7 Ideas to help you THINK critically and create solid arguments

1. Never Jump To Conclusions

When you jump to conclusions, you don't land appropriately.

You might break your nose.

Gather as much information as you can before making up your mind.

Don't nod your head for everything. Question it, man

2. Keep An Open Mind

Don't be biased.

Don't let your existing views blind you to new information.

Connecting the dots doesn't work every time. Be mindful.

Accept, analyze and respond.

3. Ask - "HOW?" If you're introduced to a new :-

- idea

- theory

- hypothesis

Always start with "HOW?"

• How does that happen?

• How was the evidence obtained?

• How does that work?

Knowing the HOW of something provides you with a spectrum of new questions.

It's fun.

4. Be Skeptical

People will :-

- make up new arguments.

- shoot you with conclusions.

- try to persuade you to believe what they believe in.

Always be skeptical & wonder about why they're doing it.They might be prey to cognitive biases.Watch out.

5. Logic vs Emotion

Emotions drive human efforts.But, they can manipulate you too. Especially, while thinking critically. Always ask if the argument is backed by emotion or logic. Be practical.

Encourage rational thought.

6. Don't be a SHEEP

Do you remember?

"In schools, if even a few used to agree to any statement, the whole class used to join in."

You're not obliged to do that. Sometimes the truth doesn't exist in the majority belief. Never accept views because others accept them. NEVER.

7. FACTS vs OPINIONS

FACT: a statement that can be proven right or wrong.

OPINION: expression of an individual's feeling that cannot be proven.

Being able to differentiate between both is a skill. Sometimes, opinion of an opinion is framed as a fact. Beware.

Pre-sleep routine

7.9 Billion people on Earth. Each one of them has a pre-sleep routine. Some do journals, some meditate, and some sleep while watching their favorite Netflix show. Only a few reflect upon their day. 3 Q's to ask yourself before sleeping to gain clarity & command of your life :-

1. What Wrong Did I Do Today?

Dwelling upon negatives is not a good practice before sleeping. It can make you anxious.

But, it is a good way to reflect upon your faults.

Everyone knows what they're doing wrong, but a few accept.

Give yourself feedback. Why wait for others?

2. What Good Did I Do Today?

Humans are ever-hungry for appreciation.

Why wait for others when you can do it for yourself?

Appreciating yourself for your good deeds will motivate you to do more of that.

- Pat your shoulders

- Cheer yourself up

- Show gratitude

3. What Did I Forget To Do?

We create a to-do list.

And, it remains unmarked.

I know how it feels.

Remind yourself of what you forgot to do.

Our mind creates a self-scheduled alarm for us.

Just ask yourself hard enough so that it gets programmed in your mind to remind it.

Sleep & Success

"Tonight, I will burn the midnight oil! I am going to study like a king. Won't sleep till I finish reading everything!"

I am sure many might have thought like this some or the other time during their student days.

Some might have even executed this.

But is it wise to sacrifice your sleep before exams?

Is it safe to do that?

.

Let's first understand why we think like this?

1. It's quite natural to think that if you sleep less, you will have more waking hours and therefore you will be able to study more.

2.Another thought behind this could be your belief that "Sleeping is a luxury or sleeping is a sign of laziness"

3. Or it could be due to certain beliefs passed on to us like,

"Dreams are not what you see in sleep,

Dreams are something that don't let you sleep!"

Clearly sleeping implies, you are a careless, lazy person according to such beliefs! But such toxic positivity is actually biologically unsustainable.

Having a good sleep routine, taking proper rest is the key to achieving sustainable 'success' in any field.

If you think you can do well by all of a sudden reducing your sleep drastically right before exams, then it's a myth. I can tell you this from personal experience too.

When you don't sleep well, it becomes difficult to be focused, alert and difficult to recall the material already learnt.

Not sleeping also leads to poor memory consolidation.

Sleep deprivation has many far-reaching physical and mental health outcomes.

Remember, no wars are won by practising on the last day! Same goes for exams or other important things in life.

So don't unnecessarily sacrifice on your sleep last moment and harass your body unnecessarily. Trust the processes and stick to it.

Don't change your sleeping habits right before exams.

Also, don't self prescribe medicines for inducing sleep.

If you have difficulty sleeping, contact a Psychiatrist near you.

Don't worry, Psychiatrists don't just offer sleeping pills. That's a myth for another day.