Oct 24

Oct 24 From Hadith Rejection to Covid Denialism: 10 Critical Thinking Tools for Fighting Back Against Anti-Intellectualism

, Information, Islam, Internet Debates, Personal Development, Personal Growth, Spirituality

Looking back, this conflict and confusion was not unique. Most problems that feel complex and ambiguous will tend to create the same sentiments. How do we deal with global warming? How do we navigate the debates about racism in the US? Should we vaccinate our kids? How, exactly, are we supposed to respond to the Covid pandemic?

In this article I will present a framework of critical thinking questions that we can use to think through such problems. The goal is for this framework to serve a toolbox to help guide our thinking process, tackle cognitive biases, and make the best decision possible with the information available and within the timeframe needed.

Jul 26

Jul 26 Seeking Leadership: A Rewards-Based vs. Responsibility-Based Approach

Omar Usman

There is a dangerous caricature of rewards-based leadership - the unqualified, incompetent, and egotistical individual who thinks they deserve a certain position despite lacking qualification and ability. It’s a dangerous narrative because we have the image of a certain person in our heads, and it’s not us. So we think we are safe from it.

Mar 28

Mar 28 3 Barriers to Strategic Thinking and Planning That The Muslim Community Must Overcome

Omar Usman

It is famously said that an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.

Why, then, do we optimize to provide pounds of cure instead of looking at prevention?

Mar 1

Mar 1 Follow Your Purpose, Not Your Passion

Omar Usman

The ideals of following your passion, following your dreams, and doing what you love are mantras commonly accepted at face value. Digging deeper, we find that advice like this is predicated on a number of problematic assumptions.

Dec 3

Dec 3 How the Four Hour Chef Created the Four Hour Shaykh

Omar Usman

All you had to do to learn a skill (in this case cooking) was break that skill down into discrete components, find the ones that yield the most results, and then practice them. The promise was that this process could make you world-class at anything from cooking, to learning a second language, to shooting three-pointers (yes, really).

Jun 28

Jun 28 Pyrrhic Dawah #FiqhOfSocialMedia

Omar Usman

What if your dawah and Islamic work was producing short-term success, but was detrimental in the long run?

Jun 15

Jun 15 Should You Use Book Summaries? Here Are The 4 Ways I Do

Omar Usman

Do you use book summaries instead of reading the book?

It’s a question I get a lot. And I get it - there are so many books out there we want to read, but we don’t have enough time. Should we shortcut the process by reading summaries instead? Or subscribing to services that send you short summaries via email and audio?

The answer is, it depends.

Apr 1

Apr 1 It Will Probably be the Hardest Ramadan Ever, Stop Telling Everyone Its Going to Be The Best

Omar Usman

These types of statements, while intended to be motivational, actually compound the stress people are under. Not only do I have to stress about all the issues caused by COVID-19, but now suddenly, if this isn’t my “best Ramadan ever!” then I’m going to feel like even more of a failure.

Mar 5

Mar 5 American Idol Syndrome: Fixing the Broken Feedback Loop

Omar Usman

It’s the terrible khateeb that greets a line of people every Friday assuring him that he did amazing. It’s the leader who is confident that people love him when they can barely tolerate him. It’s the successful Muslim business owner that everyone calls upon - but they hate working with. It’s an amazing teacher that’s never on time.

The commonality underlying all these stories is they all have blind spots that can be fixed - with proper feedback. Drinking your own Kool-Aid is fun and comforting, but it doesn’t actually help you grow.

Mar 1
Mar 1 3 Things I Learned from The Motive by Patrick Lencioni

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