Critical Thinking

 

What is critical thinking?

No one always acts purely objectively and rationally. We connive for selfish interests.  We gossip, boast, exaggerate, and equivocate. It is "only human" to wish to validate our prior knowledge, to vindicate our prior decisions, or to sustain our earlier beliefs. In the process of satisfying our ego, however, we can often deny ourselves intellectual growth and opportunity. We may not always want to apply critical thinking skills, but we should have those skills available to be employed when needed.

Critical thinking includes a complex combination of skills.

Critical thinking includes a complex combination of skills.  Among the main characteristics are the following:

Rationality

We are thinking critically when we

• Rely on reason rather than emotion,
• Require evidence, ignore no known evidence, and follow evidence where it leads, and
• Are concerned more with finding the best explanation than being right analyzing apparent confusion and asking questions.