What is Critical Thinking?
Critical thinking is the ability to apply reasoning and logic to unfamiliar ideas, opinions, and situations. Thinking critically involves seeing things in an open-minded way. This important skill allows people to look past their own views of the world and to adopt a more aware way of viewing the world.
The ability to think critically is essential, especially in a globally-minded world. Critical thinking is the process of analyzing, interpreting or evaluating both the tangible and intangible world. The ability to be open-minded is a large part of thinking critically, and allows a person not only to seek out all possible answers to a problem, but also to accept an answer that is different than what was originally thought. Open-minded thinking requires that a person does not always assume that their way of approaching a situation is always best, or even right.
Another aspect of critical thinking is the ability to think rationally. Rationality requires analyzing all known evidence, not leaving something out because it doesn’t fit your accepted view. Rationality does not rely on emotions for evidence, but instead relies on hard proven fact. Critical thinking also requires a non-judgmental and honest approach to reasoning. Being honest requires noting and acknowledging personal goals, motives, and emotions that might color opinions or thought processes.
Critical thinking is used in many situations. Students asked to evaluate the plot of a book, or a character’s motives, are being asked to think critically. Critical thinking is also used for personal development. A lot of self-help guides work through critical thinking. Diets using common sense, where the dieter needs to understand how weight is gained and lost through calories and exercise, is another way to use critical thinking. Critical thinking can help people to excel in their professional lives, allowing for clearer, more concise thought processes.
School systems in the United States usually teach critical thinking from elementary school up through college level courses. Teachers encourage students to learn critical thinking through writing assignments and problem solving. For example, younger students might be asked how their lives would be different if they were born in another country or in a different time period. Older students might be asked how history would have been different if Hitler never came into power. These thinking assignments require a student to let go of what they know of their lives and the world around them to assume a different truth -- a different time period or different history in these cases.
Being able to think critically is important. Critical thinking leads to the ability to understand the world in a way that isn’t focused on the self. It can teach students that knowledge is something that is gain, and then re-gained as new information becomes available. This helps people to understand the importance of continual learning, and of not necessarily accepting that previously learned information is still correct. New things are being discovered and explored all the time. Critical thinking is letting go of past assumptions and embracing new ideas through a process of inquiring and reasoning.
Written by Margo Upson
