplements and expect lasting results. The same idea goes for our minds.
If we want to exercise our minds and become mentally stronger, retain more information, and be able to think independently, we have to take the time to listen actively and read closely. We can't simply do an internet search for the information we seek and expect our minds to flourish and get stronger with lasting results. It's easier to think shallowly, so we do it. Immediate access to data has its drawbacks, but it can of course be very useful in certain situations.
When Josh and I arrive at our restaurant of choice, salivating to the thought of fresh chips and salsa, and to our horror, the lights are off, windows shuttered. It's closed? We need a backup plan stat. So he gets on Yelp and I get on Google Maps when he quickly selects somewhere new.
Situation solved, case closed, and we are able to eat instead of starve to death. It's a technology win. Now think of another scenario. Josh and I are hanging out with some old friends.
We haven't seen each other in a while. It's a really fun conversation, animated, with ebbs and flows. Everyone's engaging on multiple levels. And to my delight, I find out that one of the group actually lived down the street from me in San Diego some 15 years ago.
I see there are others just as disengaged as I am, on their phones. When we turn our attention to our phones, we rob ourselves of a fulfilling, naturally evolving conversation. Shifting our attention to our devices even for a little while, alters the natural flow of things. We lose what our friends said, felt, and meant.
We lose the eye contact, so important for creating empathy. We cease to actively listen, resulting in our company thinking we aren't interested in what they have to say, showing our friends that we don't care at all about them. We stop thinking independently and rob ourselves of the very attribute that defines our humanity. I didn't need to look up a photo of my old apartment at that very moment.
Instead, I could have continued the conversation about San Diego and what it meant to both of us. We could have shared our memories and created a meaningful exchange. When I wanted information, I didn't dig into the back of my mind to conjure up a verbal image of my apartment. I found it easier to search for a picture online.
Lame. My friends deserved better than this. According to MIT professor Sherry Turkle, 89% of Americans say that during their last social interaction, they took out a phone, and 82% said that it deteriorated the conversation they were in. Studies indicate that even a silent phone placed screen down between two people at a table causes them to share less with each other.
The result of a phone's mere presence in a conversation is feeling less connected, less interested, less empathetic, and less human. How can we reclaim our humanity and our ability to think independently? Here are several strategies that are sure to limit distractions caused by the presence of cell phones. Number one, if you're going out, leave your phone at home or in the car, or be content that it is resting quietly in your pocket or purse.
This will take some willpower. Number two, if you're staying home and don't want to be distracted by your phone, leave it upstairs or in a room seldom visited. This takes a little less willpower than number one. Number three, utilize the airplane mode setting which disables Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and telephone settings.
The problem with this is that you can just turn airplane mode off any time, it's best to combine this step with number one or number two for optimal effectiveness. Number four, turn on do not disturb while you are in the presence of others. This setting can limit calls and texts sent to your device. You might use this all the time.
Number five, set quiet hours on your phone. For example, I set my quiet hours from 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. so I'm unable to receive calls or texts between those times.
Setting my quiet hours has done wonders for my sleep and my overall well-being. Number six, if you must have your phone with you, turn off the notifications so you won't be at the mercy of your phone. Remember our phones exist for us, not the other way around. Number seven, there's power in numbers.
If you're out with friends, have a verbal agreement about phone use such as no visible phones at the table or if you must use your phone, step outside. And number eight, if you have the right equipment, set up an aversion therapy situation in which you receive a shock every time you pick up your phone. Just kidding. All in all, setting boundaries helps us reconnect with experiences and people in the real world.
You just listened to the post titled The Case for Independent Thinking by Ali Tornish with wantless.co.uk. And Ali's a guest author on Claire's site, wantless.co.uk. I narrate from Ali too. Her site is everstrived.org.
That might sound familiar if you're a long-time listener. So please do check out both of those. Great tips there at the end. I would simply pick one that stood out to you so you don't get overwhelmed.
Maybe turning your phone off at night or setting it to do not disturb or keeping it in a different room. That can make a huge difference. But don't try to do all those things at once. Just try one even for an hour or two a day and I'm sure it'll feel good.
But that will do it for today. Have a great day, great weekend if you're listening in real time. And I'll see you tomorrow where your optimal life awaits.