Are You a Critical Thinker?
How you think can open your mind to a more authentic way of viewing the world and living your life
When was the last time you questioned not only what you think but how you think?
Take a moment and ask yourself this:
Does your thinking reflect what makes sense and matters to you? Or does your thinking reflect things that make sense or matter to someone else?
When you gaze into the mirror of your mind, who and what do you see?
In my work with students, clients, and colleagues over the years, I have learned that many people never examine their thinking or the thoughts produced by their thinking. Many of their thoughts are rooted in beliefs, judgments, perspectives, and even desires they have uncritically picked up from friends, family members, coworkers, religious leaders, teachers, or media.
As children, we learn to make sense of the world by observing the people close to us. We watch them, we listen to them, we learn to speak and read and write from them. We also learn what to think from them — for example, who we should trust, what we should value, and how we should behave. Those who are fortunate also learn how to think — for example, to be curious, practice discernment, and seek the truth.
What we think and how we think can change over time
For most of us, our thinking changes as we move through life. For example, a four-year-old child’s belief in Santa Claus will likely disappear by the age of seven. However, a childhood belief about a certain religious group or political party picked up from a family member — commonly known as a stereotype — may be passively accepted until we grow up and begin to question the legitimacy of those beliefs for ourselves.
Beliefs cultivated in childhood might shift when we encounter a person who does not fit the script we were taught. Or we might be prompted to question those beliefs by a teacher or boss who challenges us to think critically.
Sadly, some people never question the beliefs adopted in childhood, and therefore what and how they think may never change. On the other hand, those of us who critically examine our thoughts may experience a life-changing transformation that opens our minds and brings greater purpose, meaning, and authenticity to our lives.
Critical thinking is a process of reflection that focuses on how to think, not what to think
Do you actively contemplate your reasons for believing the things you believe, judging the things you judge, and wanting the things you want? Or do you passively accept what you hear, read, or observe at home, in the workplace, or in the news?
Through the act of reflection, critical thinkers evaluate available information before forming an opinion or point of view, even if our communities and the people closest to us have already made up their minds. Critical thinkers do not outsource our thinking to peers or so-called experts. Critical thinkers consider the foundations of our beliefs, judgments, perspectives, and desires, and we consider the credibility of every piece of information we uncover.
Critical thinkers do not seek only to confirm what we already accept as true, we seek opposing perspectives to gain a better understanding of the issues at hand. Critical thinkers recognize that we must resist confirmation bias and groupthink if we are to become fully conscious about what AND how we think.
Critical thinkers do not rush to conclusions just because it is convenient. Critical thinkers suspend judgment and are willing to QUESTION EVERYTHING, especially our own biases and preferences for certain answers and outcomes.
I’ve met many people who are unwilling to invest time in critical thinking; however, I’ve also met many who simply don’t know how to do it. If you have never given critical thinking a try, I highly recommend you read Peter Facione’s essay on critical thinking to learn more about it.
If you know how to think critically but have delegated your thinking to others, I hope you will consider this article a gentle wake-up call to take back your power to think for yourself.
What is critical thinking?
As Facione points out in the essay linked above, critical thinking requires both cognitive skills and a specific set of personal dispositions. The cognitive skills necessary for critical thinking include interpretation, analysis, inference, evaluation, explanation, and self-regulation. Each of these is essential to critical thinking; however, critical thinkers must also possess a mindset — an approach to life — that is inquisitive, judicious, analytical, open-minded, and committed to seeking the truth. A person cannot call themselves a critical thinker if they possess the cognitive skills without the mindset or the mindset without the skills. Critical thinkers embody both.
I recently discovered that many critical thinking definitions and assessments available today overlook the personal attitudes that are vital to the process.
A few months ago, I applied for a Chief of Staff position with a healthcare start-up and was asked to take a timed online critical thinking assessment. Before completing the exam, I thought it wise to familiarize myself with the types of questions I would be asked. After viewing several sample tests, I discovered what passes for critical thinking on this popular employer assessment platform is how fast I could detect differences in images (similar to “spot the difference” games), recognize spatial patterns, and identify number sequences.
Although I performed better than average on several sample exams, I realized that this “critical thinking assessment” only measured a few of my cognitive skills and did not assess any of my critical thinking dispositions. I was both discouraged and perplexed that this assessment claimed to measure my critical thinking skills despite ignoring several vital components. As a teacher, I know all too well that just because a person can do something does not mean they will be inclined to do it. As Facione eloquently points out in his essay, a person is not a dancer simply because they know how to dance, they are a dancer because they passionately practice their dancing skills.
Not surprisingly, Facione’s company, Insight Assessments, created critical thinking assessments that measure both cognitive skills and mindset. If you are interested in putting your critical thinking abilities and attitudes to the test, I highly recommend you take the two free sample assessments available via this link.
Critical thinkers are people who have developed more than intellectual abilities; they are curious people motivated to actively find the truth through rigorous scrutiny of available information.
The pandemic is the perfect time to hone your critical thinking
Today, citizens of the world are inundated with information about Covid-19 and how best to protect ourselves and others. Although there seems to be one clear and cohesive narrative, those who closely follow local, national, and international news have been besieged by conflicting information.
Covid treatments considered efficacious in one country are considered too risky to try in others. Many experts and citizens who question mainstream media reports have been written off as conspiracy theorists and although they may very well be just that, we cannot be certain unless we critically evaluate their claims for ourselves. It is far too easy these days to dismiss other people’s viewpoints as “crazy” or “stupid” if they don’t agree with ours. Wouldn’t it be kinder and smarter to personally evaluate evidence from all sides of an argument so we can identify and discuss possible flaws in reasoning rather than lambasting another person’s character based on something we heard secondhand from a neighbor or news anchor?
There is no shortage of available information representing various viewpoints from medical professionals, first responders, political leaders, and citizens from around the world. I encourage everyone to read widely and deeply from a variety of sources and to actively apply the skills and dispositions of a critical thinker. If each of us empowered ourselves in this way, we could more easily engage in rational discourse rather than devolving into name-calling and divisiveness.
Today more than ever, the world needs more critical thinkers.
A few final words about critical thinking
All thinking — whether it is critical or uncritical, grounded in truths or falsehoods— impacts our perception of the world and our behavior in it. Each of us has the freedom to decide whether we will actively seek the truth or passively accept what others tell us is true.
Finding the truth may not always be possible, and there is always a chance that what we accept as true today may be proven untrue tomorrow. Critical thinking does not guarantee we will arrive at the “right” answer, but critical thinkers can sleep comfortably knowing we have done our best due diligence.
If or when new and credible information comes to light, critical thinkers will be the first to acknowledge the need to change our minds because we understand that seeking the truth gives life purpose and meaning. We can boldly proclaim that we have attained our beliefs, judgments, perspectives, and desires through our own careful critical thinking process rather than blindly accepting them from others.
Jeanne Jacobs has a Ph.D. in Communication Studies. She is a coach and a consultant who believes in the power of self-reflection, self-awareness, and fearless communication. Jeanne enjoys helping people create uniquely satisfying lives. If you are interested in working with Jeanne or attending one of her free upcoming seminars, respond to this article or send her an email at jjacobs@fishandwaterconsulting.com.
