What source for self-esteem?

Why does it always sound like you are selling something?

Join the cult of critical thinkers, thinking up six ways to slice a tomato before chosing a seventh.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

But seriously, this critical thinking, by all estimation, seems pretty much like plain old thinking to me. It's like bottling spring water and saying it's better.

Your post was far too twisted up for me to want to follow. But, I can tell you what I think as a teacher. Self-esteem is based on self-identity. If you have a sense of place - a strong family, culture, community - that is one foundation of self-esteem. Another is how those important people in your life treat you. Adults need to make sure children succeed. They must set up learning situations where each kid can succeed and they need to tell children when they have succeeded.

I guess I am selling an idea that knowing the art and science of good jodgment is the first step toward becoming good at making judgments. An examination of the morning papers will indicate the lack of good judgment and that is partly because few people know how to think.

We are born with an innate ability to think rationally and we are born with an innate ability to do simple addition and subtraction but we study math in school to enhance our ability with dealing with quantity. If we did that same study of rational thinking we could be much better at it.

I continually point this out in the hope that occassionally some of the readers will become curious and study the matter on their own.

i disagree, it's not a set of ''innate abilities'' that we're born with, it's sin. we are infected by sin. which is why it's always easier to do the wrong thing. if you've betrayed somebody it's always easier to deny it than admit it, for example. that satan fellow really gets on my nerves, what a f**king sh*t.

Good judgments come from knowing how to make good judgments. Umm, no arguments there.

Good judgement, like good coffee, comes from the use of only the finest quality ingredients. :wink:

Or maybe good judgement is the absence of judgement...

Maybe bad judgement is good, because it enables you to judge better in the future. Anyone can make a mistake. Only a fool can make it twice.

Reminds me of a quote (attributed to any number of people):

"Good judgment comes from experience. And experience... well, that comes from bad judgment."