“Wishful thinking is the formation of beliefs based on what might be pleasing to imagine, rather than on evidence, rationality, or reality. It is a product of resolving conflicts between belief and desire.” [cf. Wikipedia]
It’s not an either-or thing, all one way or another. As a child we have may have believed in a lot of imagined things, but, as we grew older, we tended gradually to seek evidence and rationality for our beliefs.
Sometimes that can even be disappointing as we realize that somethings just weren’t the way we always had fondly imagined them!
This isn’t just about fairy tales and fictions, but even about family members and friends.
Part of growing up and maturing involves sorting out facts from fictions and accepting that our fondest memories and dreams may never have been or are not entirely true!
It’s not that we were lied to as children, just that we were once being entertained and, as we began to grow up, now being challenged to differentiate and sort out our beliefs from naive wishes and desires.
All this applies to everything and everyone. Our challenge is not to overreact as we seek facts, evidence, rationality, or reality—nor to fear or deny it.
You could say that part of growing up, of maturing is using a more scientific method of thinking. We may have been using an inadequate, uncritical, or unproven way of thinking—and we shouldn’t be afraid of reexamining and revising some of our fondest assumptions or beliefs.
And, if it turns out that at first we got it wrong, then we “try, try again!”
This applies to everything! Nothing is so sacred that we can’t think critically about it. Growing and maturing is not just about physical and common-place things; it’s about everything, everyone, everywhere.
This is the way God made us and the way we need to be living our lives—and it applies to everyone, everywhere, always!
There is nothing so important, so special, so sacrosanct that we should not examine the evidence for it, think critically about it, and even test it out as best we can.
Does this apply to school? Sure! Does this apply to politics and law? Of course! Does this include religion and faith? Definitely!
But we don’t know and can’t know everything, know every place, know every person!
So, even if we think as critically as we can, examine new ideas in depth and with courage, and trust no one or nothing blindly and without careful examination, we reach our limitations.
The solution?
We need to trust others, we need assistance, we need to be constantly rethinking about and reexamining our thoughts, decisions, and choices.
And, in the process, we need to share what we know, ask others to share their gifts with us, and not get tired of critical thinking, planning, testing, and deciding.
Beware of wishful thinking, but never stop thinking, especially critically. (That doesn’t mean that you should be criticizing other people’s thoughts, words, or deeds—it mostly means that you should be very careful about yours!)
A long, long time ago when I was a child, I knew all about Micky and Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, and all the familiar Disney characters. I could hardly wait for each issue of Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories.
Naturally I knew enough to know that they were make-believe. But, true confessions, I still enjoy visiting Disney World as often as I can—and continuing to think critically, too!
23 July 2023