Category Archives: Thinking skills

How to Tell What is True

We have been in a series on how to think better. However, this is the first episode of the older series on how to tell what is true. Wow! is this ever a timely topic. More than half the country is rejoicing that we saved democracy from communists, and another large percentage of the country is lamenting that Hitler and the facists have just taken over, with a promise to end democracy. One party wants to return to the rule of law and the other is afraid of lawfare and weaponized government. It would be hilariously laughable if it were not so deadly serious.

However, this ability to tell what is true is not just a widespread life skill need, but it is particularly a “LD” need. Students with learning disabilities seem to be slower at “reading between the lines” precisely because they are spending so much energy on decoding what those words in the line mean. They may be slower at gaining “social skills” precisely because they are spending so much time on academic work. Of course, it also may be true that there are brain healing, detoxing, and growing issues, which we addressed in the more recent series.

In any case, this topic, how to tell what is true, is a huge need for everyone. Teacher and educators need to work with students who are having problems in school to directly teach this. It is a shame, of course, that this is not in the normal public school curricula. Wonder why that is?

Anyway, hope this helps you. Please like, share, and tell your friends.

How to Think Better: Love the Truth

This is our capstone episode in our series on how to think better — although it might not be the last. We have talked about the necessity of realizing that there is such a thing as Truth. Today, we will talk about the necessity of aligning with, pursuing the Truth, even loving the TRUTH.

I have made some argument that I hope and expect that non-believers will understand. Of course, I use some words of Jesus. I don’t assume that everyone who listens is already a Christian believer. I do think they will understand, if they are just patient with my explanations aimed at those who don’t already know Biblical language.

This is really vitally important, but overlooked in the discussion of how to think better, and how to tell what is truth. And that discussion is often overlooked for students with learning disabilities. Look, what is true and false, what is good and bad is not some esoteric subject that only graduate philosophy students can grasp. It is just that they know how important it is, and have language as well as motivation. This is an important subject to all people — if they want to have successful, happy, good lives. So, let’s not overlook it. Let’s directly teach it, especially to students who maybe don’t get it as quickly simply because they are immersed in the tedious aspect of academics!

And surely, if children are not “getting it” then it is time to directly teach it.

There is Falsehood, too. Teach Children About Sociopaths.

There is Truth and there are also Lies – And worse: There are Liars

In our series on How to Think Better, we had an episode that was titled “There is Truth.” Well, there is also falsehood. There are also people who regularly lie.  Pyschologists diagnose some people “pychopaths” and/or “sociopaths” — people who not only lie regularly, but enjoy hurting others. It may be analyzed that these people are demon possessed.  Let’s consider the situation in a practical manner.

We must recognize and teach children about falsehood, lies, and sociopaths.

Why This Relates to the “Learning Disabled”

This dynamic is very important to recognize and teach our children about. Children, reared in good environment, can be quite shocked, and often after bad experiences, if they do not know that some people lie, and some of those situations can be dangerous. Students with “learning disabilities” are particularly at risk for these bad experiences. It has been famously said that “LD students have bully targets on their back.” I do not know why this is so. Is it because these students also have weaknesses at noticing social cues? Or is it that they are spending so much time on academics that they fail to develop such social skills?

Three Steps for Parents/Educators

How do we, as parents respond? First, inform ourselves, and think better ourselves. Do not be snookered. Secondly, teach our children directly that there is such a thing as a falsehood, there are liars, and there are LIARS who intend to hurt. Thirdly, we must train our children not just in social skills but in character — so they do not become THOSE PEOPLE.

Overcoming Learning Problems Instead of Labeling into Entrenched, Weaponized Disabilities

Our position is that as parents and educators, we want to overcome learning problems, rather than labeling our children as disabled — thus intentionally failing to do our job, thus damaging children, thus increasing resentment in order to overturn “the hegemonic order.”

Problems need solving. Learning problems need to be solved or worked around — or in some other way to be overcome. This is the path to a successful and happy life. This is the path that works.

This is also the Biblical was to proceed. We are called to be overcomers — by faith, and woks. The Word of God and the example of Jesus and the leadership of Holy Spirit in all ways invites us to have hope, faith, hearing of good ideas, selfless service, and long-term blessing.

By contrast, there is another path. One that insists on labeling problems as either insignificant thus unaddressed — or as “disabilities.”  Disabled? meaning not able!  Labeling theory, long and strongly accepted in Psychology, Sociology and Education disciplines shows how people live up — or down — to labels. Nowhere is this more true than with children and social environment of school. Please see academic paper by Sales connecting JD and LD in the 1990s. Older, more well known work is widely known by Rosenhans, Schiff, Becker and others.

Diagnosis can be used as death knells, or as I encourage, as direction to parents and educators. However, if diagnosis are used for labeling (and they inevitably are in schools) the path is turned away from solving problems. Educators do not remediate but rather accommodate — at best. Look around. Notice, as the oldest research in teachers’ behavior showed, that teacher treat anyone with LD diagnosis/label as less intelligent. Thus, they get less, rather than more, quality education. They get pulled out of class, so they miss more. They have abbreviated curricula, missing more. They get drilled over and over again at what they are weak in, thus insuring demoralization.

But there is much more. If you have read James Lindsay, or Alex Newman, or Paolo Friere you might even be able to detect it in the critiq2ue of what we are doing by the conventional LD podcast. It is important in Marxist thought to always tear down whatever is considered normal. It is important to weaponize one group against another. Marx himself said in Das Kapital that he cared nothing for science, but only wanted to increase conflict, in order to improve society. Marx originally was thinking of class warfare. However, in the United States, where nearly everyone thinks of themselves as middle class, other conflicts have been intentionally excerbated. Whereas once the government school could not be  bother about  learning problems, and parents worked to get education for their children, since oh about 2000, public educators have been grooming students and their parents to be hostile to educators in a way to ensure the greatest conflict. Teachers are constrained by school rules; schools insist on being in complete control of any move regarding the “learning disabled.” Thus, fewer problems get fixed; fewer even than when the problem was not recognized.

This is in larger context, also a Marxist ploy. In our 5th generation warfare environment, in our cold WWIII, outside forces that have taken over the elite, are ensuring that our youth are not educated. Not in academics. Not in social skills. Not developed in anything — except perhaps in being weaponized, emotionally triggered pawns.

Once you see this, listen again to our detractors. You choose. Do you want to spend your time and money in resentment and conflict and status squabbles? Or would you like to have learning problems solved, and weaknesses overcoming by strength, and faith applied to find good ideas — for success and total well-being. Two paths. You decide.