When you really boil it down, what is “critical thinking?” It’s to think deeply about facts, and to consider other possibilities. Thinking critically is basically to remain open. To take in new information and weigh it in your mind. “Critical thinking” is often a buzzword in education—we want our students and our children to ‘think critically.’ We want them to consider new information and new ideas, to review the facts of a situation before determining the best solution. Funny, as that’s not what we adults do in our current culture. You don’t see too many Congress members publicly displaying critical thinking. We need to practice what we preach, and it all starts with being open. I’ve written before about the importance of openness, about being considerate. When you really boil it down, these are all the same things, they’re all related. And as ‘easy’ as they are, at times they prove incredibly difficult—just think back to your last political conversation. But these principles, these habits, these actions all make an enormous impact. If we remain open, if we are considerate towards others, and if we think critically about new information, we will build a more conscious world. A better world. We raise our global consciousness and start down the path toward uniting humanity.