I think some of those people who have 'questioned everything" are the looney conspiracy people not willing to defer to scientific or medical experts. That's why there's such an antivax movement right now, they can't accept vaccines have contained disease, rather they question and discard fact.
I used to tweep 'what quacks, MustGo like a duck is not always a duck ' in the good days of twitter. Under the blue sky sunny morning weather in the tropics.
Sure, fine, but when you arrive at an answer and the answer makes sense, grab hold of that answer. Don't just be blindly suspicious and stubborn. Holding onto beliefs when the best evidence proves you wrong is how you get ignorance.
Right-wingers believe in quotes like this too. Maybe more so than lefties. But they never get past it. When you say "Don't believe everything you read", they hear "Don't believe anything you read". Some teacher in gave them a gold star for having a contrary idea and now they only have contrary ideas
James,
I was distraught after the election and watched Carlin’s standup on religion! Then, I watched several clips - about the GOP and “growing up to be dead soldiers”. He was outrageous! I miss him so much! Glad you are a fan!
Make sure to teach them what "question everything" actually means first, though. We live in a societal epidemic where "question everything" is often interpreted to mean "doubt everything" regardless of how much evidence is presented.
But it isn’t enough to question. A 2 year can question why the sky is blue and deploy that question as a strategic obstruction. Intelligent minds question, listen, and apply education, logic, intelligence, information and experience to assess the response for credibility and merit.
I taught social studies in public schools for 30 years. I had the words “Question Everything” posted above the door for students to view every time they exited my room.
That’s so true.. I just saw episode 6 of the Tulsa King where Sty visits a school with his daughter. His quips were so apt. School education has fallen several levels here in the US.. children are smarter, intelligent and more productive ready for the world from the schools back east.
The trouble is, people are questioning fact based science such as, space, health & medicines, the curvature of earth, evolution, chemtrails, questioning the existence of birds.
I leaned into this so hard with my kids, and now it's starting to backfire. Mom, why are curse words bad, and who decided this?🫣I came up with something, but it took a hot second! And then she negotiated and now can start cursing at age 13, just not at people. Will report back in 6 years.
"Question everything" is neither rational nor practical.
The goal of reading is to get closer to the truth (any truth), if you keep questioning you'll end up questioning this truth itself when you reach it on no real basis and will probably end up considering it wrong.
Also, it is a self-destructive statement, as I can simply start by questioning this statement itself, which if I did will mean the questioning I did may not have been right, and so on..
Practically in our daily life we must depend on certain absolute truths or we will never do any human activities.
I think it is better to say: "Be a critical thinker" instead of "Question everything". So don't question everything but rather don't believe all what you read without careful thinking and search when it is necessary.
If you only believe what you have been told to believe, life may be very grim for you. If you choose to think for yourself, and don't judge, the possibilities in the paths ahead of you can be incredible indeed.
As a millennial parent who does this with her two daughters, be mindful that your children will also question you, the parent... like... they question everything you say. So be prepared to argue with a tiny lawyer all day every day. 🫠 Love, a mom trying to raise smart kind humans.
I know exactly what Mr Carlin meant to say, but nowadays this is a double-edged sword. In Germany, right-wing-parties and -movements use the exact same language. Them saying: "Don't trust anyone!" of course means: "Trust only us ...". And I seem to have heard comparable things from RFK, too.
There's a great series of books called Two Truths and a Lie, where they very convincingly (with photos and quotes and lots of info) tell you about three incredible items/locations/etc. You have to figure out the one that's wrong. Definitelyl a wonderful starting points with kids!
It’s not what they read that should be questioned, but the source. Otherwise what you get is things like anti-vaxxers and people who think the earth is flat.
It's a matter of determining that which is objectively factual vs. Opinion.
Ricky Gervais (?), " you can have your opinion, it may be different, and that's fine....but you can't have your own facts"
Yeah, this sentiment is how we got conspiracy theorists in the mainstream. Teach them fucking media literacy because 'question everything' is profoundly stupid and a misunderstanding of 'critical theory.'
I had a high school English teacher who taught us this idea. Our assigned essays were brutal. But we learned a lot and honed a skill that has aided me throughout my years.
While questioning everything, make sure you have the wherewithal to concede and change your beliefs when proven wrong. Too many people cling to their convictions without allowing themselves the space to reflect, think, and question.
My first freshman class on day one was English. The
Professor hammered us throughout the semester the difference between fact and opinion on the printed page and taught us to critically think about what we have read. Have NEVER forgot that life lesson.
"Do they not reflect upon the Quran? Or are there locks upon their hearts?"
(Surah Muhammad 47:24)
This verse promotes thoughtful questioning and deep understanding rather than blind acceptance.
Critical thinking skills and when older have them read things that make them think like books by Ayn Rand and even Hitler's My Struggle. Discuss and make known how wrong the authors were and how they died.
Yes. Too many GOP voters and felon supporters are utterly incapable of critical thinking. I read mythology to my kids as bedtime stories. They’re young adults now. They aren’t gullible fools. Early childhood education is so important. I’m so angry about the dumbing-down of kids by the GOP 🤬🤬
Absolutely. They're so busy complaining about things that make them uncomfortable that they don't know how to engage with good writing.
Their bratty kids would actually be more competitive in this world if they were better critical thinkers. But they don't want that. Wouldn't want them to revolt.
That’s weakness. All of it. And their kids will be uneducated wage slaves. One of mine works in cybersecurity and the other is in college studying psychology.
The other day my daughter told me that her almost 4 year old son told her “my favorite thing in the world is for Mamareen to read to me.”. I’m Mamareen. Xoxoxo
ehh..,
See, there’s this thing called science, and it’s pretty legit at its core.
Really not a thing to question when you suggest “everything.”
It’s not wrong to question the scientific method behind a conclusion, but to question the general idea of scientific exploration? nahh, that’s off.
Also, if I may... I'm a tutor for children w/ reading comprehension struggles. Your child may have been diagnosed with a learning disorder when their only obstacle is comprehending! Bc they read.
One.
Word.
At.
A.
Time.
Train their eye to look forward & teach brain to anticipate. Good luck. 💗
Comments
This guy says we can prove it. . .
https://substack.com/home/post/p-151721941
Every generation gets the call to defend the Light from the Darkness, brother.
The Darkness just showed everyone in America exactly who and what he is, and what he's going to do to America--unless we stop him.
I refuse to abandon the Light!
It's our turn.
I was distraught after the election and watched Carlin’s standup on religion! Then, I watched several clips - about the GOP and “growing up to be dead soldiers”. He was outrageous! I miss him so much! Glad you are a fan!
Remember, we’re where we are because overly credulous people decided to “question what they read”
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2024/11/the-elite-college-students-who-cant-read-books/679945/
I’ve seen CA heading a list. Will verify. Thanks for pointing it out.
The goal of reading is to get closer to the truth (any truth), if you keep questioning you'll end up questioning this truth itself when you reach it on no real basis and will probably end up considering it wrong.
Practically in our daily life we must depend on certain absolute truths or we will never do any human activities.
And that's why I fact checked this meme.
But it turns out: it's essentially correct, it's just a paraphrase not word-for-word.
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/george-carlin-question-everything/
Ricky Gervais (?), " you can have your opinion, it may be different, and that's fine....but you can't have your own facts"
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sold-a-story/id1649580473
Marcus Aurelius and George Carlin
A teacher,s cry
Professor hammered us throughout the semester the difference between fact and opinion on the printed page and taught us to critically think about what we have read. Have NEVER forgot that life lesson.
(Surah Muhammad 47:24)
This verse promotes thoughtful questioning and deep understanding rather than blind acceptance.
Their bratty kids would actually be more competitive in this world if they were better critical thinkers. But they don't want that. Wouldn't want them to revolt.
Stopping that might have been a mistake.
(Maybe we wouldn't be on the brink of WW3?)
See, there’s this thing called science, and it’s pretty legit at its core.
Really not a thing to question when you suggest “everything.”
It’s not wrong to question the scientific method behind a conclusion, but to question the general idea of scientific exploration? nahh, that’s off.
One.
Word.
At.
A.
Time.
Train their eye to look forward & teach brain to anticipate. Good luck. 💗