People aren’t thinking for themselves these days. Whether it be listening to a professor speak in the classroom, viewing any number of news programs, listening to a politician or looking at some informative links someone has shared on Facebook, people are soaking up what is being said without a second thought.

Now, I’m not saying we should doubt the vast knowledge and credibility of the professors here at MSU, but we should know that it is the responsibility of a student— or someone who pursues knowledge about themselves and the world around them— to take everything they hear with a grain of salt. To be a true critical thinker you must inspect everything, analyzing each opinion of an issue to come to a logical conclusion that makes the most sense.

Our lack of critical thinking is evident everywhere you look, but most clearly in today’s world of politics. There are many congressmen who vote strictly on party guidelines, major news organizations lean to one side of the political spectrum and many average American citizens vote for a candidate solely based on the party with which they identify. What’s more disturbing is that it’s all done without a moment’s hesitation.

Yes, there is a certain level of trust that we all must carry in our lives in order to stay healthy. But to unequivocally trust someone or something who espouses unfamiliar information is setting yourself up to be just another deceived, in-the-tank party supporter who drinks the Kool-Aid. It’s like leaving your car unlocked with your wallet sitting on the driver’s seat and expecting that the people walking by will have enough character not to steal it. It’s just not sensible.

By forgoing critical thought, we as a nation are losing something as fundamental as our identities and as profound as our freedom to act on our own consciousness. By surrendering our unique thoughts and morals in order to align ourselves with a certain ideological brand, we have become slaves of the two-party system.

Many people seem to be under the impression that the world is black and white. Decades of media melodrama have driven into our minds that there is only a good side and a bad side to every issue. But are the problems we encounter in our lives so simple as to be summed up in two perspectives or, in the case of politics, two party platforms?

While I believe there are absolutes to be found, it is our duty as people responsible for our lives and the world around us to distance ourselves from such stark presumptions. If we wish for progress, we must act as if all opinions were credible, seek knowledge about all other perspectives and systematically eliminate them as we analyze their level of validity.

So seriously, don’t trust me just because I’m writing in this newspaper. Instead, I extend a challenge to my fellow Bobcats: Critically think about what I have said and completely assess all components of its justification. I promise you, it will make all the difference.