In the past, information was scarce, especially with censorship. Thus it was valuable for schools to teach “facts” (even if the non-science subjects “facts” weren’t true).
Now we live in a different world. We are overwhelmed with information. It is far more critical that our schools teach critical thinking.
Two hundred years ago, especially in less developed countries, there was very little information available. Even if you had access to a private library, the amount of information was relatively limited. Governments censored and limited the information the common person had access to.
By contrast, we are now overwhelmed by information. Governments no longer put the emphasis on censorship. Rather, what they do is spread misinformation or distract us with irrelevant things. It is alarmingly easy to inundate people with conflicting stories and distractions. How do you know what to believe if you were never taught critical thinking?
Please stop using “google” as a synonym for doing an Internet search. Google is a company and Google is now manipulating what information you are exposed to. Please use any other search engine (preferably one that isn’t using a Google search under the covers) and help break Google’s monopoly on the information people are being fed.
If we aren’t going to memorize data in schools, where will we get our information?
The best source is personal observation. However each person may not be well qualified to process that information, they may lack the intelligence or education to properly evaluate what they are observing.
The second best source of information is directly from a trusted friend. A friend with expertise in a field can be a good source of information.
In third place I would put books! Why books? To write and publish a book, even a self published book, requires a fair amount of time and money. This is going to have a tendency to weed out casual thoughts, usually what is published has been given a decent amount of consideration. Still, it’s best to read multiple books on the same subject to get multiple viewpoints.
Then of course we have the Internet. It’s quick, it’s easy, it’s better than nothing. But we must be especially careful of the motivation behind any information on the Internet. Is it biased to promote an agenda? Is it biased to induce you to purchase something?
Stop believing in “facts” and start thinking in terms of “viewpoints”.
How should you teach your children? Definitely don’t try to get them to memorize a lot of trivia. Encourage them to think by asking “why” a lot. Let their brains work through the reasoning of why they believe something is as they think it is. Try to open their minds to other viewpoints. Point out cases where some people agree with them and other people disagree.
Consider teaching your children to play chess. Although chess is a simplistic game, it is quite good at demonstrating that for every action there are consequences. This teaches the importance of considering your actions. In chess it’s also not always obvious what the best move is. Often the best move depends on how your opponent will react. Are they hasty and greedy? Perhaps you can lead them into a trap?
Teach yourself and teach your children the value of independent thinking.
Lately, I’ve been picking up books that are written before the turn of the century. Although I’m sure a fair amount of psyopery was conducted then too, I do find the books less likely to toe the lines of the Overton window. Even watching media from that 90s feels less controlled than what we have going on now on the tele. Analog life is refreshingly more authentic than digital life.