Question

essay on learn to listen and learn to think

Answer 1

When we attend a speaking event, we are usually there to hear the speaker's message. Specifically, we are there because the message has meaning to us. This can be a lecture delivered by your favorite professor or a motivational speech by a famous public speaker. In any event, we listen intently and try to absorb as much of what is being said as possible. But, how do we know what we are hearing is actually true?

That's difficult to discern, but what we can do is take a few careful steps to better evaluate information we receive. This is critical thinking, and it involves analyzing the speaker's message and motives to assess the message for authenticity and truth. There are a few ways to do this. You can analyze the speaking situation, or the context in which the message is being sent.

There is no shortage of infomercials telling us about how we can get rich quick, from buying and selling real estate to selling stuff on the Internet. There are a million ways to make a million dollars. However, if you listen to the message carefully, there is generally a catch. It may be to purchase a set of CDs or to join a club. At that point, it becomes obvious that the speech is less about you becoming a millionaire and more about the speaker selling his get-rich-quick methods. That is the situation. And after analyzing the situation, you may decide not to quit your day job.

Another way to determine the authenticity of a message is to analyze the speaker's ideas. A good speaker will provide support for his ideas. Maybe a few experts in the local real estate market can vouch for the speaker's confidence in a booming real estate market. If this happens, the message becomes more believable. However, if the local rags tell a different story by highlighting soaring foreclosure rates in your area - buyer beware!