Senior to Senior: Don't Forget to Vote

Don’t forget to vote! Seniors need to lead the way. It is more important than ever; your critical thinking skills need to be passed on to future generations. Critical thinking skills used to be taught in school; the classes were required. You were probably first introduced to critical thinking when you took Philosophy 101, but the tenants showed up elsewhere as well. They seemed boring at the time, but later you may have come to appreciate that they were all about people who really knew how to “think” about things. Critical thinking skills are sadly lacking in our society today; in many cases they have been replaced by “herd mentality.” Hopefully you aren’t content with going along with the “herd” when it comes to making big decisions. Basically, having critical thinking skills means that you have the ability to use reason to question, ask, and judge, rather than taking everything at face value. Are you able to separate out your emotions, analyze information, and arrive at your conclusions independently? Still confused? It boils down to being open to new ideas. Do you read articles from various sources, think about the thoughts of others, or do you only seek information that parrots your own preconceived notions? If you only talk to people who agree with you, or only read articles that support your own opinions, the nation as a whole is never going to move forward. A closed state of mind is a dangerous thing. Being open minded to new or differing ideas is what makes you a part of the world. The more ideas you have to draw on, the more flexible and creative you can be. New ideas will make you a better problem solver, and who doesn’t need that? You learn by opening your mind, by actively listening, and by actively reading. Learn everything you can, and then make well informed decisions about everything from safety proofing your house to electing a city council person. Your vote is important. Vote intelligently, vote critically, vote knowledgably. Times have changed and you really can make a difference.