Second Order Thinking Strategies To Construct Deeper Meaning From Context And Situation
Dr. Perrodin describes first order thinking, which can be a visceral response, and also second order thinking, which goes a step further by having one reflect upon “why” he or she feels a certain way about a situation or event. David shares his own awkward feelings upon reading the obituary of a man in his 20s that did many exciting, adventurous things during his short life. I KNOW THAT I SHOULDN’T FEEL THIS WAY. Most of us regret our initial reaction to something that how we act – be it something we do or how we feel about something – and that first order thinking is primitive and totally natural. It is easy to chide ourselves for visceral feelings, when, in fact, such feelings are often beyond our control. When we reflect upon such raw and immediate feelings, we admit to ourselves a disconnect from our belief set and our feelings and therefore traverse the thought-grinding task to take a first-order thought and evolve it to a second-level though, we have engaged in critical thinking – and people appreciate discourse with critical thinkers. FIRST ORDER THINKING. First order thinking is natural, but it’s not the pattern of thought associated with interesting people capable of assessing contexts and situations to make important decisions. Hence, you want to be regarded as a second level thinker and David offers strategies to make you more comfortable and competent in that realm. First order thinking can also just be a simple account of what one processed through the senses. A first order thinker would be able to give a linear account of a movie, noting main events and main characters, but never really diving into the themes of the movie. The world is very tangible to first order thinkers. They are susceptible to rhetoric, or language designed to have a persuasive or impressive effect on its audience, but often regarded as lacking in sincerity or meaningful content. Hence, first order thinkers say things like, “I guess I am stressed and need medication” after watching a 30-second pharmaceutical commercial (disregarding contributing factors to potential stress such as poor eating habits, careless spending, and not spending time with family and nature). SECOND ORDER THINKING. Let’s use an example to explore second level thinking. The popular Tom Hanks movie Forrest Gump pits determinism against free will. As a man with an intellectual disability, Forrest could have had his life’s decisions managed by others, such as his mother, military superiors, bankers, etc. While he experienced hardships, he was also the recipient of breaks, such as having an ethical, savvy business partner. Another powerful backdrop of the movie is the Vietnam War. One could parallel the polarizing portrayal of the war with Forrest’s own quests to prove his worth in a world that was two decades away from the passage of the American with Disabilities Act. FORMATS. You can also listen to this podcast on iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/t... or SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/user-186592129 or on The 405 Media http://the405media.com/the-safety-doc/ You can view this episode on YouTube https://youtu.be/HGyqJPRhqjI FOLLOW DR. PERRODIN: On Twitter @SafetyPhD and subscribe to “The Safety Doc” YouTube channel and SoundCloud RSS feed. DR. PERRODIN'S SAFETY BLOG: https://crisisprepconsulting.wordpres... SAFETY DOC WEBSITE: www.safetyphd.com David will respond to discussion thread comments or questions & also to emails. The Safety Doc Podcast is hosted & produced by David Perrodin, PhD. ENDORSEMENTS. Opinions are those of the host and guests and do not reflect positions of The 405 Media or supporters of “The Safety Doc Podcast”. The show is curse free and adheres to nondiscrimination principles while seeking to bring forward productive discourse and debate on topics relevant to personal or institutional safety. Email David: thesafetydoc@gmail.com
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free