Looking only for what you want to see

​Defining the key skills required for the future, was one of the topics under discussion at the recent Global Education and Skills Forum in Dubai. According to Andreas Schleicher, director for education and skills at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, critical thinking skills come high on that agenda.  He highlighted the paradox created by the internet, where we are able to access almost limitless information, and yet tend to search out views and evidence that reinforce our own perspective. This is not a new human condition, we have always migrated to similar peer groups and exercised choice in the political leaning of our selected newspaper. But the internet is likely to accentuate this bias by the sheer volume of supporting evidence it is possible to access and by how the links tend to work. We all know that our search patterns generate ‘more of the same’, potentially giving additional weight to our established view and stifling the opportunity for conflicting or contradictory information reaching us. The internet also allows us to seek out and join-up with like minded souls across the globe, so we never need to hear ‘the other point of view’. The ultimate consequence can be a lack of critical thought in assessing the information we use to make meaning of the world. Yet this tension between opposing views is often the catalyst for creativity, new ideas and understanding. Without this we are in danger of becoming entrenched in extreme positions and unable to examine the relative strengths and weaknesses of our own perspective. This applies to the world of work as much as it does in our daily lives. When do we select evidence only for the case that supports our own preferred position? How much do we choose to speak to, and stay in contact with, only those who agree with us? Such behaviours may feel more comfortable but ‘moth-ball’ our critical faculties and limit our potential for growth and influence.
 
When do you tend to look favorably only on opinions that support your own?
Where do you need to seek out opposing views?
Where do you need to encourage more criticality?