Principal's Page
Kia Ora Friends -
Thinking Clearly in a Noisy World
Our children are growing up surrounded by more information than any generation before them. Answers are available instantly. Social media, algorithms, and now artificial intelligence can put an enormous amount of information in front of us.
But having more information doesn’t necessarily make us better thinkers.
More than 400 years ago, philosopher Francis Bacon identified four common ways our minds can trick us. His ideas feel remarkably relevant today. Bacon believed that even intelligent people can make poor decisions because we don’t see the world completely objectively. Our experiences, emotions, language, and existing beliefs all influence what we think is true.
Four traps for our thinking
1. We see what we expect to see.
Our brains love patterns and naturally notice information that supports what we already believe. Bacon recognised what we now often call confirmation bias. One way to counter this is to deliberately ask, “What evidence might show me that I’m wrong?”
2. We all live in our own “cave”.
Our upbringing, culture, education and life experiences shape the way we see the world. Bacon called this our personal “cave”. The challenge is remembering that somebody looking at the same situation from a different cave may see something we have missed. Listening genuinely to people with different experiences helps us broaden our view.
3. Words can confuse rather than clarify.
People sometimes disagree simply because they mean different things by the same words. Bacon encouraged people to define what they mean, avoid unnecessary jargon, and explain complicated ideas simply. That is good advice for adults and children alike: if we truly understand something, we should be able to explain it clearly.
4. Don’t believe something simply because an expert or established system says it is true.
Frameworks and expert knowledge are enormously useful, but they should never replace curiosity. Bacon encouraged us to begin with evidence, observe carefully, and remain willing to change our minds when the facts change.
What does this mean for our children?
At Western Heights, we want children who can think, not simply children who can find answers.
In a world of Google, YouTube, TikTok, and AI, that ability will become increasingly important.
A powerful set of questions we can teach our tamariki is:
* How do I know this is true?*
What evidence do I have?* Could there be another explanation?
* What might someone else think?*
What would make me change my mind?
Perhaps Bacon’s most useful lesson is that good thinkers aren’t people who are always certain. They are people who remain curious enough to question their own certainty. His advice was essentially to seek evidence that challenges us, step outside our bubbles, talk with people whose experiences differ from ours, use clear language, and keep questioning.
That feels like a pretty important capability for our children, our future.
A simple challenge for home:
Next time your child tells you an interesting “fact”, rather than telling them whether they’re right or wrong, try asking: “That’s interesting. How could we find out if it’s really true?”
That one little question can open the door to some wonderful thinking.
Whānau Time Live Stream - you can watch our Whānau Time Full School Assemblies via our Facebook Live Stream.
WHS YouTube Archive - if you want to catch up on previous Live Streams and other school event videos, you can visit our Western Heights YouTube channel here: Western Heights YouTube Channel.
There are over 550 videos available to view, with new ones added regularly. It's a cool way to take a trip back through time, too.
As always, if you have questions or concerns about anything school-related, email me at macash@mac.com, and I will get back to you asap.
My very best regards to you all,
Ash Maindonald
Principal.
