Recently I have been thinking about being critical. From my own experience I notice that some people take things too quickly without evaluating them for truthfulness and the presence of nuance.

I have also recently heard several pleas to make this an (more) important value. In a society where we are constantly bombarded with information, at school and in the newspaper, but also through advertising and social media, this is necessary. This necessity is permanent and is likely to increase (increase in information channels, the changing nature of society, fake news, …).

But is information supposed to be correct? Can’t we blindly trust most sources?
The answer is no. The information is not always correct, and this is more often the case than we think. Not only when we see advertisements (where techniques are used that ensure that incorrect or exaggerated information unknowingly influences us and so that vigilance is certainly required), but also when reading a scientific journal, for example. Even then, there may be errors in it or the information can be presented in such a way that many draw the wrong conclusions. So being critical is the message.

I believe that education can play a key role in upgrading, normalizing and automating critical thinking. So that children and young people in their daily lives are able to make better decisions and whether or not to follow certain visions. So that young people not only think about their school subjects, but also about society and all its sub-aspects in a nuanced and thoughtful way. We have to remember that they are the voters and leaders of the future.

But critical thinking is also a must when it comes to practicing the profession that their studies prepare for. Science, established values ​​and developments in society are constantly changing. Knowledge is important to create a basic framework from which the practitioner of a certain (professional) discipline can depart, I have no doubt about that. This is also important for terminology and structuring.

But the changing nature of society forces us to continue learning during our career. And because, as I said, not all information provided through literature, media, etc. is correct, it is very important that people can evaluate and value these sources and facts themselves. Making pupils and students competent in this area therefore has several advantages. It means that if we want to move forward and organize society in the best possible way, we have no other choice than to focus on this.

The need for a beautiful and inspiring vision of life is current and yet of all times. To where our historical sources reach, we see the philosophical attitude of mankind appearing in all kinds of different objects and writings. I also think philosophy is extremely interesting because it enables us to think about what we see but also about what we don’t see, about what we know for sure but also what we doubt about. Philosophy encompasses everything that is derived from existence, including imaginary but vivid thoughts that can only be formed in the mind. The enclosing existence itself is also not excluded. The philosophical answers evolve over time, they take on a new nature, but the enthusiastic and truth-seeking approach remains. Finally, all of this also has a place in the “real” world, in real activities and problems. In other words: philosophy changes and lets change.

Today we are at a tipping point. The ways of thinking among leading figures seem to consist of extremes. Something has to change, and philosophy would not be philosophy if he could not help us with this. A challenging starting point to find an answer to what way of thinking we should use and therefore what our world should look like, is to pretend that we are on a space journey. Suppose we meet extraterrestrial life many light years away from the Earth and they ask us to describe our earthly existence. What do we want to be able to tell about our world? We must remember that these extraterrestrial beings will objectively look at our life on earth, and the things that we take for granted from our position, they may find very strange or unfair. Let us therefore “prepare” and look at the world objectively to discover what could be improved. Let’s create a fair and beautiful world together. Then we are immediately prepared for the future.

I would like to tell about a world where all people are respected. A world where the burning out of racism is a priority. A world in which no difference is made on the basis of special and meaningful religion, skin color on the spectrum from light to dark, gender with regard to one’s own identity and many other characteristics that guarantee the uniqueness and individuality of each person. I think we can achieve this through an extremely moral way of thinking, a way of thinking that gets as many children as possible into the cradle and that is strengthened at school. Confrontations with multiculturalism occur already in childhood and stimulate connectedness. Because neophobia exists and is human, but as long as we realize this and correct it, it doesn’t have to be a problem. Adults must set an example, something that unfortunately is not always the case today. It is important to know that we not only cán do this, but that we múst do this. We live in an increasingly global world, a world in which exclusion often has major consequences for the excluded but also for the exclusors when the ball bounces back. We have no other choice, only this is how we reach the future.

We must look at the earth as our own child. Commit to a sustainable planet and encourage others to do so. See the urgency. This is a crisis that is much greater than any of us. A problem whose strongest consequences only show itself when it is already too late. But it’s not because we can’t see it that we can’t do something about it. We owe it to the earth, to future generations, and to the other animals and plants that live on this planet. I wish my grandchildren can grow up without immense climate problems, and I am convinced that you also wish that for your grandchildren.

When I dream about my ideal life in a beautiful world at night, I see a world where there is a completely different vision of life. Yet my vision of a good life is not extreme or shocking. I dream about people who know that life is finite and money material. All too often in today’s world I see people who are so concerned with money and success that they forget the world. They no longer see the essential elements of existence. Imagine a busy businessman or woman who works every day from early in the morning until late at night. Money will probably not be a problem for this person, but to what extent do the large doses of stress terrorize his physical and mental health? When will he find time for family, friends and a conscious walk in nature? Looking consciously at the world and nature seems to be a thing of the past in an era in which we work or take lessons indoors and in which technology has gained the upper hand. We wonder about space, but how many people have ever really looked at the earth? These (often neglected) aspects are, in my opinion, necessities that will ultimately contribute to the satisfaction and serenity that few people are given today. The obtained states of mind, in turn, contribute to a more tolerant world with less racism and war.

That there are many things that money cannot provide, I realized with unprecedented purity when I organized activities for the children in a refugee reception center. A child’s smile creates a wave of warmth on which you can surf for a long time afterwards to a feeling of happiness. This dual result, in which two people experience a small but beautiful moment, can be achieved with no money in the world. Success is also not profound enough to illuminate the darkest place in your heart. After you die, people will mainly think back to who you were as a person, the warmth you spread and the support you gave.

Keep in mind that inventing excuses for participating in a culture of unnecessary activities will not help you. Remember that finitude and mortality force us not to waste time on things that don’t matter, that they force us to surrender to what is really important. With the hypothetical depiction of our immense universe in mind, these human qualities and the size of the universe only really come to my mind. When I look at the stars, I see the greatness of everything and I realize that even a pin in a haystack is many times more visible and influential than a human in the universe. That’s why we can only do one thing: live with a loving and big L.

As leading and important people in our society to help normalize this vision, for example through education that focuses more on lessons about life (in our society) instead of just focusing on lessons that focus on performance, more people will dare to change off course, more people will dare to live a truly satisfying life with tolerance as a free incidental that means much more than the word incidental suggests.

This vision can therefore be a guide through the jungle of life, but is not intended as absolute truth. This should above all encourage a society in which each individual can decide for himself what makes his life meaningful and what he likes to do without being left with guilt. Each individual can make and monitor his own balance (for example between performance at work and being together with or committed to others). In this way we can get rid of the ridiculous contradiction between being existentially ignorant, through which ‘obligation’ loses his right to exist, ánd yet be pushed in fixed directions. In this way people can choose freely and create their own values, norms and goals (although basic values must be determined collectively so that people with bad intentions are not given free rein). When people have the freedom to complement their whole of values at will, they will experience an extremely satisfying sense in their pursuits that can be seen as the expression of these values. The core of this beautiful society will then consist of personal meaning with unique creations, satisfaction and solidarity between people and people and nature as a result.