Picture this: You’re in a gym, putting forth effort without the sweat. You’re getting real results without having to suit up, use extra time, or endure sore muscles. Best of all, you know you’re becoming more powerful right now!
While physical fitness may be high in your thoughts now — as well as in your life — the gym I’m thinking of is not a 24-Hour Fitness center. It’s the training center you always carry with you. It’s the mind. That mental fitness arena, the one that’s so long relegated to schoolwork, but relied on in every walk of life. Even more specifically, I’m talking about the fitness activity of critical thinking – the circuit training program for the mind.
There’s high interest and support for critical thinking, but most people (60%) report it wasn’t taught in school. Teachers would disagree as it’s a major curriculum item at every level from grade schools through graduate universities. Critical thinking underpins open discussions, multi-disciplinary activities, and independent creative projects. It’s there any time students are asked to solve problems where the answer is not obvious or formulaic, tackle real world issues, write or defend their opinions. It kicks in whenever open-ended questions are asked like “what do you think, how would you …, what’s the best …, why do you believe …?”
Obviously, there’s a disconnect between teaching critical thinking and recognizing it. And that lack of awareness has led to little or no conscious use or ongoing training once school ends. It also means that critical thinking is not valued as the essential life skill it is. While physical fitness may be upper most in people’s minds, it’s critical thinking that upskills the minds of all!
This blog shines a light on the power, the far-reaching influence of critical thinking, along with 17 methods for turning it up! Here we’ll get specific about
What Critical Thinking Is
Critical thinking does not have a neat, all-dictionary definition. It’s not a simple label. Rather, it’s a concept, it’s mental actions, and it’s a perspective that illuminates virtually any thinking event. So, to get clarity, it’s worth looking at the term from several angles.
First, critical thinking roots all the way back to Socrates and his open-minded, questioning approach. But, the term itself was actually coined by the American educator John Dewey in his 1910 book How We Think. Interestingly, it was quickly adopted by the progressive educational movement as an alternative to the traditional, rote memorization method.
In education, critical thinking has evolved to include logical thinking, analyzing problems, recognizing biases, collecting and assessing evidence, and forming reasoned arguments. It also signals an inquiring, curious, open-minded, self-aware, and even persistent outlook.
The concept has made its way into businesses where it’s seen as an important ability for both managers and employees. In the workplace, critical thinking skills are often categorized as soft skills and brought up as the way employees should analyze, evaluate, and solve problems, as well as make decisions. The skills include creativity, logical reasoning, open-mindedness, evaluation, strategizing, and reflection.
And there’s some recognition that critical thinking affects all adults as they live, learn, and navigate life after schooling. For these lifelong learners, critical thinking involves interpreting, analyzing, and evaluating information to form judgments about what’s right or wrong. It includes curiosity about the world, making logical connections, and seeing the “bigger picture.”
Probably the most authoritative explanation of critical thinking comes from The Foundation for Critical Thinking which describes it this way:
“Critical thinking is that mode of thinking — about any subject, content, or problem — in which the thinker improves the quality of his or her thinking by skillfully analyzing, assessing, and reconstructing it. Critical thinking is self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored, and self-corrective thinking. It presupposes assent to rigorous standards of excellence and mindful command of their use. It entails effective communication and problem-solving abilities, as well as a commitment to overcome our native egocentrism and sociocentrism.”
So, here’s the bottom line: critical thinking is often called a skill, but that’s a misnomer for two reasons. First, it’s actually a conglomeration of abilities that can function separately as well as together. They include our ability to question, analyze, solve problems, evaluate, make judgments, make decisions, check our biases, inference, and identify assumptions – ours and others as well.
Second, being a critical thinker requires a perspective, a mindset to see without bias or emotional distortions. It’s a desire to pursue what’s out of sight, beneath the surface, or not part of our understanding. It’s like being that observant, analytical detective, Sherlock Holmes, peering through a magnifying glass for “hidden” clues.
Why Critical Thinking Matters
Critical thinking is done while we work, play, study, or engage in just about any form of thinking. It improves our thinking during each event and our abilities at the same time. It is the master, mental fitness method!
The results? In every arena, critical thinking leads to better reasoning, conflict resolution, problem solving, and decision making. It also has three spin offs. First, critical thinking decision making tactics are a useful and way to handle information overwhelm. Second, critical thinking expands our curiosity, our appreciation for the unknown. And finally, it’s a proven way to achieve and advance in all of life’s arenas.
In school, research has shown that those with better critical thinking skills not only perform better but, at the higher levels of education, are more likely to complete courses.
In the workplace, an impressive 81% of employers say critical thinking
“ranks as the top competency companies consider when hiring recent graduates (even ahead of communication). Plus, once you’re hired, several studies show that critical thinking skills are highly correlated with better job performance.”
And when it comes to life in general, critical thinking improves our communication and relationships. It can even make us happier!
So, why does critical thinking matter? It’ a proven way to better our days! Who needs it? Everyone! And, that’s not an exaggeration!
How to Improve Your Critical Thinking Now!
Can you get the power of critical thinking now? Absolutely! The good news about critical thinking skills is that they are learned. They’re not a natural talent. They’re methods of thinking that improve as we use them. In addition, the conglomerative nature of critical thinking skills means that there are many ways to improve these abilities.
To begin, first get ready! Recognize that since it’s something to learn, you need to focus on new ways to think. And, you need to intend to use them. Second, recall that critical thinking is both a set of skills and a mindset. So, to get the most power, you’ll want to get a new point of view plus new tactics.
With that being said, here are 17, use-them-now approaches. They’re general in nature and can be applied to learning, work, and life events. And, don’t worry if you’re not sure how to do them really well: the goal is better not perfect thinking!
6 Ways to get the Critical Thinking Mindset
1. Know what you don’t know.
There’s a difference between having an opinion and knowing or having real knowledge about a subject. Now, there’s nothing wrong with opinions. Just make sure that you and others label them that way. Opinions should not take the place of data, knowledge, and first-hand experience.
2. Adopt an open-minded attitude.
Critical thinkers have a bit of skepticism and a whole lot of fairness. They are receptive to new and different ideas, even ones they don’t agree with. Instead of arguing about who is right, they seek to know what the other person thinks. That approach gives them new points to add to their opinions or objections. Either way, there’s a benefit!
3. Cultivate curiosity.
Critical thinkers eagerly look for what’s unusual, intriguing, or new. They are natural knowledge seekers. So, be interested, quizzical, and even excited to explore the unknown. Also be on the lookout for places where you can skill, reskill, and upskill your knowledge.
4. Take your time.
Critical thinkers deliberate; they weigh facts, opinions, choices, decisions, consequences carefully. Slow down your reactive, quick-thinking responses. Examine each point separately. Then, put several together. Hint: Research shows that if you record your thoughts in handwriting you get stronger and more accurate brain activity, because handwriting slows thinking down. It also presents a visual version you can see and analyze more objectively.
5. Welcome discomfort.
Critical thinkers accept multiple points of view as normal. Get comfortable with opposing ideas. Think of them as interesting pieces of information. Remind yourself that when someone disagrees with you that doesn’t mean you’re wrong or that they’re de-valuating you as a person. Also, be OK with failure and errors: they’re opportunities to learn, grow, and improve. Lastly, give up on perfectionism. It stymies good thinking and feels awful.
6. Reflect.
Critical thinkers don’t blindly accept information, ideas, or arguments; they think for themselves. Don’t take things for granted. Give ideas extra thought to see how they operate or why they exist. And, examine your own thinking. Did you jump to any conclusions that the facts don’t show? Are you biased? Step back and evaluate your own thinking as well as that of others.
11 Ways to Improve your Critical Thinking Skills
1. Observe.
Start with what your senses tell you. Then go beyond the surface. Infer, or figure out, what’s unstated. Be on the alert for missing information, indefinite words (like some, may, most), and emotional or one-sided pitches. They reveal a serious lack of critical thinking.
2. Analyze.
Break the event or data into parts, organize it, and see patterns. Look for logical relationships like lists, definitions, chronological order, process steps, classification, comparison and contrast, or cause and effect. Then, prioritize the information for usefulness and reliability.
3. Ask open-ended questions.
Questions that can be answered by “yes” or “no” do not invite critical thinking. Instead, ask questions that invite thinking, explanation, and personal opinions. Good starters are what …, why …, and how … followed by an invitation to share. Use these to guide your thinking as well as glean more from others.
4. Separate facts from opinions.
Facts can be proven to be 100% true or false. Opinions are judgements; they can’t be proven. They invite agreement or disagreement. Poor thinking makes up facts and/or presents opinions as true statements. For example, saying 9 out of 10 dentists recommend anything is a made-up opinion that’s stated as if it were a true fact. Don’t be fooled!
5. Consider multiple opinions.
Make an effort to reach out to colleagues, respected friends and family, or research what experts are saying. Then use good analytical thinking to sort through them: find the agreements, disagreements, and overlaps. Evaluate each of those for validity or reasonableness. When it comes to analyzing ideas, there’s safety in numbers!
6. Get expert opinions.
When you check with experts, make sure that they are reliable sources. That is determine for yourself whether or not they’re trustworthy. Check out the expert’s credentials, evidence, logic, and purpose. Are their motives pure? Don’t be taken in by glib, smooth talkers who have something to gain from your acceptance.
7. Prove your conclusions.
Back up your opinions with evidence. When you draw a conclusion or put forth an opinion about a topic, back up your statements. Use true facts, relevant examples, or support from other experts. Demonstrate that your knowledge is solid!
8. Solve problems.
Avoid over-focusing on the causes or catastrophizing the possible results. Avoid quick fixes. And, don’t repeat past methods that have failed unless you have a way to fix them. Before you act, identify possible solutions. Then, compare them on the basis of feasibility, resources, and desirability. Choose the overall best one based on rational assessments, not hopes and emotional attachments.
9. Make good decisions.
Brainstorm possibilities. Don’t just accept the first choice that comes to mind. Then, create a balance sheet of positives and negatives, pros and cons, or benefits and liabilities. Crystal ball the likely results and consequences. Choose the best course of action based on the best of your thinking.
10. Avoid biases.
When critical thinking fails, people tend to be unfair and close-minded. Then bias, a one-sided point of view, creeps in. At its worst, bias becomes prejudice. So, be on the alert for it in your thinking as well as that of others. And reject it!
11. Avoid logical fallacies.
There are numerous logical fallacies or mistakes in reasoning. Three of the most serious are sweeping generalizations that claim all similar events or all group members have exactly the same characteristics. At its worst, this is stereotyping. Then there’s bandwagon thinking: it assumes that since a large group does or thinks one way, that must be right. Last, there’s name calling. It uses negative labels as a power play to win arguments. Recognize and reject all of these!
Want more about critical thinking? There’s no end to the helpful resources for developing it. Online courses, including Coursera offerings, and academic classes at virtually every college abound. Books, blogs, podcasts are easy to find. There’s even TedEd lessons, plenty of You Tube videos, and The Foundation for Critical Thinking that has excellent resources. Anything of interest can be part of your mental fitness gym!
In the End …
Critical thinking is thoughtful, logical, and fair-minded thinking. Whenever it’s used, all forms of reasoning, as well as problems solving, decision making, and conflict resolution are greatly enhanced! It also improves self-directed thinking while it’s used, as well as success in academics, work, and life.
Critical thinking depends on an open-minded mindset and a conglomeration of skills.
To adopt the critical thinking mindset:
1. Know what you don’t know.
2. Adopt an open-minded attitude.
3. Cultivate curiosity.
4. Take your time.
5. Welcome discomfort.
6. Reflect.
To improve your critical thinking skills:
1. Observe.
2. Analyze.
3. Ask open-ended questions.
4. Separate facts from opinions.
5. Consider multiple opinions.
6. Get expert opinions.
7. Prove your conclusions.
8. Solve problems.
9. Make good decisions.
10. Avoid biases.
11. Avoid logical fallacies.
In short, critical thinking is a powerful intellectual tool that can be learned, improved, and used to greatly enhance virtually every aspect of life!
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