Develop Your Critical Thinking
Develop Your Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is the ability to evaluate information in a logical, consistent manner.
Here are 5 guidelines that will strengthen your critical thinking skills:
Learn to ask good questions. Inquiry is the heart of critical thinking. Begin by asking simple, direct questions: Who? What? Where? When? How? Why? Then proceed by focusing your inquiry, asking more detailed and probing questions based on what you’ve learned. Keep in mind that good listening skills are often the key to asking good questions.
Pay careful attention to people’s claims and assertions. Don’t take things at face value, and always seek a second opinion or an alternative point of view. Listen with a critical ear and read with a critical eye: Does the speaker or the writer provide strong evidence to back up his/her claims? If something bothers you about a claim or assertion, try to figure out why.
Think about what’s missing. Leaving out key facts or essential information is an ideal way to deceive readers or listeners. Be on guard for suspicious “gaps” in an argument. Remember, what is omitted from an argument is often as powerful as what is stated explicitly.
Break free of stereotypical thinking. Everyone makes assumptions. Critical thinking requires you to examine your own assumptions, your own thinking habits. Perhaps you're more inclinded to trust women than men. Ask yourself why. Remember, making assumptions about people based on their gender, age, or appearance undercuts your ability to think critically.
Be suspicious of easy answers. Most issues are more complicated than they appear to be at first glance. Dig beneath the surface to discover the truth.
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