________________
the information or draw wrong conclusions, appear irrational or unscientific to those who are better in these skills. So in conclusion, the rational thinking process is natural to all human beings. What goes wrong is the set of rules or the model one uses for this thinking. This in turn, is based on the inadequate experiences of that individual. Scientific temper or scientific approach, as I prefer to call it, is a refinement of this same thinking process that comes naturally to every human being. Let us see what the components of this are and how they make a difference. 1. Observation: We get signals from the outside world all the time; sounds, pictures, smell, etc. We cannot possibly take note of all these. We select from this what we want and are also alert to anything that is unusual. This is observation. It is a skill that needs to be developed. Observation is focusing our attention on selected stimuli, generally for a purpose. This has to be developed. Otherwise, our information base is likely to be inadequate. Some people who have their eyes open but mind somewhere else cannot get the same information as others who think about what they see. 2. Quantification: Quantification of the information is an important part of the scientific temper or approach. Measurement and familiarity with the different units of measurements are important skills. Quantification increases the resolution of our observations. This means we can detect smaller differences that would otherwise be missed. 3. Organisation of Information: Information, however valuable, is almost useless, if it is not Rural Development Through Education System 176
