Critical Thinking

Our brains are constantly absorbing new information day in through day out. Although we hope to gain knowledge from our new findings, it is very easy to pick up the wrong information. Critical thinking helps to filter out the good knowledge from the bad knowledge. In order to validate our prior knowledge, become confident in our decisions, or sustain our earlier beliefs, we must use a complex combination of skills known as critical thinking.

Critical thinkers can come in all shapes and sizes, but they all share similar traits that make them who they are. Having a good sense of judgment allows critical thinkers to recognize the relevance and merit of alternative assumptions and perspectives. They are also able to acknowledge the extent and weight of evidence. Critical thinkers are very disciplined when it comes being precise, comprehensive, exhaustive, and meticulous. They resist manipulation and irrational appeals, while avoiding snap judgments. Being open-minded plays a huge role in thinking critically. By remaining neutral, it is easy to evaluate all reasonable inferences and to consider a variety of possible viewpoints. In a constantly changing world, it is common for critical thinkers to accept a new explanation, model, or paradigm because it explains the evidence better, is simpler, or has fewer inconsistencies, etc. Alternative interpretations excite critical thinkers and they do not reject unpopular views out of hand.

Critical thinkers are also very honest with themselves and society. They are able to recognize selfish motives, emotional impulses, or other modes of self-deception that could get in the way of proper decision-making. Self-awareness provides an individual to weigh the influences of motives and bias, and to recognize their own assumptions, prejudices, biases, or point of view. When thinking critically, one relies on reason rather than emotion. Critical thinkers require evidence, ignore no known evidence, and follow evidence where