Do people ever think?

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For most of the time do people ever think or do they more often than not merely react to keywords with canned psittacisms? It seems to me as though people usually will not bother to listen most of the time, but instead will merely respond to buzzwords with rehearsed thoughts or phrases that they've heard others use.

I don't think, I know.

I like to think that I think about things. However, I think perhaps what happens is new people come in here all the time not realizing that the things they bring up have already been discussed. If I have carefully thought about something already, and if I am sure about my answer, and someone asks a question that relates to that answer--it doesn't matter how many times the question is asked--the answer will always be the same.

Something else to think about: Some things I say may be a psittacism (I love that word, btw). But if I've already drawn a conclusion, or if I've discovered elsewhere a good response to a question or issue, there is nothing wrong with responding in a prepared kind of way. Part of the problem I've always had, really, most of my life, is being confronted with things and either not having a good, coherent answer at all, or attempting to make some kind of effort in conversation or in work/group projects and being roughly dismissed for being the village idiot. I have some great ideas. But the next "idiot" that says identically what I've said before gets glowing approval for having come up with a great idea worth going with, to which I stand open-mouthed and dumbfounded because I'd JUST SAID THAT 10 minutes ago.

So I practice. I think about what it is people respond to and prepare my own stock response. I smile at people I meet because someone a long time ago told me that's what I should do. Pretend to be a robot just to get from point A to point B and back home. It doesn't take me 10 minutes to come up with an idea and express it. I don't have to look like an idiot. I maintain the veneer of an intelligent person. I've got plenty of time away from other people during which I can "be myself."

If something is true AND it is always true, exactly how many different ways can you express that truth?

[personA]: Do you believe in God?
[me]: Yes.
[personB]: Do you believe in God?
[me]: Yes.
[personC]: Do you believe in God?
[me]: Yes.
[personD]: Do you believe in God?
[me]: Yes.
[personE]: Do you believe in God?
[me]: Yes.

And the funny thing is I think I've responded to something like this before...

But if I don't know the answer, or I've gotten a thorough beat-down on a topic--YES, I do ask whether the opponent is right; or if I am right, where exactly did I go wrong? Is there a better way? Has this question been answered before? Yes, that requires some actual THINKING. But once I get it figured out, I don't need to think about it any more.

There's nothing wrong with that. Someone who is poor at playing chess would benefit from memorizing games and strategies used by the pros. Having an entire game mapped out in your head before the first move cuts down on the mental effort it's going to take to succeed. Sure, the game is probably going to change, but you KNOW what lies at the end of the game if it continues in that direction. It is ok to rehearse those games and variations of those games. You learn a lot that way. My focus is more on Christianity and the Bible. I don't have much memorized, but it doesn't take me long to find what I'm looking for.

"Thinking" isn't my best strength, anyway. Figuring out the shortcuts saves time and energy for when things DO change. I may not really be "thinking" all that much most of the time--but I'm ready to think when I DO have to.

Take this thread for instance. Sartresue responded.

[humorous summarization] topic

EVERY SINGLE TIME.

So I don't feel alone.

Just because people do not think the way you do, does not mean they don't think.
Just because people disagree with you, does not automatically mean that they are stupid.
Just because people are not convinced by your arguments, does not mean they are closed-minded.

Intelligent people capable of critical thinking are a dime of dozen, even if they are proportionately rare.

Only as a last resort.

I think there's a balance to be struck between fresh thought, and reliance on ingrained routines. Too much thinking is debilitating.

Depends on the topic and who you're talking to. A lot of people receive their opinions from the opinion factories better known as pundits, left or right

People tend to prefer to know their answers.

Sometimes these answers are regurgitated after being acquired elsewhere, sometimes they are derived by logic.

I have a job that requires me to think, and I'm surrounded by people who think. But I'm aware that, for example, the kid at the Taco Time drive-through window is clearly not thinking. He's just on auto-pilot.