3A: Thoughts, thoughts, and some more thoughts

Does everything really happen for a reason? Is there ultimately a list of everything that is good and of everything that is bad? Do we even have a way of knowing which concepts are actually true?

 These are all questions that no one has definite answers to because there is no evidence or solid proof to support such theories. In return, we look for closure which causes us to fill in the missing gaps with what we believe is suitable and appropriate. ”There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so” This famous quote by Shakespeare is referring to the concept of relativism which proposes that there is no absolute truth and that everyone decides for themselves what they determine as right or wrong or essentially as good or bad. Although, I’m not sure I completely agree with this idea I do suppose that everyone chooses what they want to believe.

We all have our own opinions and beliefs. For instance I believe that God determines what is either good or bad and that the Bible informs us on what is morally correct and what is expected of mankind. However, some people might disagree and argue that they believe otherwise. People believe and label things based on what they’ve been taught or have experienced.

How a person labels or perceives things is also determined by their mindset. A person with a fixed mindset believes that intelligence is a fixed trait and that people either have it or they don’t. They also feel that intellect and intelligence cannot be gained or acquired. On the other hand, a person with a growth mindset loves to learn and they believe that through hard work, effort, and good strategies they can indeed continuously expand their intelligence.

Speaking on the subject of thinking and the mind, an important type of thought we have is motivation (what convinces us to do things). One type is called extrinsic motivation which involves an outside force. So basically when extrinsically motivated you either want to avoid some sort of trouble or punishment or you expect to receive material things or rewards. This isn’t a bad thing but as mentioned in “Motivation, the Elusive Drive” by Kevin Washburn extrinsic motivation is usually short term and not very successful when used towards bigger concepts and goals. That’s where intrinsic motivation comes in, this motivation comes from within and the reward is the self-fulfillment that you get from achieving your goals and being able to witness your own progress.

All being said it is important for us students to always engage ourselves in thought, and regularly think about the deeper meanings in the literature we come across. Although, there will always be differing opinions in our society it is vital for us to become motivated and to learn how to analyze things critically to assure that the thoughts and assumptions we make are logical.