Today is the day to…

1. Today is the day to… show mercy

2. The source for this material and for our 25-Day CT Challenge is… 25 Days to Better Thinking and Better Living: A Guide for Improving Every Aspect of Your Life, by Dr. Linda Elder & Dr. Richard Paul, Pearson, 2006; and the Center and Foundation for Critical Thinking, CA.

3. Have Mercy Be on the lookout for opportunities to display understanding, compassion, and forgiveness today (Ibid)

4. Drs. Elder and Paul suggest that… “Most of us think that if other people were to think just like us, the world would be a better place. We naturally believe that what we think is right…and we are often intolerant…of people who don’t think and behave like us.” (in 25 Days to Better Thinking &…Ibid)

5. Read this chapter if you dare, it may challenge your very core… • The authors suggest that you be on the lookout for displays of understanding and compassion, as well as displays, (and news reports), favoring punishment and suffering. • They are fearless, and wade right into social issues and examples, and into values, thoughts and behaviors we may never have questioned. Be prepared; I wasn’t…I leave it to you to read… • Check pp. 37-38.

6. A rare commodity… “Though most people are compassionate toward their own family and close friends, few demonstrate compassion and tolerance toward those who think and act differently from themselves.” (Ibid)

7. Our authors ask us to consider, for example, • Are we growing more or less intolerant? (Both within and without our boundaries) • Do we have fewer or more laws? • Are we criminalizing more and more behaviors? “There are more people in jail in the U.S. per capita than in any other country in the world…” (cited byDrs. Elder and Paul, Ibid)

8. And they ask us to consider… • Does this bother you? • Do you consider it unreasonable or reasonable? • Are you aware of how these same issues are handled in other countries? • What do you think of those practices?

9. Other issues… • And the authors wade into other issues in this chapter…issues to make us think, perhaps to question, and possibly to act… • Check out pp. 37-38.

10. “Notice when you catch yourself being intolerant… “and notice when others are behaving with intolerance” (Ibid)

11. Four Strategies are offered on pp. 38-39 • Four strategies for you to try, to become more tolerant, to show mercy… (in 25 Days to Better Thinking& Better Living, by Drs. Elder and Paul, Ibid)

12. In addition, all “challenges” • …in the book are accompanied by a list of other readings which will extend your understanding and development relative to that particular challenge. • Your Professional Collection in CTLE has most of these materials, and we will be adding to our holdings for your use; these can be checked out overnight or weekends. (B58-108)

13. Extend your reading on these ideas

14. Remember that these Ppts… • Reflect the tip of the iceberg • Are a “fast track” sprint; a Berlitz course, a capsule view, if you will; • They are presented as an overview of what takes much longer to truly develop…of what requires much deeper focus and practice in our thinking; • Even the original plan of our authors was for a 25-week “fast track”, not days;

15. Today is the day to… show mercy

16. “We hand folks over to God’s mercy, and show none ourselves.” - George Eliot

17. DAILY REFLECTION NOTES • Today I was successful in using the following ideas/strategies: • The key insights that emerged for me today were: • One problem in my thinking that I now realize is: • I plan to continue working on this problem using the following strategy: