In a compelling New York Times opinion piece (Producing Something This Stupid Is the Achievement of a Lifetime), David Brooks delves into a troubling trend: the decline of reasoning abilities among Americans. Citing alarming data, Brooks highlights that a significant portion of the population struggles with basic literacy, akin to that of a 10-year-old child.

He opens with: “You might have seen the various data points suggesting that Americans are losing their ability to reason.”

Here are some other salient points from the piece:

Andreas Schleicher from the OECD supports this view, stating, "Every third person you meet may have difficulty reading simple texts." This literacy crisis underpins our ability to process information and make informed decisions, impacting everything from personal life choices to political stances.
Brooks argues that the erosion of critical thinking skills leads to poor decision-making at both individual and governmental levels. He points to Donald Trump’s tariff policy as a prime example of policy-making disconnected from reason, evidence, and expert advice. Describing the policy as "jumble-headedness exemplified," Brooks criticizes Trump for his impulsiveness and disregard for coherent strategy, characteristics that have led to predictable chaos.
Brooks reflects on historical shifts from oral to literate cultures, expressing concern that the emerging dominance of screen culture might be diminishing our depth of understanding and engagement with complex ideas. "Civilization was fun while it lasted," he concludes, suggesting a grim outlook if current trends continue.
This piece underscores the vital role of education, not just in schools but throughout life, as a pillar of informed citizenship and effective governance. As we face complex global challenges, the need for critical literacy has never been more urgent.
Lifelong out-of-school learning, is really valuable critical in making good choice in life, like who to vote for!
“Back in Homer’s day, people lived within an oral culture, then humans slowly developed a literate culture. Now we seem to be moving to a screen culture. Civilization was fun while it lasted.”