Introduction to Critical thinking

Often, a good way to begin the process of thinking critically about a

subject is to do some conscious thinking about it before you do any
reading or hear any presentations in the subject. Thus, if you are going to
study biology or sociology or writing, a good way to begin is by writing
down some of the main ideas you already have about biology or
sociology or writing itself before you do any reading or listen to lectures.
This allows you to be an active listener rather than a passive recipient of
information. It helps you to become aware of your assumptions about the
subject so that you can assess them more accurately in light of what you
will later read and hear. Some Definitions of Critical Thinking Here are
three definitions of critical thinking by leading researchers. First, Robert
Ennis’s classic definition:

Critical thinking is reasonable, reflective thinking that is focused on

deciding what to believe or do.

Critical Thinking Involves Standards Critical thinking involves having

my thinking measure up to criteria. I can think about something
accurately or inaccurately. I can use evidence that is relevant to an issue
or irrelevant, or somewhere in between. When I reason out and try to
understand the main ideas in a course I’m taking, I can do so on a
superficial level or I can try to understand them deeply, trying to get at
the heart of the matter. Accuracy, relevance, and depth are examples of
standards or criteria. The words critical and criteria come from the same
root, meaning “judgment.” For my thinking to be critical thinking, I have
to make judgments that meet criteria of reasonableness. Critical Thinking
Is Authentic Critical thinking, at its heart, is thinking about real problems.
Although you can reason out puzzles and brain-teasers, the essence of

critical thinking comes into play only when you address real problems
and questions rather than artificial ones. Critical thinking is far more
about what you actually believe or do. It is about good judgment. Puzzles
and narrow problems may help occasionally when you want to hone or
practice special skills, but even those skills help only if you consciously
transfer them to real-life settings. Honing your skills at guessing the
endings of murder mysteries is not likely to be good preparation for
becoming a criminal investigator. In murder mysteries, all the clues are
provided, the murderer is one of the characters, and someone (the author)
already knows the murderer’s identity. None of that is so in a criminal
investigation. Real problems are often messy. They have loose ends. They
are usually unclear: clarifying and refining them are part of thinking
through them. They often have no single right answer. But there are
wrong answers, even disastrous answers: there may not be any unique
right person to take as your partner in life, but there are certainly people it
would be disastrous to choose.

Three Parts of Critical Thinking Full-fledged critical thinking involves

three parts. First, critical thinking involves asking questions. It involves
asking questions that need to be asked, asking good questions, questions
that go to the heart of the matter. Critical thinking involves noticing that
there are questions that need to be addressed. Second, critical thinking
involves trying to answer those questions by reasoning them out.
Reasoning out answers to questions is different from other ways of
answering questions. It is different from giving an answer we have
always taken for granted but never thought about. It is different from
answering impressionistically (“That reminds me of . . .”), or answering
simply according to the way we were raised, or answering in accordance
with our personality. It is also different from answering by saying the first
thing that comes into our mind, and then using all our power of reasoning
to defend that answer. Third, critical thinking involves believing the
results of our reasoning. Critical thinking is different from just engaging
in a mental exercise. When we think through an issue critically, we
internalize the results. We don’t give merely verbal agreement: we
actually believe the results because we have done our best to reason the
issue out and we know that reasoning things out is the best way to get
reliable answers. Furthermore, when we think critically through a
decision about what to do in a situation, then what follows the reasoning
is not just belief, but action: Unless something unforeseen occurs, we end
up taking the action we concluded was most reasonable

Benefits Of Critical Thinking

We know that critical thinking is good for society as a whole, but what
are some benefits of critical thinking on an individual level? Why is
critical thinking important for us?

1. Key for Career Success

Critical thinking is crucial for many career paths. Not just for scientists,
but lawyers, doctors, reporters, engineers, accountants, and analysts
(among many others) all have to use critical thinking in their positions.
In fact, according to the World Economic Forum, critical thinking is one
of the most desirable skills to have in the workforce, as it helps analyze
information, think outside the box, solve problems with innovative
solutions, and plan systematically.

2. Better Decision Making

There’s no doubt about it — critical thinkers make the best choices.
Critical thinking helps us deal with everyday problems as they come our
way, and very often this thought process is even done subconsciously. It
helps us think independently and trust our gut feeling.

3. Can Make You Happier

While this often goes unnoticed, being in touch with yourself and having
a deep understanding of why you think the way you think can really make
you happier. Critical thinking can help you better understand yourself,
and in turn, help you avoid any kind of negative or limiting beliefs, and
focus more on your strengths. Being able to share your thoughts can
increase your quality of life.

4. Form Well-Informed Opinions

There is no shortage of information coming at us from all angles. And
that’s exactly why we need to use our critical thinking skills and decide
for ourselves what to believe. Critical thinking allows us to ensure that
our opinions are based on the facts, and help us sort through all that extra
noise.

5. Better Citizens
One of the most inspiring critical thinking quotes is by former US
president Thomas Jefferson: “An educated citizenry is a vital requisite for
our survival as a free people.”
What Jefferson is stressing to us here is that critical thinkers make better
citizens, as they are able to see the entire picture without getting sucked
into biases and propaganda.

6. Improves Relationships
While you may be convinced that being a critical thinker is bound to
cause you problems in relationships, this really couldn’t be less true!
Being a critical thinker can allow you to better understand the perspective
of others, and can help you become more open-minded towards different
views.

7. Promotes Curiosity
Critical thinkers are constantly curious about all kinds of things in life,
and tend to have a wide range of interests. Critical thinking means
constantly asking questions and wanting to know more, about why, what,
who, where, when, and everything else that can help them make sense of
a situation or concept, never taking anything at face value.

8. Allows for Creativity

Critical thinkers are also highly creative thinkers, and see themselves as
limitless when it comes to possibilities. They are constantly looking to
take things further, which is crucial in the workforce.

9. Enhances Problem Solving Skills

Those with critical thinking skills tend to solve problems as part of their
natural instinct. Critical thinkers are patient and committed to solving the
problem, similar to Albert Einstein, one of the best critical thinking
examples, who said “It’s not that I’m so smart; it’s just that I stay with
problems longer.”
Critical thinkers enhanced problem-solving skills makes them better at
their jobs and better at solving the world’s biggest problems. Like
Einstein, they have the potential to literally change the world.

10. An Activity for The Mind

Just like our muscles, in order for them to be strong, our mind also needs
to be exercised and challenged. It’s safe to say that critical thinking is
almost like an activity for the mind — and it needs to be practiced.
Critical thinking encourages the development of many crucial skills such
as logical thinking, decision making, and open-mindness.

11. Creates Independence

When we think critically, we think on our own as we trust ourselves
more. Critical thinking is key to creating independence, and encouraging
students to make their own decisions and form their own opinions.

12. Crucial Life Skill

Critical thinking is crucial not just for learning, but for life overall!
Education isn’t just a way to prepare ourselves for life, but it’s pretty
much life itself. Learning is a lifelong process that we go through each
and every day.

What is Critical Thinking?

A set of information and beliefs, generating and processing skills,
and the habit of using those skills to guide behavior.

Critical Thinking Can Be Defined As...

The systemic evaluation or formulation of beliefs, or statements, by

rational standards
A set of information and beliefs, generating and processing skills,
and the habit of using those skills to guide behavior

Who are Critical Thinkers?

Critical thinkers:

• Ask questions
• Gather relevant information
• Think through solutions and conclusions
• Consider alternative systems of thought
• Communicate effectively

They’re willing to admit when they’re wrong or when they don’t

know the answer, rather than digging into a gut reaction or
emotional point of view.

7 Habits of Critical Thinkers

Truth-Seeking

Ask questions and follow the evidence

 Judicious

Able to make judgements amid uncertainty

Inquisitive

Strive to be well-informed on a wide range of topics

Confident in Reasoning

Trustful of own skills to make good judgements

Systematic

Organized and thoughtful problem solving

Analytical

Identify potential consequences of decisions

Open-Minded

Tolerant of different views and sensitive to own biases

Important Critical Thinking Skills

While there is no official standard list of the skills that make up
critical thinking, here is the list of core characteristics that we like
best!

Interpretation

• Recognizing a problem and describing it without bias

• Distinguishing the main idea from a text
• Constructing a tentative categorization or organization structure
• Clarifying the meaning of a sign, chart, or graph

Analysis

• Identifying similarities and differences between two approaches to a

solution
• Isolating the main claim made in an editorial or statement and tracing it
back to the supporting reasons for that claim
 Evaluation

• Judging an author or speaker’s credibility

• Determining whether the evidence at hand supports the conclusion being
drawn
• Recognizing whether an argument’s conclusion follows with certainty or
confidence from its premises

Inference

• Identifying the implications of the position someone is advocating

• Predicting what will happen next in a given situation
• Developing a workable plan to gather information to resolve an
uncertainty

Explanation

• Constructing a chart or graph to organize your findings

• Stating research results and describing the required methods and criteria
• Citing the evidence that led you to accept or reject another person’s
position on an issue

Self-Regulation

• Checking for understanding of an author or speaker without

injecting your own views and ideas
• Reminding yourself to separate personal opinions and assumptions from
those of the author of a text
• Reconsidering your interpretation in view of new analyses or facts or
errors discovered in your work