The Human

The Miniature Guide
to
The Human Mind

How It Learns
How It Mislearns
by
Dr. Linda Elder
and
Dr. Richard Paul
Based on
Critical Thinking Concepts & Principles
The Foundation for Critical Thinking

The Miniature Guide to Taking Charge of The Human Mind
Dear Reader:
To live well is to live as a reasonable and ethical person.
Yet humans are not by nature rational or ethical. Humans are predisposed
to operate in the world in narrow terms of how it can serve them. Their
brains are directly wired into their own pleasure and pain, not that of
others. They do not inherently consider the rights and needs of others.
Yet humans have the raw capacity to become reasonable and ethical persons, to
develop as fair-minded skilled thinkers. But to do so requires:
1. Understanding how the mind works.
2. Using this understanding to develop skills and insights.
This guide addresses the first of these requirements. It lays the conceptual
foundations necessary for understanding the mind, its functions, its natural
propensity toward irrationality, and its capacity for rationality.
It is designed for those interested in developing their potential to be fair-
minded reasonable persons, concerned with how their behavior affects the
lives of others, concerned to develop their full humanity, concerned with
making the world a more civilized and just place.
It is designed for those willing to transform their thinking to improve their
decisions, the quality of their lives, the quality of their interpersonal rela-
tionships, and their vision of the world.
It is intended to provide an initial map to help interested persons begin to
free themselves from the traps their minds have constructed. It points the
way toward mindfulness and self-understanding through critical thinking.
It is, in any case, a beginning place.
Sincerely,
Linda Elder Richard Paul
© 2004 Foundation for Critical Thinking www.criticalthinking.org

Table of Contents
We Live in Our Minds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Understanding The Human Mind: The Big Picture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
The Mind's Three Distinctive Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-5
The Dynamic Relationship Between Thinking, Feeling, Wanting . . . . . . . . .6
Behavior: A Product of the Mind’s Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Thinking as the Key to Feelings and Desires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-9
Rational Capacities or Egocentric Tendencies Control the Mind . . . . . . . .10
The Problem of Egocentric Thinking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Distinguish Egocentric from Rational Motives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12–14
Feelings That Accompany Egocentrism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
The Logic of Egocentrism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
The Logic of Rationality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Distinguishing Egocentric Domination from Egocentric Submission . . . . .18
The Logic of Egocentric Domination and Submission . . . . . . . . . . . . .19–20
Pathological Dispositions of the Human Mind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Challenging the Pathological Dispositions of the Human Mind . . . . . .22–23
Defense Mechanisms of the Mind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24–26
Popular Misunderstandings of the Mind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Emotional Intelligence and Critical Thinking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Some Basic Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29–31
Second Edition © 2004 Foundation for Critical Thinking www.criticalthinking.org

As humans
we live
in our
Minds
2 © 2004 Foundation for Critical Thinking www.criticalthinking.org
Understanding The Human Mind: The Big Picture

The mind is it’s own place
and in itself
can make a hell of heaven
or a heaven of hell
John Milton
Everyone thinks. It is our nature to do so. But much of our thinking left
to itself is biased, distorted, ill-founded, or prejudiced. Much of our
thinking leads to problems in our lives. Much of our thinking leads to
cruelty and injustice. Of course, the mind doesn’t just think, it also
feels and wants. What is the connection? Our thinking shapes and
determines how we feel and what we want. When we think well, we
are motivated to do things that make sense and motivated to act in ways
that help rather than harm ourselves and others.
At the same time, powerful emotions or desires influence our thinking,
help or hinder how well we think in a situation. At any given moment,
our minds (that complex of inner thoughts, feelings and desires) can be
under the sway of our native egocentrism or our potential reasonability.
When we are ruled by our egocentric tendencies, we see the world
from a narrow self-serving perspective. We are not truly concerned with
how our behavior affects others. We are fundamentally concerned with
getting what we want and/or with validating our beliefs and views.
The key to understanding human thought then, is, to understand its
essential duality: its capacity for egocentrism (being trapped in self-
delusion, myth, and illusion) and its capacity for reasonability (freeing
itself from self-delusion, myth, and illusion).
Though thinking, feeling and wanting are, in principle, equally impor-
tant, it is only through thinking that we take command of our minds. It
is through thinking that we figure out what is going wrong with our
thinking. It is through thinking that we figure out how to deal with
destructive emotions. It is through thinking that we change unproduc-
tive desires to productive ones. It is fair-minded reasonability that frees
us from intellectual slavery.
If we understand our mind and its functions, if we face the barriers to
our development that egocentrism represents, if we work upon our
mind in a daily regimen, we can take the steps that lead to our empow-
erment as thinkers.
© 2004 Foundation for Critical Thinking www.criticalthinking.org 3

The Mind's Three Distinctive Functions

The mind has three basic functions: thinking, feeling, and wanting.
The basic functions of

the human mind
Thinking Feeling Wanting
■ Thinking is the part of the mind that figures things out. It

makes sense of life’s events. It creates the ideas through which
we define situations, relationships and problems. It continually
tells us: This is what is going on. This is what is happening.
Notice this and that.
■ Feelings are created by thinking — evaluating whether the

events of our lives are positive or negative. Feelings continually
tell us: “This is how I should feel about what is happening in my
life. I’m doing really well.” Or, alternatively, “Things aren’t
going well for me.”
■ Our desires allocate energy to action, in keeping with what we

define as desirable and possible. It continually tells us: “This is
worth getting. Go for it!” Or, conversely, “This is not worth
getting. Don't bother.”

THINKING–
the key to
Thinking Feeling Wanting
YOUR THINKING
controls you
Your emotions Your decisions
DO YOU CONTROL YOUR THINKING?

Rational Capacities or Egocentric Tendencies

Control the Mind
The three functions of the mind — thoughts, feelings and desires —
can be guided or directed either by one’s native egocentrism or by
one’s potential rational capacities. Egocentric tendencies function
automatically and unconsciously. Rational tendencies arise only
from active self-development and are largely conscious.
The Mind
Feelings
Thoughts Desires
Organized
by
Egocentric or Rational
Tendencies Capacities

Feelings That Accompany Egocentrism

These are some of the many feelings that might accompany
egocentric thinking. They often occur when egocentric thinking
is “unsuccessful.”
Defensiveness
Irritability Arrogance
Anger Apathy
UNSUCCESSFUL
EGOCENTRIC
THINKING
Alienation
Depression
Resentment Indifference
Essential Idea: When egocentric thinking is successful in getting

what it wants, positive feelings accompany it. But when egocentric
thinking is not able to achieve its purposes, negative feelings result.

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The Miniature Guide

The Human Mind

The Foundation for Critical Thinking

Linda Elder Richard Paul

© 2004 Foundation for Critical Thinking www.criticalthinking.org

The Mind's Three Distinctive Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-5

The Dynamic Relationship Between Thinking, Feeling, Wanting . . . . . . . . .6

Behavior: A Product of the Mind’s Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Thinking as the Key to Feelings and Desires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-9

Rational Capacities or Egocentric Tendencies Control the Mind . . . . . . . .10

The Problem of Egocentric Thinking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Distinguish Egocentric from Rational Motives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12–14

Feelings That Accompany Egocentrism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

The Logic of Egocentrism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

The Logic of Rationality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Distinguishing Egocentric Domination from Egocentric Submission . . . . .18

The Logic of Egocentric Domination and Submission . . . . . . . . . . . . .19–20

Pathological Dispositions of the Human Mind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Challenging the Pathological Dispositions of the Human Mind . . . . . .22–23

Defense Mechanisms of the Mind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24–26

Popular Misunderstandings of the Mind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Emotional Intelligence and Critical Thinking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Some Basic Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29–31

Second Edition © 2004 Foundation for Critical Thinking www.criticalthinking.org

Understanding The Human Mind: The Big Picture

© 2004 Foundation for Critical Thinking www.criticalthinking.org 3

The Mind's Three Distinctive Functions

The basic functions of

Thinking Feeling Wanting

■ Thinking is the part of the mind that figures things out. It

■ Feelings are created by thinking — evaluating whether the

■ Our desires allocate energy to action, in keeping with what we

4 © 2004 Foundation for Critical Thinking www.criticalthinking.org

Thinking Feeling Wanting

Your emotions Your decisions

DO YOU CONTROL YOUR THINKING?

© 2004 Foundation for Critical Thinking www.criticalthinking.org 9

Rational Capacities or Egocentric Tendencies

10 © 2004 Foundation for Critical Thinking www.criticalthinking.org

Feelings That Accompany Egocentrism

Essential Idea: When egocentric thinking is successful in getting

© 2004 Foundation for Critical Thinking www.criticalthinking.org 15

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