THINK AS AN INVESTMENT

(former Research Assistant at Fortius)

“Thinking is the activity of the soul when it engages in dialogue with itself, asking and answering questions, sometimes affirming and sometimes denying,” says Socrates. The thirst for immediacy that characterizes contemporary society directly results in a tendency to always affirm—or, worse still, to never even reach the point of questioning oneself. There is no time to distance ourselves from our own perspective, observe ourselves from a broader viewpoint, and critically examine what we defend—or believe we defend.

Doing has come to prevail over thinking in every sphere of the contemporary world, which is more concerned with effective answers than with challenging questions. As a result, society becomes passive, systematized, and content to accept what it is taught without reconsidering its initial assumptions—a serious danger in a constantly evolving world that demands new formulas for success, both in the corporate and political spheres.

The companies of the future are not assets, but ideas, and in the Third Sector, thought is likewise the key to success: without thought, there can be no change. By distancing ourselves from what is immediate, we create space for deep reflection that allows us not only to understand the world, but also to shape and transform it. Without thought, there is no transformation; we would simply limit ourselves to accepting reality as it is.

It is therefore clear why investing time and resources in thinking is essential. And yet, in practice, ideas are rarely debated in a genuine way, nor is there much willingness to change one’s mind or to hold two competing internal positions simultaneously by stepping outside one’s own perspective. There is little willingness to truly think.

This can be seen clearly in the contemporary individual who feels personally attacked when it is actually their ideas that are being questioned—ideas from which they should be capable of distancing themselves in order to allow genuine debate. This is precisely where the problem of polarization lies: it prevents bridges from being built for discussion and, in doing so, makes it impossible to strengthen ideas.

Only through dialogue with those who disagree with us can we arrive at the best version of our own convictions. Debate is a way of externalizing and giving form to the process of questioning and answering that Socrates described. Today, we are poor ambassadors for our own ideas; if they are to grow, they must be tested through dialectical confrontation. A world without genuine debate—that is, without participants willing to reconsider their starting assumptions—is a world that is increasingly unaware of the limits of its own ignorance.

The only way to sustain a vibrant and strong civil society is for it to be led by thinking individuals. For this to be possible, we must educate people who are capable of thinking and who are oriented toward goals that transcend the immediate. It is therefore essential to promote genuine debate—debate in which arguments are not perceived as personal attacks, but as opportunities to strengthen or reformulate what one believes.

Only in this way are change and success possible: through investment in thought. For while it is true that thinking does not solve everything, without it, nothing can be solved.