Being Critical vs Being Humble

I have a dilemma which probably could be said has been recurrent in my life, and it is more of a philosophical dilemma. So I was wondering what people here thought about it and how do they deal with it. The dilemma is simply enough: Should we be critical or should we be humble, or should we find some kind of middle ground or negotation between the two?

Most of us in the modern world are very critical. That is because the modern education system teaches us to be critical of one another. If you are educated, as soon as somebody presents an idea, hypothesis or an account, we are inclined to be critical of it. We say, "Do you have evidence or proof", "I disagree, I think.." or try compare it, "This is similar/dissimilar to" It is very left-brain dominant thinking. I am sure you have come across people who are always critical and it is virtually impossible letting go and having a free flowing conversaion with them, because they analyse every word you utter and halt the flow. I am very familiar with this, in fact it was pretty much how every Philosophy seminar was like at college.

In the premodern world and especially in Eastern socities people tend to be much less critical, this is especially true of the Chinese I have found. They do not spend time thinking or challenging each other to the extent modern Westerners do, but they just go about their daily life with mindfulness of what they are doing. Even if they disagree with you, they will usually keep silent. If you sit down to talk to them it can be quite comforting because they tend to be non-judgemental, humble and listen silently to what you are saying. Of course, this can be sometimes boring, because you do not get challenged on what you say and sometimes those challenges are good to stimulate conversation.

I sometimes think it is best to be critical, and sometimes I think it is best to be humble, and sometimes I think you should do both. It is actually a really confusing dillema because my views change on it like the wind. At the moment I am thinking maybe humility and non judgementism is the best policy, because then you can learn from others with an empty mind and not allow your judgements to condition what you hear. It is also the most comfortable and relaxed state, UNTIL, somebody says something so objectionable and false that you can't help but attack lol

What do you think? Is it better to be critical or humble?

[edit on 25-12-2009 by Indigo_Child]

I would not say it is BETTER to be critical than humble, but I believe that the "humble" in alot of us has been gone for a long while now. I don't believe that we will ever get everyone to be humble, therefore those that would be critical will inevitably force the rest of us to be critical. I do believe that there can be some middle ground, for some. There are people out there, that no matter what happens, they will be humble. even if they have others criticizing them for it. The bad thing is, those that remain humble are the same ones that usually end up getting walked all over by the critical ones. I believe that we all have some "humble" left in us, but our world, and indeed the way we have been taught throughout life by most institutions, I believe that the "humble" in all of us is suppressed and taken over by the critical.

It is easy to be critical, but it is hard to be humble....unfortunately.

You don't have to choose one. Some situations call for a critical eye, word or thought. Other situations benefit from a little humility. Why do you have to choose one? Can't it be on a case-by-case basis?

reply to post by Indigo_Child


you forget about seeing an idea on tv, and most accept it. There is no critical thinking with tv.

The bad thing is, those that remain humble are the same ones that usually end up getting walked all over by the critical ones. I believe that we all have some "humble" left in us, but our world, and indeed the way we have been taught throughout life by most institutions, I believe that the "humble" in all of us is suppressed and taken over by the critical.

It is easy to be critical, but it is hard to be humble....unfortunately.

I can relate to what you said. I have tried experiments where I've been humble for a while, and basically I ended up getting ignored in group conversations etc because I was just listening to what others were saying and not being critical of what they were saying. Likewise, when I tried it in one-to-one conversations I just ended up getting talked at.

Sometimes the experiment has been successful though. I have felt so much more liberated because I felt no pressure on me to say anything or do anything, I just became the observer. I learned so much about my fellow human beings by just being the listner, which I could not before I was too busy being critical. I am sure you have noticed, but a lot of conversations are about people showing off what they already know. You might say, "My fav cartoon show when growing up was Simpsons" and rather than trying to find out more about your interest, they will instantly interecede, "Oh, and my fav cartoon show when growing up was..." The philosophical problem I have with showing off your knowledge is, you already know what you know, but you don't know what others know. So shouldn't you just shut up and learn more from others?

reply to post by Benevolent Heretic


Well, that is what I meant by the middle-ground thing. The problem with a case by case basis is, in every case you still are receiving information from others. If you allow your critical mind to interfere, you are conditioning that information. Indeed, most of the time that is what happens. Somebody says one thing and another hears another thing.

Do you have proof the chinese are less critical? lol just kidding.

very good point, education does widely affect how we input our information.

Sadly, with conspiracies and all, we are heading down a ignorant direction that shallows some very fundamental facts.

When you look at Asia, you see they still have some very very indigenousness people that are able to be them Selfs to some extent, and able to do thinks we thought impossible when we were young adults. mainly because we were told its impossible.

There are things that need proof to be verified, but those are the things that waste time. focus on yourself, you and only you, something very hard to do, and start growing. look at everything around you as something to overcome. control your environment. then start changing it.

it all comes down to the individual. how they view the things around them. thanks to the internet, we can communicate and show how each others environments are. this gives us a massive picture, rather than the small secluded one we had over 100 years ago.

Many people in the past tried to set examples on how to make peace within your environment. Jesus, Moses, Mother Teresa, Gandhi, the list goes on. what they said on the large scale was, "help everyone else as you would help yourself". giving is what makes us happy in the long run. is it going to matter what kind of car i had when i am physically not able to drive? NO! so stop worrying about it and find out what matters before its too late. something we all will inevitably learn.

you wanting to know all the truths about whats kept from you is the same ordeal. ego. Who cares what people are trying to do, you can try to stop them (what they want you to do) or you can really start progressing by helping yourself and others around you. afraid that wont work? thats just an excuse you came up with to tell yourself you must do things that appeal to you rather than actually over coming the ego. the most powerful thing a living creature can do.

[edit on 25-12-2009 by gandhi]

Reply to post by Indigo_Child

The state I try to maintain is summerized thusly: "Think for yourself, but take yourself with a grain of salt." covering both bases IMHO. As don't see the two as necessarily mutually exclusive.


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reply to post by Indigo_Child


I think that most people like to share what knowledge they have, and alot of times it is by them interjecting when someone else is talking about the same thing....so that they can feel accepted, and as part of a discussion or group. I believe that we all have a sense of wanting to belong. I applaud your efforts and your experimentation!

reply to post by Indigo_Child


From being humble you get the truth from being critcal you beget the truth by its very nature.

being critical would mean that you aim to find the truth or to impose it on others while trying to make a point about a given subject, being humble would on the other hand extend you views and come to an agreement that you are both as clusess as one another and agree to it.

The human race is critical at all aspects of life including being human. No humitly what so ever.

they even take being alive for granted so what chance do they have in the universe if the one thing they are given they do not respect or value?

its Ok that humans go to war Its OK that people starv its OK to do pretty much anything.

Yet here we sit in a vastnass of space waiting for someone to save our sorry ass from our self because we do not like to face up to the truth.

1) no god
2) aliens
3) you die
4) your life is a lie
5) dont care
6) not that smart
7) have no connection to life or what it means
8) take everything for granted "including life after death" like its some insurance policy

1) You are a team
2) eath will die
3) the human race will go away
4) do you care?


very simple

thats called humilty

Critical thinking is not aboout being right its about facing the truth.

you all alone and what are you going to do about it.

simple

reply to post by 13579


Being critical and being humble are two things humans cannot do.

If you think your alone its your choice, but i do not. I think you can critically come to a conclusion that we are not alone. Plus you can come to that conclusion by being humble.

Being critical means what you have learned in your life, plus what you know can be truth, vs being humble meaning you know you do not know everything.

Both can be used to come to same conclusions.

reply to post by andy1033


to be critical is to find the thruth yet you do not know it do you ?

that is why being humble is better..

I could say im an alien? would you be critical or humble?

Yet your life is based on a lie and you can be critical about me being an alien when your not very critical of ones own exsistance let alone me being alien.

You see the truth is not as clearcut as many make out and for what reason is this.

to be critical of a subject that has manifested from the very birth of the human race yet still have no clue on why it is they are here would be some what stupid but here we sit? critical of one another yet do not think critical when it comes to our own very exsistance as a race?

arguments steam form 2 things.. lack of humility and understand.

is it better to know everyting or is it better to know nothing and learn?

guess what one you are.

to be critical is to find the thruth yet you do not know it do you ?

Sorry to be critical :p

But maybe it is not that being critical finds the truth. If you really have somebody who is claiming to be an alien, and you criticise them demanding proof, you may never actually find out whether they are an alien or not because you have not been humble and open to them. Maybe if you were humble and open they would have eventually taken you to their spaceship for a ride around the galaxy

I have had plenty of situations in my life where I have shut off the critical mind and opened up myself to others. I have learnt so much more about those people, their views, philosophy and beliefs than I could when I was being critical of them. This really humbled me and put my own views, philosophy and beliefs into perspective.

I think the danger of being critical with one another is we overlook that we are actually as ignorant as each other on reality and that we are actually very much alike and have a common thread of humanity.


[edit on 25-12-2009 by Indigo_Child]

Reply to post by 13579

Yet, your post is completely devoid of either quality. Humility or criticality with your bold declarations of supposed "truth" and the obvious inherent inability to critically weigh your suppositions. Thus the declaration of "truth". And incindentally in answer to your later post, being critical IS NOT finding the "truth" but it is trying. An action attempted does not always end in sucess. To assume otherwise is magical thinking at best.


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reply to post by Indigo_Child

I think the danger of being critical with one another is we overlook that we are actually as ignorant as each other on reality and that we are actually very much alike and have a common thread of humanity.

and that is something i can agree on.

we all share a common problem

being alive.

what we do with it on the other hand is not.. we can just be another part of the universe and disaper or we can explore

sad to say the news is not so good. we are on a short clock and everyday its ticking.

failer to understand that the human race will NOT be around is pure argogance.

we are humans we are special!!!! really?

reply to post by Watcher-In-The-Shadows


and yet you are being critcal right now in your very own post correct? critcal of how i type yet i said that its not very funny that i find being critical a way of getting the truth when it is flawed in the first place?

How can one be critical of another when the premmis of such a statement in on its self is flawed?

If i was an alien you would want proof? yes?
If i told you i was jesus you would want proof? yes?

What my point is the life we have is based not on critical thinking and the need for proof is it?

because if it was we would not be sat here pondingering on stuff such as alien bases or the POTUS is the messiah?

why is it you ask the questions you do? why is it the need for humans to for ever keep asking? what do they wish to find out?

This is what is important and it has NOTHING to do with the outcome.

ITs the question ITS SELF that guides you NOT the answer one atains.

reply to post by 13579


This thread shows why we should all have an inferiority complex, and why christianty was the best religion for mankind, and why it worked. You may not think so, but the christian faith did work.

I will always have an inferiority complex, and will never join the world on its voyage to become the number 13.

reply to post by andy1033


but you force it upon others? you may not think you do but it was forced upon you?

all the weston laws are based on faith. faith in the holy bible "to a degree" were do you think the ten commandments fit in to "law"?

you see many confuse religion with humiltiy.

Do i need to be called christain to be "holy" ? do i require a lable to "pray to the right god"?

this is not like going shopping for the best fitting god now is it? yet humans are very happy to have a LIST of gods...


that is right a LIST of god.. Not one god a LIST..

how does that logicaly work out? because humans are good at logic right?

present day... how many "gods" are they?

then you ask well what one is the right one? "that I like" key word here

I

Wait are we talking about being critical or humble or being assertive or passive?


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reply to post by Watcher-In-The-Shadows


both..

as i siad

ways and means.. yet the means can lean to arguments. thats why humble is better.

would you care if i was an alien anyway? nope so why be critical lol