How To Think Critically
Critical thinking is the process of gathering material and then evaluating and analyzing it in a disciplined way. Good critical thinkers, rather than just getting and retaining information, ask lots of questions in order to understand the material, are open-minded, and use evidence, reason, and honesty to come to reasonable conclusions. In order to develop good critical thinking skills, students need to go beyond just memorizing; they need to think about what they are memorizing and why they need to memorize the information. If you’re not a critical thinker, you can learn to think critically by starting to ask yourself why about whatever you’re reading or studying. That’s because critical thinking is about questioning; and asking why is the simplest form of questioning. Think of it as an exercise that you need to do on a regular basis so that it becomes second nature. The more you do it, the more subconscious it becomes. You also need to develop certain character traits. Here are the main characteristics necessary to become a classic critical thinker:
Be reasonable. Don’t rely on feelings, hunches, educated guesses, and emotions; demand evidence, and then follow that evidence to a reasoned conclusion no matter where it might lead. Get out of the habit of needing to get quick answers, and instead use facts and reasoned arguments to solve problems.
Be skeptical. By nature, critical thinkers are suspicious and skeptical. They ask questions, which often lead to more questions, and they demand that answers are based on analysis and fact. They also challenge existing facts and beliefs and investigate what they read in order to come to reasoned conclusions. This will be especially valuable if you’re going into a scientific field.
Be honest. Everyone has biases and a point of view. This can get in the way of critical thinking because we tend to ignore what we don’t like. Thinking critically requires brutal honesty without assumptions or prejudices.
Be open-minded. Consider all possibilities and viewpoints, regardless of what you might think of them or have heard in the past. This is especially true if a viewpoint is unpopular or has been rejected before. Look for novel explanations, and always be open to alternative or different perspectives.
Be disciplined. Avoid quick decisions. Critical thinkers are accurate, clear, precise, comprehensive, and thoughtful. They never make judgments based on what they feel is correct, and they never look for answers based on self-interest and personal preferences. So, don’t make snap decisions or go by what your gut tells you.
Be an effective communicator. Analyzing information and solving complex problems is more effective when others are involved in the process of figuring out solutions. Forming a group and brain-storming is a great way to share ideas and come up with creative solutions.
Be curious. Don’t depend on a single source for information because this can bias your opinion. It’s like watching the same news program or reading the same magazine without getting an opposing viewpoint. If you look at various sources of information, you won’t be as slanted in your thinking and you’ll be better prepared to make a decision based on fact rather than prejudice or opinion.
Be inquisitive and reflective. Critical thinkers are naturally inquisitive because they want to know why as much as what, where, and how. Think of yourself as a trial lawyer who needs to get to the facts as well as search for the motive behind the crime. To instill curiosity, complete statements such as: Some of the real-world applications are . . . The key issues involved in this topic are . . . The main question I have with this topic is . . . The problem I have with this issue is . . . It’s hard for me to accept this because . . . Another way to look at this is . . . What I’m most curious about is . . . What I find most difficult to understand about this topic is . . . The reason this can’t be right is . . . The key takeaway from this topic is . . . Questions like these lead to curiosity and future thinking.
Most of us just listen to a lecture or read something and not give it another thought. But once you get in the habit of being inquisitive and reflecting on the material, it becomes second nature. So, to become a critical thinker, be open-minded, be skeptical and, above all, be inquisitive.
Using critical thinking skills is one of the most effective ways to solve problems. That’s because you’ll have a roadmap that will guide you every step of the way. You can break any problem down and come up with a solution by using the following 4-step approach.
1. Identify. The first step in solving any problem is to put it into words as clearly as possible and identify what it is that you’re trying to solve. Unless you can define the problem and state what your goals are for solving it, the rest of the steps will be difficult if not impossible.
2. Analyze. Once you’ve identified what the problem is, learn more about it by researching, reading, and asking others for their perspectives and input. This is the time to drop your biases and be open-minded to fresh ideas and possibilities.
3. Reflect. Based on your analysis, consider a number of possibilities. Now is the time to be imaginative and creative, not closed-minded. Evaluate the effects of each solution, and consider alternatives, even if they seem at odds with current thinking. Sometimes it helps if you talk through the possibilities out loud or brainstorm with others. It also helps to free your mind of the problem and allow your subconscious to process it for a while before thinking about it again.
4. Decide. After identifying and analyzing the problem, and considering a number of possible solutions, choose the one that you think will work best in solving the problem.
As an alternative to traditional classroom learning, PBL is a method of critical thinking in which you actively explore issues and work with content in order to solve a problem. You can break PBL down to 6 simple steps as follows:
1. List the important parts of the problem. Discuss with your group the issues and the significant parts of the problem. Also discuss your current knowledge about the problem and how you can use that knowledge to help you solve it. Use each group member’s strengths and expertise to assign tasks.
2. Write the problem out in your own words. This is a good way to get a handle on what you really need to do to solve the problem. Make sure the group agrees on the statement, and don’t be afraid to change it as you get new information and input.
3. List the possible solutions. Brainstorm with the group and come up with a list in order from the strongest to the weakest. Don’t ignore strange solutions, but concentrate on the strongest possibility.
4. List the actions to be taken. Make a timeline of what actions are to be taken. You may ask, “What do we need to know?” or “What do we need to do to solve the problem?”
5. Research the knowledge and data base. Do a literature search, read books and articles, and search data bases for information that will help you solve the problem. Assign specific tasks to members of the group so that everyone is participating.
6. Write up the solution and defend your conclusions. State the problem you are addressing and the conclusion, and give supporting evidence to defend that conclusion. If you are going to present your findings, you need to include: the problem statement, the data gathered and generated in the process, the analysis of the data, a summary of the process you used, the problems you ran into during the process, and the solutions and recommendations.