I had a professor in college unlike any other. The class was business law, but really, my professor taught critical thinking. He came into class on day one and blasted this conservative group with liberal rhetoric.
It took me a few days to figure out what was going on, but after I learned what he was doing, it was pretty amazing to sit back and watch the students unravel and fight back on the offensive against their ideals. Near the end of the semester he made a presentation to hammer home his main point of the entire class. He had an acronym:
- CULTURE
- RELIGION
- ADVERTISING
- MEDIA
- PARENTS
- EDUCATION
- RELATIONSHIPS
Each of these CRAMPERS influence our perception of people, business and the world in general. You can’t deny the impact that each of these has on your life.
My professor attempted to instill critical thinking in my class by doing everything he could to rattle our cages, to make us question the status quo and fortify our positions. It was brilliant.
My challenge to you is to Decramp.
That doesn’t mean you need to abandon all those things that you know and love, but you should question everything so that you can excel at anything you do. Understand your position inside and out so that you can make intelligent arguments and persuasive explanations.
