Considering the Implications...
How well do you consider the implications of the way you live your life? The car you drive? The food you eat? The policies you support? The choices you make?
All thinking leads somewhere. It has implications and, when acted upon, has consequences. It is important to think through implications before acting.
When you do, you are more likely to make reasonable choices and decisions.
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Understanding Implications
"
Fools measure actions after they are done, by the event; wise men beforehand, by the rules of reason.
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~ Richard Hill
The concepts from this page are found in...
From the Bookstore
25 Days to Better Thinking and Better Living
Critical thinking is at once simple and complex. Though there are many layers to critical thinking, and you can always deepen your understanding of it, there are some basic ideas in critical thinki... Read More
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Notice the implications of what you say.
Not only do implications follow from our decisions, but they are embedded in what we say, in the words we decide to use. So it is important to choose your words carefully. In any given situation, ask yourself
- Am I saying precisely what I mean and meaning precisely what I am saying?
If you say that you love someone, you imply that you are intimately connected to that person and deeply concerned about her or his well-being. But if you abuse this person, you don't really love him or her. Your actions violate the concept of love.
Carefully observe the language you choose to use.
Note what is implied by what you say.
Notice how others react to what you say to them.
Notice what is implied by what others say.
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Thinking Forward 
Think about the implications (for future health and happiness) of the way you are now living your life. If you continue living in the present and the future as you have in the past, what consequences will you likely face?
Some questions you can yourself to target implications:
- If I decide to do X, what is likely to happen?
- If I decide not to do X, what is likely to happen?
- If we make this decision in this relationship, what are the implications? What were the consequences when we made similar decisions before?
- What are the implications of ignoring this or that problem (for example, in an important relationship or in parenting)?
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