CRITICAL THINKING What is critical thinking Critical thinking

CRITICAL THINKING

What is critical thinking? • Critical thinking is the act of examining the facts and challenging your assumptions so that you can evaluate information objectively. • Essentially, it means that you evaluate information by thinking clearly, rationally, and independently.

The Benefits of Critical Thinking • Better decision making. When you stop and think about what you’re going to believe, say, and/or do, you make smarter decisions. • Better relationships. Critical thinking helps you think more deeply about others’ feelings and points of view. • Better future. Critical thinking is one of the most sought after skills in the workplace today. All employers are looking for people who can use information to solve problems and make smart decisions.

Get the Facts! • At some point, everyone has made assumptions and formed opinions based on emotions, or on incomplete or incorrect information. • Think about a time you’ve gotten the wrong idea about something because you didn’t stop and think about it. How did that turn out? • Building critical thinking skills encourages you to gather the facts, and to think about what those facts are telling you—before forming an opinion or taking action.

TIPS FOR CRITICAL THINKING

Ask Questions • Critical thinking starts with asking questions. For example, if you’re trying to figure out if an online article is biased in some way, you might ask yourself the following questions: What is the author trying to convince me to believe? • What does the author gain by me believing this argument? • What are the alternatives to the author’s arguments? • • The answers to these questions won’t always be obvious. It’s the act of forming questions and reflecting on those questions that makes critical thinking important.

Be Open-Minded • Sometimes, the way we see things can, at first, feel like it’s the only way to view them. • However, it’s important to think about the reasons why you hold a certain viewpoint, as well as the reasons why others might believe something different. • You might find other perspectives fit nicely with—or even change—your own!

• Critical thinking isn’t a set way of thinking—it’s a way of reflecting on the situation and how you view it. And because situations are always changing and evolving, it’s important to remain open-minded, and to continuously ask questions.

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