How many times in the last few months (or years) have you heard someone make a statement that was so bizarre and outrageous that you could barely believe anyone could think that true? I have—more than once. It’s tempting to just roll my eyes and try to run in the opposite direction. That, or silently accuse them of (among other harsher judgements) not being able to think critically. But unfortunately, those actions don’t seem to be isolated. In today’s world it seems that such declarations and behaviors are everywhere—in the media, online and out of the mouths of people we meet at the grocery store. We can’t run from everybody who lies and/or makes up wacky assertions. Instead, maybe we ought to learn, and to teach each other, how to critically ignore that input. Or, as William James, the author of The Principles of Psychology wrote, “The art of being wise is knowing what to overlook.”
While exact definitions are varied, the skill of critical thinking is to gather, interpret, evaluate and analyze data and information and then arrive at a rational and reasoned conclusion. Most schools claim to encourage critical thinking, but it is seldom a course on the curriculum except for subjects like science and engineering. What usually happens is that students learn early on to regurgitate what they need to know in order to pass tests—or what their community taught them—without really doing much independent thinking on their own.
But times have changed. We now live in a digital world that contains more information than all the libraries of the world. Moderated by algorithmic methods, anytime we are online (or exposed to media) we are being flooded with information from often unvetted and questionably untrustworthy sources—most with the goal to expose us to advertising or manipulation. So, while critical thinking is a valuable skill—there are those who believe that it is equally important to learn how to critically ignore as well. Or as Anastasia Kozyreva, et al, recently wrote in Sage Journals, “Digital literacy and critical thinking should therefore include a focus on the competence of critical ignoring: choosing what to ignore, learning how to resist low-quality and misleading but cognitively attractive information, and deciding where to invest one’s limited attentional capacities.”
So how do we do this? How do we critically ignore information or ideas that we encounter everywhere? I’ve touched on some of these same ideas in a few of my previous blog posts. However, in short, there are three strategies suggested by David Ludden, Ph.D. that can help us effectively practice critical ignoring,
- Self-nudge. In other words, practice self-control when it comes to time spent online and what and where you put your attention. Be on the lookout for any emotionally and attention-grabbing headlines, people and/or information because the source is certainly hoping to snag our attention and keep us engaged. Like someone who wants to lose weight, don’t buy sugary treats and bring them home. Instead, limit your time online or simply refuse to follow or participate on websites that continually post outrageous claims. Don’t keep that food in your house or let yourself participate in information that makes your heart race or causes anxiety. The best way to lose weight is to stop eating so much!
- Read laterally. In is highly recommended that we constantly check all of our sources before we accept anything as true. As Ludden says, “Many sites have a particular agenda that makes them more interested in influencing than in informing.” (And that’s putting it mildly!)
- Don’t feed the trolls. In order words, refuse to respond to malicious entities determined to spread false information and hurtful rumors. Completely ignore them or better yet, block them from your attention and/or your life.
After spending time thinking about how important critical ignoring is to my online world, I was once again reminded of how relevant it is in my personal world. Recently Thom and I went to a large family gathering and saw some relatives standing in a circle talking. As we approached, I happen to overhear one of those gathered say something insulting about my politics. She may or may not have meant it as a joke, but my first reaction was shock and then anger. Then I remembered I could “critically ignore” the statement and focus on those present whose company I enjoy. Remember, every day we have the choice of where to put our attention and focus.
While the personal implications of critical ignoring might not be as important to my future as what I find online, I think it is still a skill to cultivate. As another good quote from William James says, “The function of ignoring, of inattention, is as vital a factor in mental progress as the function of attention itself.” Where we put our thoughts and attention shapes our day—not to mention our lives!
It’s sometimes easy to forget that our world is changing very quickly—especially in terms of technology. Now that we have more information at our fingertips than anytime in history, learning how to navigate that deluge is essential—and the quality of our thinking depends on it. As I’ve said a lot recently, if we have only so much time on the planet, I want to make the most of it and not merely be swept along by the upcoming tide. I’m guessing that the SMART approach is learning how think critically AND what and who to critically ignore from moment to moment.
Critical Ignoring as a Core Competence for Digital Citizenship:
https://doi.org/10.1177/09637214221121570
What a great phrase — critical ignoring. It can certainly apply to all the information we are bombarded with, all the clickbait we are tempted by, and even all the cute animal videos on YouTube (a personal weakness). My weekends at the cabin without phone or internet give me a much needed forced withdrawal from the digital world.
The phrase also resonated with me in regards to personal negative words or energy directed our way. Recently someone said something that I thought was unfair and hurt my feelings. I found myself dwelling on the hurt feelings, rehearsing things I could have said and still could say, feeling unappreciated and misunderstood. That was not very helpful. So I’m trying to detach myself from the inner dialogue with some focused critical ignoring! It works! It gives me some space to shift my perspective and realign myself. Very helpful! Thank you!
Hi Galen! Isn’t it the truth how critical ignoring is an important skill we could all use. As you say, those random thoughts, comments and actions that trigger us take up WAY TOO MUCH SPACE in our minds when we could be doing something else. I am working pretty diligently on that focus, letting go of things that aren’t helpful or good for me and focusing on things that I can actually do something about or that matter. I really think that reminding myself and each other about this is one of the best things we can do for each other. Thanks for letting me know that helped you! and let’s keep it up okay? :–). ~Kathy
One of your best yet!
Thank you ??
Thanks Rita! Glad you liked it!
Throwing Sand Example:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Damnthatsinteresting/comments/ndnbyd/chimpanzee_does_amazing_jump_and_throws_sand_at/
Hi, Kathy – Thank you for another thought-provoking post. I agree that Critical Ignoring is an important skill. Although I am far from perfect at it, I have been critically ignoring for quite some time. And the more I critcally ignore, the more content and present I remain.
Wishing you a safe and event free drive to Kelowna. Thank you for a great visit! <3
Hi Donna! Thank you as always! I appreciate that you take the time to wade through my blog posts and grasp what I’m trying to say! And yes, I think you are REALY good at critical ignoring. It is a very important skill. Of Course with your background in education I am certain it has come in handy in more ways than not. AND thank you again for being so welcoming on Vancouver Island. It is always a pleasure to visit with you (and Richard) when we can! ~Kathy
? Enjoy Kelowna. Come back to the island soon!
Please ignore the question mark. I’m not sure how that got there!
“Critically ignoring” is an important skill to keep our sanity in this digital world. I used to turn on my computer and would often be drawn into the click bait articles that popped up, only to find them worthless or unsettling. Over a year ago, I decided to purposely ignore them, and I don’t miss them a bit. Now I don’t even pay attention to them when I turn on my computer. My next critical ignoring is to quit picking up the damn phone whenever I am in a conversation and a question comes up. What happened to the good ole days when we pondered the answers as part of the conversation?
Hi Marian! Yes I’d like to believe we are all getting a bit better at it as time goes by–so good for you? And the phone thing is very true too. But what’s the saying, “you have to notice and be aware that there’s a problem before you can do anything to change it.” Some of us don’t seem to have that filter at all! Baby steps for sure! ~Kathy
Yeah — I’ve been fortunate to have access to even the early DoD “Darpanet” where there were libraries and chats available. There was very little nonsense on that cause it was work-related. Once AOL came out I found it interesting to join various social discussions — they were somewhat moderated but over time they were not. I realized that some of these discussions were pointless. Some people just wanted to “throw sand in the air” and cause mischief. So I stopped.
I rarely participate in the fray unless it’s well moderated, like yours. Being able to post anonymously really allows a host of bad behavior. Speaking without being held to some sort of behavioral standard, makes the “crazy” come out of some people.
Since I can program systems well, I tend to fully filter my email. I have a Facebook account but is only lightly used, but I block a lot on it. I find that Twitter/X is not useful.
I hope that is a “wise approach” to information management as you have described — filtering for me is part of my “selective ignoring”
Just thought I’d share that.
Hi Chuck! Yes you describe it well with all the “stuff” on the web as throwing “sand in the air”! And to say they are just “causing mischief” sounds like an understatement. It also sounds like you are VERY well prepared to do selective ignoring online. How about with everything else? ~Kathy
Hoping I’m understanding your question so here goes:
Lies
Ok thanks for the question. This post starts with a description of lying, “from media, online,” and essentially from every “walk of life”.
The TV series “Breaking Bad” has the main character, Walter White, devolve from a “good guy” to eventually a totally despicable “bad guy”. There is a scene about halfway through, where he just “lies to lie”. He asks his now highly suspicious wife, Skyler, about a phone call he just received at home.
Walt says, “Do you know who that was?”, clearly about to come up with some BS story. But Skyler just smiles and walks away. By then she knew exactly what it looked like when Walt lied. When lies are constantly told, reasonable people learn to discern the “who lies”, “when they lie”, and “what do they lie about.” There is really nothing that the “honest” person can do but smile and turn away. That is the equivalent of my email filter, or my Facebook management. Even using the blocking filter on your cellphone, it aids in recognizing the non-trustworthy sources and automatically turn them away. In face-to-face conversation there are the physical “tells”. I’ve known people who are really good at figuring these out. Me, I’m gonna be honest , I’m a “babe in the woods” when it comes to that. I have many stories about this — but since I am self-aware somewhat, maybe I’m not all that naive, huh?
While it is sometimes possible to qualify information, many times you just have to choose your path, or “your truth”, I guess. Who has time to check out every BS story, lying-headline (i.e. clickbait), or some one or some organization trying to ply their influence? If “lying liars lie” then identifying them, and filtering them out “in bulk” or just “turning away”, may be all that a non-lying person can do.
I guess what I’m saying is that I agree with your concepts of “Critical Ignoring”. “Self-nudge”, “Read Laterally”, and “Don’t feed the trolls” are spot-on. I’m right there and use techniques such as filtering and blocking, and learning where the reliable sources are located.