What is Critical Thinking?

What is critical thinking?  How do you begin to describe a subject that can be applied to every other subject, including itself?

I always understood critical thinking to be a thought process that involved dissecting a topic and analyzing all of its elements individually and in relation to one another.  I was raised to always look at the situation from the other person’s perspective.  This taught me to look at the bigger picture as well as the details and how they related to one another, when it came to situations and subjects.

After reading the definition of critical thinking on www.wikipedia.com, the various articles on www.criticalthinking.org, and the numerous postings on FELIX.  I have come to the conclusion that critical thinking is best understood within a context or example.  If we apply critical thinking to addiction, we would start by asking some typical questions, (i.e., why do I drink? what occurs right before I reach for a drink? what am I getting out of drinking?)  We would then dive deeper; you would interrogate the topic of your addiction, (i.e., why did I take the very first drink? what tempted me to drink on each occasion after drink 2?)  With critical thinking applied to addiction, you wouldn’t just look at the current situation of what is driving you to get help now, but you would also look at why you began the addiction as well as when did it become a full blown addiction?  After you have decided on which questions to address, usually the most difficult to answer is the question you’re looking for.  You then self-reflect, you research your own addiction, in this example.  Once you have the answers, you analyze them.  The answers need to be dissected to make yourself aware of any bias you have in realizing the answers.  You essentially critically think about the answers.  You look at them logically and reasonably.

The manifestation of critical thinking is when you can effectively communicate your thoughts.  In this example, the demonstration of critical thinking is when you can state clearly and in a concise manner to yourself and others, why you began drinking.  In regards to addiction, if you can figure out why you began, it makes it much easier to plan your recovery or your sobriety maintenance. 

I have come to realize that critical thinking is a skill that begins much earlier than most would believe.  According to the Foundation for Critical Thinking, the basis of critical thinking is thinking independently.  Which is a skill, my family and I are actively instilling in my nieces and nephew.  The catch phrase around the house is, “use your own brain.”   We are not a household of “because I said so.”  You need to ask questions and in this day and age, our children need to know that when something doesn’t seem right to them, they don’t follow blindly.  They need to know how to think independently for safety’s sake.

Thinking critically is a skill whose value far exceeds the question of  “why did the screenwriter put that twist at that point in the movie?”  Critical thinking needs to be instilled early and practiced often.  Just like any other talent or skill, if you don’t practice you aren’t very good at it.

Now that I’ve delved into the topic of critical thinking, I want to address the resources utilized for this critical thinking post.  I am a little suspicious of a critical thinking website that’s main purpose is to sell tools to aid in the teaching of critical thinking.  How much valuable information are they really going to be willing to give away online?  I am also a little guarded of trusting a website that anyone can access and change information on.  How are we to trust the information given out?  On the other hand, the Felix postings are no doubt insightful, informational, and amusing, at times.

References

Critical Thinking. (2010). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_Thinking

Paul, R & Elder, L. (2001). Critical Thinking in Everyday Life: 9 Strategies. Modified from the book by Paul, R & Elder, L (2001). Critical Thinking: tools for taking charge of Your Learning and Your Life. Retrieved from http://www.criticalthinking.org/articles/sts-ct-everyday-life.cfm

Strategy List: 35 Dimensions of Critical Thought. (2009). Retrieved from http://criticalthinking.org/resources/k12/TRK12-strategy-list.cfm