Fresh Ideas: Critical thinking: Separate fact from opinion

"Believe none of what you hear and half of what you see." - Benjamin Franklin

As I read the letters on the Appeal's opinion page, I am often dismayed and discouraged by what passes for informed opinion. It is disappointing what some people consider credible information. The opinion page is just that, one person's view of the issues at hand. Nonetheless, while we are entitled to our own opinion, we are not entitled to our own facts.

Edward Glaser, writing over 60 years ago, called the sifting and evaluating of information "critical thinking." It seems to be missing from many adult readers' skill sets. Critical thinking doesn't necessarily mean expressing disapproval. It does mean being a little skeptical, keeping an open mind, asking questions, examining our beliefs and backing them up with facts. It also means keeping one's biases and ego in check. It takes practice.

First, consider the source of the information. Newspapers, magazines, 24-hour news channels and the Internet offer us a glut of choices. Moreover, we are bombarded with competing commercials and commentary. Decide whether the purpose is to inform or persuade. Learn who is paying for the ad or study and what they have to gain. (Hint: sometimes they lie.) Try for a balance of real news vs. opinion. Listen to what the other side is saying now and then. Perhaps a little Bill Maher with your Bill O'Reilly. Read widely. Study history.

Secondly, leave personal biases out of the equation. Do you perhaps prejudge people based on their age, political party, religion, education, income or ethnicity? Most people do not fit neatly into categories. Many Christians are Democrats. Many African-Americans have Harvard degrees. Many Republicans recycle. And many of us old retired folks are still pretty liberal. Our democracy is stronger when we appreciate the diversity and complexity of each other's experiences. Be respectful.

Finally, our own egos may blind us to the truth because it means we'd have to admit we were (gulp) wrong. Things change. Take a little time to fit new ideas into your schema of prior knowledge. Apologize now and then.

When we fail to hold ourselves and the media - left, right and center - accountable, we give up one of our fundamental powers. The ability to gather and evaluate reliable information allows us to make rational decisions based on knowledge rather than fear.

If we fail to think and act critically about healthcare, education, the economy, the environment, we deserve exactly what we get - politicians and pundits willing to cut off their noses to spite their faces just so the other side won't win. And that means you and I will almost certainly lose.

• Lorie Schaefer is a retired teacher.