: The Practicing Thinker
Relevant intellectual traits. The key intellectual trait required to move to this stage is intellectual perseverance. This characteristic provides the impetus for developing a realistic plan for systematic practice with a view to taking greater command of one's thinking. Furthermore, thinkers at this stage have the intellectual humility required to realize that thinking in all the domains of their lives must be subject to scrutiny as they begin to approach the improvement of their thinking in a systematic way.
Self-assessment (required to move forward). What am I doing on a day-to-day basis to take command of my thinking? Does my day-to-day life provide evidence of a commitment to development as a high-level thinker? Am I beginning to notice my native egocentric defensiveness, arrogance, and rationalizing powers functioning on a day-to-day basis? Am I able to see how egocentric and sociocentric thought are interwoven into the fabric of my everyday life? Can I look across the domains of my life and see the problems that my thinking causes for myself and others who are influenced by me? Can I recognize the negative implications of my selfish desires? How effectively is my plan for systematic practice working? Where is it working best? Where is it working least well? What must I do to improve my thinking consistently in all the areas of my life? What must I do on a daily basis to effectively deal with my egocentrism? How can I improve the quality of my thinking on a daily basis?
Potential obstacles. Egocentric defensiveness, intellectual arrogance, rationalization, and self-deception may lead the thinker to dismiss or avoid facing the challenge at this