Creative and Critical Thinking at the Information Age

Article Review of ‘The Mental Virtues’
In his article titled “The Mental Virtues,” David Brooks focus of various mental traits that the mainstream society would fail to appreciate that someone is virtuous by having them. He premises his ideas on the fact that even in the current information age; it is possible for people to be of good character without doing something physical, as we have been accustomed to believe. Some of the traits that he identified include the love of learning, humility, generosity, autonomy, and firmness. He looks at these factors from a different angle, which does not augur well with how we normally grade ourselves or define our behavioral styles. The article focuses on how an individual can be a courageous and intelligent in the workplace, class, and or while interacting with others in the society. Therefore, it reminds us of how critical thinking skills are important when combined with visible actions. The dimension taken by the author impresses me because he clarifies some misconceptions on the definition of virtues. Therefore, the society should inculcate the culture of critical thinking to future generations if it desires to bring positive change and redefine how people evaluate their behavior.
The author appreciates the universal nature of mental virtues when he highlights the six traits such as firmness, courage, autonomy, humility, and generosity. All these are present in individuals who have the full capacity of thinking at play. I agree with his notion that describes thinking as the act of pushing against the natural grain. Through Creative and critical thinking we have managed to be active, and our only concern is not about adopting the right techniques, but of having an enterprise that is morally upright. One will need to go beyond his desires of certainty and avoiding painful truths to survive in this world of technology. People are urged to go against their lesser impulses and aim for those that are higher to remain competitive in their thinking abilities.
The information projected by David Brooks fits well with what I have already learned because it draws my attention to the DISC (Dominance, Influencing, Steadiness, and Compliance) Model, which is normally in explaining how different people in society prefer to behave. The model is helpful because it displays the thinking capacities of different people by looking at their identities. The “D” code factor measures how people can respond to their problems and challenges. “I” looks at how people make contacts with others in the society and how they these people manage to influence their point of view. “S” has managed to measure the consistency and response of people to their environment. “C” measures how people in organizations and other settings prefer to respond to stipulated rules and procedures set by their superiors. Such information comes in handy when an individual wants to identify the category they belong to regarding their behavior and thinking.
Lastly, the information has been a revelation on the elements associated with mental virtues in correspondence to critical thinking. Since people can be creative thinkers, individuals in any given environment can survive and overcome challenges that life presents. The information also fits well with what I have learned because it creates a new perspective of handling things in life and society. Therefore, the fountain of knowledge passed by Brooks needed to be managed well and directed to good use to help the complex society live in harmony. Moreover, it is important to build one another mentally, physically, and socially because it is hard for such knowledge to come by freely.


References
Brooks D. (2014). The Mental Virtues. The New York Times. Retrieved on 17 Nov. 2017 from https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/29/opinion/david-brooks-the-mental-virtues.html?