Critical and Reflective Thinking

Was the French Revolution justifiable? Why or Why not?

Yes, the French Revolution was justifiable. The 98% were starving to death in the freezing cold winter, while the 2% were fat and warm. Yes, people went a little bit crazy near the end, by executing a few too many people, but the mix of herd mentality and revenge made it harder to think reasonably. Plus, the murder train was nearly impossible to stop, because speaking out about it would get you killed.

Core Competancy

Can I analyze beliefs that are different to mine, and consider views that aren’t my own?

I think I can do this, but in certain topics I get heated and defensive, so I definitely need to get better at being reasonable.

When I need to work collaboratively with people I don’t know well, I will try to build a bond with them by finding common interests and making lots of jokes to fill awkward silences. Hopefully by the end of this semester I will have many chances to implement this because as of right now when I work with other people I don’t get to know them, so after the project is done I never talk to them again.

When it seems the good ideas just won’t come to me, I shake my head really fast so that I am unable to properly think, to help calm myself or create space in my mind to have good ideas. This is something that I do sometimes, but not enough for how often I get writing block. I think if I were to do this in class it might help me keep my attention on the task at hand, and clear my head.

How do you learn best? I learn best in a quiet and non-busy environment, with music and space to move around. I like working in groups with people that I know won’t distract me. An authority figure to answer questions is also important. It also helps when there are examples to look at of what the end product will look like.