The Humanities Don’t Get Enough Love
by Lindsey Turnbull
Unpopular Opinion Time: The humanities don’t get enough love.
Now, don’t mis(s)hear me: I think STEM is awesome, needed, valuable! It deserves the spotlight too- I think there’s enough to go around so that humanities can be in the spotlight too!
The humanities (English, civics, History, literature, languages, art, philosophy, etc.) are where you learn to:
+ read beyond the words on the page and tease out deeper meaning,
+ question authors and sources
+ write persuasively, quickly, and effectively, for multiple audiences
+ make arguments (and poke holes in them)
+ think critically
+ understand other perspectives and experiences
+ research really, really well.
The Humanities and Critical Thinking: A Love Story
Your critical thinking skills are invaluable! One of the best, most long-serving skills you can nurture is your critical thinking.
Critical thinking is an umbrella term that includes things like analysis, being persuasive, sorting biases, being open-minded, and anticipate and solve problems. Who doesn’t benefit from that?
Critical thinking makes you a better sorter of BS, meaning that nothing will get past you when you’re nurturing and using those skills!
You can sharpen your critical thinking skills by:
♯ Being curious and asking questions
♯ Expressing yourself in different ways (writing, art, speaking, singing, etc.)
♯ Pretend like you’re explaining something difficult to a kindergartener
♯ Examine your own beliefs
♯ Try your hand at some brain teasers
You were born to think curiously and critically!
For every person who makes fun of my “useless humanities degree” (UGH FOREVER), there’s someone who wants to know how I destroy their argument without breaking a sweat, write so quickly, or find *correct* answers to things so fast.
I did it with the things I learned studying to get my “useless degree!”
All of those skills serve me every single day! And those are skills everyone, including STEM folks, use every day.
Show the humanities some love 😊
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