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| Photo by Tatiana Syrikova from Pexels |
We live in a world
that is always dynamic. What was very
much in fashion a few years back may become obsolete now. The value we give to things, objects, places,
ideas, and people may keep changing from time to time. As the saying goes, the only permanent thing
in this world is CHANGE.
We must keep
abreast of the development happening around us because otherwise, our thriving
in the environment becomes difficult. It
is not that we need to keep on gathering information that is available to
us. Surprisingly, we keep using the
information as a tool for our thinking.
Thinking Skills
It is these
thinking skills that become crucial for our existence as human beings. We have to engage in several types of
thinking: logical thinking, evaluative thinking, critical thinking, creative
thinking, convergent thinking, and abstract thinking.
The more we try to
understand the world around us, the greater will be our capacity to think.
Though a lot of
information is provided to us in schools to understand the world around us, we
need not have to restrict ourselves to this information alone. It should become a springboard for a further
quest for knowledge.
Asking
Questions
Another major
skill we need to develop to cultivate this hobby is to ask questions. Though an intelligent person answers the
questions, it takes a wise person to ask the right kind of questions at the
right time. Scientific Journals report
that a four-year-old child is capable of asking 400 questions a day. But unfortunately, we are never allowed to
ask even four questions in a day, and over a while, we stop asking questions.
Observation
Another
skill is to develop a keen sense of observation. Observation is a systematic approach to
gathering information and is not similar to just looking over. We have heard about the observation
capabilities of scientists who were able to come out with their inventions and
discoveries.
Prior
preparation is necessary for observation to be effective. Making checklists
helps in our observation skills.
Openness
to Experience
The
next ability is to develop openness to experience. Each experience in our life enriches our quality
of life. The more we are open to these
experiences the better is our potential to deal with the environment effectively.
What
we should do is to mobilize the available resources judiciously. Newspapers, magazines, periodicals, television,
the internet, and scores of other resources are easily available to us and we
have to make a conscious decision to make the best use of these resources.
Forming
New Relationships
Whenever
we move outside the four walls of our houses, we have to keep meeting people.
Be it neighbors, playground, school, work, parties, gatherings, etc., we form
new relationships. How well we sustain these relationships matter a lot to our
growth.
Social skills like communication, negotiation, cooperation, competition, empathy, mutual respect, etc. should be cultivated to make sure our relationships become fruitful.
History
It
is always beneficial to know the history of one’s own country as well as that
of the world. The rich heritage that we have inherited is due to the struggles
and sacrifices our ancestors have made. Art, architecture, archaeology,
culture, food, clothing, etc. are some of the ways that provide insight into
our history.
Sometimes, for
political reasons, the history that gets depicted in textbooks may be
distorted. In such cases, we must be able to discern the facts from the propaganda.
Geography
The
rich flora and fauna, the climate, and the nature around us should be grasped
and appreciated. A person in a tropical region should not think that the world
is so beautiful everywhere. A person in a mountainous region should not feel
that everyone is living in a cold climate. They must know how different regions
on the globe differ in all aspects.
Current
Events
Knowing
about what is happening around us is very important, irrespective of whether it
has any effect on us or not. Additionally, we have to be aware of the happenings
around the world. Important events that have a global impact should be perused.
This not only improves our general knowledge but also helps us in dealing with
difficult situations.
Technological
Advancement
Current
mainstream research and development should be pursued. Day by day innovations
are going on around us and technology keeps changing. Our life becomes more
meaningful if we keep abreast of these changes around us.
Global
Perspective
It
is not sufficient to know only about our surroundings but look at them in the
light of what is happening around the world. Any change in our ways of living will
impact globally and changes elsewhere will affect us. Hence, we have to be aware
of what is happening around the world.
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