Five Years from Now: What were we Thinking?

If I were to pick something from Psychology 1001 that would have a substantial effect on my life five years from now, I would pick the principles of scientific thinking and the idea of confirmation bias. Though the scientific principles are generally applied to areas of research, the principles can be applied in countless ways in our everyday lives. Scientific thinking in general is a concept that is foreign to most individuals. As we buy countless of products from companies that benefit from our collective ignorance, it does not occur to us to simply think twice before swiping one of our various plastic cards. The principles of scientific thinking have truly influenced the way I perceive my surroundings. As an individual who would get excited over almost every seemingly miraculous product on television, the principles of scientific thinking have added a healthy dose of skepticism in the way I live my life. Instead of being a nation that does not question the claims (whether it be the claims of advertisers or politicians) of others, and becomes a victim of ignorance, the scientific principles can allow us to think at a higher level.
The use of the principles of scientific thinking also allows us to overcome our innate tendency to search for information that supports our standing beliefs and distort or disregard information that clashes with those beliefs. This can be seen in issues that impact the world profoundly, including issues such as global warming. As evidence floods in regarding the effects of global warming, a handful of individuals cling dearly to weak evidence that claims to disprove the existence of a rising global climate. The same can be said for issues regarding politics, economics, and other pressing concerns. If individuals could attempt to fight instinct, and truly reflect on information that clashes with their beliefs in an attempt to come to an educated and supported conclusion by means of the scientific principles, it would be for the benefit of themselves and for the nation as a whole.