“Argh, I don’t feel like studying at all. Just let’s us go on school trip already.” Amy mutter.
“Come on Amy it’s our last class for today” Biscuit try to encourage her friend.
Usually she would be more than happy to study since it’s her duty to become a diplomat but a school trip is one of the few thing Amy is really looking forward to. One of her few chance to see the world outside of Fia and the closer the day of their trip the more Amy get distracted.
“Good morning class today we’re going to learn about critical thinking” Prof. Rio flap his black wing to move the chalk with magic.
“What is critical thinking and do we really need it?” Rio look at the class hoping for someone to answer.
Josh speak up “Critical thinking is a method of analyzing evident, form question, observation, and argument.”
“Correct, but do you know why we need it? everyone of us since little before we can even remember we were either taught or learn through example: language to communicate our want and need, rule and role of each person that expected of us to perform, social norm that we must follow which only seem weird when you travel far from home. This in turn form our world view, our believed and behavior that we express in every day life.”
“Usually this is fine since it’s efficient and save us energy from thinking too much in everyday life. The problem start when a new idea or different value come into conflict with our believed which we follow since before we can remember, some of these is a little thing like apple is always better than strawberry...”
‘But strawberry is better than apple’
“or bigger thing like all human is obsess with magic or the concept of alpha wolf. Without critical thinking you’ll make a quick judgement believed anything you heard the first time and then reject anything that come after that contradict with the fact you already chosen or your intuition.”
Prof. Rio think for a moment to find an example of recent event “Like right now where people are spreading rumor about some graffiti at the bombing site despite the official city guard and Headmaster Osmond confirm that there is no such thing while no one can even tell where did the rumor come from? Who the source? Everyone make quick judgement and believed a rumor without base rather than one with reliable source.”
‘I don’t believed those rumor though I do wonder if strawberry grow in Amalthor would taste better than the one in Fia. Does New Terra grew strawberry too?’
“but you are a teacher who work for headmaster doesn’t it mean you are a bias source?” said Eirian.
“No one is a critical thinking through and through all the time, we all have our bias, our believed which come from our life experience. Critical thinking is a skill that we must hone for the rest of our life which I do hope all of you will practice more and more in your life even if your conclusion may end up on the other side.” Prof. Rio gone silent for a moment clearly thinking of someone.
“There are many step in critical thinking, you can try to find a method that work for you but the simple one are to question everything, look for evident that support a conclusion but also a counter evident which challenge assumption, check credibility of the source, bias and confirmation bias, keep an open mind and be curious. There are always new perspectives somewhere out there so remember to keep positive attitude or you might lose yourself in all the chaos.”
“Now I know this is a difficult subject and skill to ask you to try out right away so for today just have a chat with your friend about what you heard and think about each nation and their typical race architype” Prof. Rio put emphasis on his next line “and remember it’s ok to say I don’t know. You don’t need to know or have an opinion on everything.”
Everyone gather in group and Biscuit immediately ask about the concept of alpha wolf.
“I thought all wolf follow the strongest one in their group isn’t that the case Calamity?” Biscuit carefully phase her word to try not offend Calamity.
“No” the wolf answer.
“Can you explain for us” Bill ask a follow up question since he knew the wolf will not provide any.
Seeing Calamity not defending his own people Amy can’t help but to speak up “The wolf don’t just follow who is strongest, yes their culture may seem that way to outsider but their government function with a vote too and theirs many clans is not just for show, each have a department, industry they control to help make Eardwulf function as a nation.”
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“The Fenrir also got elected not just for his strength but for his ability in leadership and political power, of course the wolf still value martial skill a lot more than us corvids when choosing” Josh added.
“Huh I never know this” said Eirian.
“Not surprise consider Elswyth is the furthest away from Eardwulf. Your people is not exactly known for coming out of forest.” said Josh.
“Hmm I wonder who start this misconception about wolf like this” said Bill.
“From what I heard?” said Amy “Human”
“What!” Bill exclaimed.
“I heard it most from human too” Calamity look at Bill.
“Well but you guy have no proof it start from us right? It's just rumor” Bill try his best to remember where he heard a concept of alpha wolf from and only remember a voice from radio broadcast.
“Where do you heard it from Biscuit?” Amy turn to ask a geep.
“Eh I think from when my sister were talking about wolf?”
“See it’s could have come from Amalthor too.”
Everyone look around among themself looking for whom to blame.
“Wait why are we looking at each other like one of us did something wrong” Josh snap everyone out of silent.
“We’re just trying to find the source of false rumor” said Amy.
“Yes but that not all we were doing is it? We were looking for someone to blame because we feel like we did something wrong.”
Biscuit frown “Did I do something wrong? I did something wrong isn’t it.”
‘Oh Biscuit.’
“No Biscuit, none of us did anything wrong.” Josh try to console her “Sometime there is no poof to confirm fact and sometime there will always be contradicting fact where both side have proof. Sometime we believed in thing just because it’s convenient but that doesn’t make any of us evil or foolish.”
“Then how will we ever know what is right?”
Josh look back for a moment before answer “Try to think of it this way, you are a bird—ant whatever, holding a basket of your truth when you found out about some fact about the world you put those fact in the basket you carry around. If you found out the fact you been holding is wrong then just exchange the new fact in, cast an old fact out or keep it. This way when you found that something you been holding as truth are false you don’t feel attack since you just carrying it. It’s not inside you, it’s doesn’t make your identity feel wrong” said Josh.
“That not a bad way to go about it” said Eirian.
“Some fact are what made who you are though” said Amy.
‘The colony will always come first. No truth may contradict the survival of our people.’
“Maybe but this way at least you’ll be more flexible and open to new idea. Work wonder for me, now I see thing as they come. Hopefully with less judgement on my part.”
With Josh suggestion everyone gone quiet. Thinking of how to applied the technique their friend suggest. The other group each have their own reaction some argue about what they known while other almost broke into a fight and Prof. Rio have to come in and resolve the conflict.
As the class coming to close Amy meet Eirian eyes to get his attention “Do you have any order for the team while we’re on the school trip?”
Eirian blink a few times “It’s a school trip just have fun. We don’t have assignment or report to write so let’s just enjoy ourself. It’s not everyday we get to visit these place as a foreigner.”
Amy taken back for a moment ant don’t usually just walk around doing nothing, the colony always have a task for everyone even here her task is to study and make connection “what does everyone do for fun?”
Josh look at the clock and see that the class almost done so he feel relax to go off topic “You don’t have a hobby? It’s something you like to do for fun, mine is reading.”
No one surprise by his answer.
‘You have wing. Your favorite hobby should be flying.’
“I like to modify and test out my MAM” said Bill.
“I like to draw a picture” Biscuit adds “We can try draw together if you like i can show you Amy”
“Thank” Amy look at her leg “It’s might be hard but I’ll try.”
“Reading, music, meditation, walk in the forest I love them all” said Eirian.
“Calamity...do you have something you do for fun?” Bill hesitate for a moment but ask his friend anyway.
“Fun...” Calamity look pass Bill his eyes unfocused as if he’s seeing a picture from his memory “Watch cloud I guess.”
“Watch cloud?” Bill freeze.
‘That it. I give up trying to understand this wolf.’
Amy think jokingly before realize she too has spent a long time above ground looking at the sky above although she does look for more than cloud.
“Huh I guess I do like to watch cloud too” Amy surprise everyone “For us ant who born and spend most of our time below when I have time I sometime climb over a tree to look at the view from above, blue sky tall mountain and red horizon that stretch far beyond the sea. There’s something about them that keep me calm.”
“Alright everyone that it’s for today” Prof. Rio finish his lesson “Don’t forget our ride leave tomorrow morning before the sun rise. If you’re late we won’t wait for you.”
Amy then go back to her room with Biscuit to finish packing their bag.
‘My first real human town. I wonder if it’ll be like Alana.'
“Do you think they will like it?” Biscuit show a small box of cookie she baked for the trip.
“Your cookie is delicious Biscuit. They love it last time I’m sure they will be happy to get to taste it again.”
“Thank Amy” Biscuit smiles and start putting several cookie box in her bag “and don’t worry I still remember our promise to show you how to bake these cookie. We’ll find time after we back.”
“Thank you Biscuit” Amy quickly snatch one cookie and take a bite.
“Heyyy!” Biscuit try to hide the rest of the box in her arm.
“You’re going to give me one anyway” Amy bite a sweet crunch in her mouth.
“It’s for the road and you’re going to be fat if you eat food this late.”
“Oh I wouldn't worry about it.” Amy smiles feeling happy like she hasn’t felt in a long times.
‘I might not get to be team leader but this is not bad at all.’ she then think of the road trip ahead where she would feel the wonder she felt the first time she arrive at Alana.
‘tomorrow can’t come soon enough.’