The Critical Thinker

Critical thinking obviously takes extra time and effort on your part. So you might be asking yourself, “What’s in it for me?” Critical thinking may not be easy, but it is so worth it. People who have strong critical thinking skills can do many things that the average person can’t. These skills will serve them well in all areas of their lives.
They can see connections between ideas that others may miss. Critical thinkers are able to evaluate and assess theories and ideas to determine their overall importance.

Critical thinking is the art of always asking questions and examining our thinking with the goal of constantly improving it. Strong critical thinkers are able to objectively gather informa

information so that informed and quality conclusions can be made.

we will see how we acquire more knowledge gradually over time and why it is so important to learn critical thinking skills at an early age.

Be aware of the biases that exist in yourself and others, and think critically to overcome them.

My mom always told me that two heads are better than one. No matter how smart or accomplished you may be, opening your mind to alternative interpretations, asking questions, and listening to points of view that are different from yours makes you a stronger critical thinker, and likely a more educated human being.

There are times in life when there really is only one correct answer or positive solution to a problem, but even then, it can still be beneficial to hear alternatives presented by others in order to see things from their perspective.

Resist the tendency to rush to judgment without enough evidence. Even when you have collected an acceptable amount of quality evidence, ask yourself what other possible explanations there may be before you form your conclusion.

Even with the pitfalls of emotional reasoning, it is not all bad.

Critical thinkers are self-disciplined. They direct their own thinking and use the information they learn to monitor and correct themselves when necessary. Critical thinkers are in control of their own learning and as a result they often come to have a greater understanding of and empathy for differing viewpoints. Who couldn’t use a little more of that in their life?