What is critical thinking and how to develop it?

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“A key skill like the ability to see a situation objectively helps us make informed decisions and make sense of the information we encounter every day in large quantities. Developing critical thinking takes practice and exercise. It may take more than one day. But the result will be useful in many areas of life, from work to personal relationships.”

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What is critical thinking?

Critical thinking is the ability to analyze information, evaluate its validity, and make informed decisions. It is an important skill that helps us reason logically, evaluate arguments, and look for connections between facts.

Simply put, critical thinking is a person’s ability to ask themselves: “Am I being objective right now? Could I be wrong? Why did I decide that?”. Self-criticism is the skill of questioning one’s beliefs every time, allowing for the possibility of error, and the willingness to face the opposite picture of the world.

It turns out that we are talking about the process of active, conscious and systematic analysis of information. It includes the ability to ask questions, to question, to question evidence, to evaluate ideas, and to draw valid conclusions. This skill helps us distinguish between objective facts and subjective opinions, distinguish valid arguments from meaningless emotional statements, and resist manipulation.

Why do we need critical thinking?

This skill is important when faced with potentially distorted information. If there is a possibility that you may be lied to or the source cannot be considered reliable. For example, without critical thinking it is impossible to work as an investigator, judge, doctor, or entrepreneur.

In general, this option is useful for any person, because it allows you to catch manipulation in time and not fall into the hands of fraudsters, to suspect something wrong in the news you read, to keep your sanity and act rationally in a stressful situation.

The better developed this skill is, the clearer we see reality. Yes, for a human being one hundred percent objectivity is probably inaccessible. He sees the world through his own perception, which means that everything is always a bit distorted. But if we try to think critically, our inner picture of the world comes as close to reality as possible.

Today, critical thinking is something we need more than ever. We live in an era of an incredible amount of information around us: huge databases, the vastness of the Internet, countless opinions. Access to all this is not restricted or regulated in any way.

It is, alas, impossible to filter such volumes of information, to check them for reliability, and the authors for honesty and objectivity. And the burden of responsibility for the “I believe/disbelieve” decision falls on the reader or listener.

There is no guarantee of truth, which means that each time you have to decide for yourself: do I trust this source of information, who and for what purpose is presenting it, can it be distorted, is there evidence and justification for this point of view?

Without such a skill as critical thinking, it is easy to fall victim to a cognitive attack today. All you have to do is read a news story on the internet or hear it on TV.

How do you develop critical thinking?

1. Ask questions. One of the key components of critical thinking is the ability to ask and seek additional information. Instead of accepting everything that is said or written, inquire:

what evidence do you have?
where did you get this information?
What alternative viewpoints exist?
Who might benefit from it and how?
What was the author aiming at when he brought this news to me?

Answering these questions will help you gain a better understanding of the situation and form your own opinion about the issue.

2. study what logical thinking is. It is about the process of analyzing and evaluating arguments. Exploring the basic principles of logical thinking , such as deduction, induction, and abduction, will help you become a more “critical thinker.”

Searching for logic will help you understand how arguments are constructed and how to determine their strength and weakness. Usually people trivially fail to see the contradictions in the information they receive, quickly forget everything and are sometimes unable to evaluate the whole picture. But if you understand, for example, what are mutually exclusive theses, much is immediately clear.

3. Practice analyzing data. Try to think about the information you receive. Read news from different sources, compare viewpoints, and assess credibility.

Participating in discussions and debates also helps you develop critical thinking skills. This way you will be forced to argue your views. The best way is to systematically study the opposing point of view. Surrounding yourself exclusively with like-minded people and blocking any other data from coming in is a utopian idea.

4. Apply critical thinking at work and in your personal life. Such a skill is useful in many areas. When working on projects or making decisions, ask yourself questions, evaluate possible risks and benefits.

This way you’ll be more creative and effective, then you’ll notice inconsistencies and eliminate them, and that’s a competitive advantage.

In your personal life, it helps you make informed choices and avoid being influenced by manipulation or myths. Does the partner cheat, what is the problem in the relationship, are we suited for each other, what is the scenario of the relationship, what is the reason for quarrels? All of these questions can only be answered constructively with the help of critical thinking.

Exercises to develop critical thinking

To hone this skill there are special techniques. It is most effective to apply them in the form of a game. What options are worth considering?

1. the game “I never”

Conducted in a group of three or more people. You can play with friends or family. Participants write one action on a piece of paper that they would never do. For example, “I would never kill a man/I would never go to work at McDonald’s.”

Next, they put all the pieces of paper together. They take turns choosing one of the pieces of paper for themselves. They spend the next three minutes explaining why they should do it. That is, why it’s good and right. Let’s say it’s “I’ll never go skydiving.” The challenge is to prove that it’s a good thing. Arguments: hardens the spirit, builds memories, raises self-esteem, helps to survive stress and so on.

2- The game “I think it’s right”

This game is similar to the previous one, only with the opposite meaning. The goal is to write on pieces of paper what you think is right and unconditionally good. It can be: calling your parents often, walking with your children, donating money to charity, planting trees, playing sports.

The player needs to prove to the audience in three minutes that these “good” things can actually be harmful. For example, giving alms may be bad because a person may turn out to be a swindler or use the money received to buy something destructive to health.

3. logic games, puzzles

Ideal option – board games in the company. Something from the category of “Mafia”. Such entertainment strengthens the skill of assessing the current situation and verifying the information received. Since the point here is to “rub in the trust” and not to be deceived yourself.

The main thing is to participate in debates and discussions on topics that interest you, where you will be forced to analyze and argue your views.

4. Develop the habit of checking data

If you have seen or read a news item that contains statistical information, don’t be lazy and look for this information yourself. Who and where was this analysis done? Where did the figures come from? Any scientific information should be freely available with attached links to articles and publications. If there are none, then what are the author’s conclusions based on?

In this regard, critical thinking is superbly developed in those who practice science. This field of activity presupposes independent research and careful handling of figures. Everything must be substantiated. But, of course, to master this type of thinking, you don’t have to become a scientist. All you need is your desire and practice.