---
title: "Thinking clearly"
date: "2021-06-02T09:34:50+01:00"
modified: "2026-11-01T15:25:06+00:00"
url: "https://humanists.uk/humanism/humanist-values/thinking-clearly/"
post_id: 105648
---

# Thinking clearly

Humanists value rational, critical thinking.

![](https://i0.wp.com/humanists.uk/wp-content/uploads/Thinking-Clearly-2-copy.png?resize=874%2C733&ssl=1)

Everything is open to question
------------------------------

We don’t just accept things as they are told to us. We ask questions, and think carefully and critically – of our own views as well as other people’s. This is called a sceptical approach.



Answers are based on evidence
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We can’t be totally certain what we believe is true – because everything is open to question. But if we have good evidence, then we have good reason to believe in something.



Evidence is discovered through science
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We reject supernatural explanations for how the world works, such as the existence of gods. The world, all evidence would suggest, is best understood as a natural place. Observation and experimentation – questioning and testing theories – has proven to be the best way of finding out how it works.



Science can show us we are wrong
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Following evidence means accepting we can be mistaken and being prepared to change our mind. Being wrong is fine! It means our understanding is progressing.



Not knowing is part of the fun
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Because we ask questions and our understanding changes, we have to be comfortable in uncertainty. Curiosity and the journey to discover more can be one of the great pleasures in life.





> ‘Humanists do not claim to know, we just ask you to be very wary of those who do claim to know. Who told them? What does their knowledge mean? Why should you trust them? Above all, don’t take my word for it either. Don’t take anybody’s word for it. Find out for yourselves.’
> 
> Stephen Fry, patron of Humanists UK

[![](https://i0.wp.com/humanists.uk/wp-content/uploads/humanism-yt-true.webp?resize=766%2C431&ssl=1)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONZSKm7U_5g)**Watch: How do we know what’s true?** A short film narrated by our patron Stephen Fry, from the That’s humanism! series.

[Play the film](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONZSKm7U_5g)





Other humanist values
---------------------

![](https://i0.wp.com/humanists.uk/wp-content/uploads/Being-Good.png?resize=874%2C733&ssl=1)**Being good**

Humanists act with others in mind.

[Read more](https://humanists.uk/humanism/humanist-values/being-good/)



![](https://i0.wp.com/humanists.uk/wp-content/uploads/Living-Well-copy.png?resize=874%2C733&ssl=1)**Living well**

This is the one life we have.

[Read more](https://humanists.uk/humanism/humanist-values/living-well/)





[All humanist values](https://humanists.uk/humanism/humanist-values/)

Where next?
-----------

**How humanist are you?**

Take our quick quiz and find out if ‘humanist’ describes the way you already approach life.

[Take the quiz →](https://humanists.uk/humanism/how-humanist-are-you/)