Individuals are emotional beings. The majority of us, in a discussion, find it difficult to isolate our emotions from an event. We view other people, situations, interactions, and events with an emotional lens. This is because humans are a product of their experiences and the people around them. Although emotional thinking is critical, it may not be the most appropriate way of perceiving certain situations. One has to work and develop critical thinking because the current world is full of different ideas, values, and understanding. In such cases, it becomes important to think critically for a person to have some form of individuality to stand out from the rest.
In the section that follows, we get into understanding what is critical thinking. and its importance in the current world scenario.
Defining critical thinking.
Critical thinking is defined as the ability or skill to interpret or view situations, conversations, and people with rationale. It deals with an objective understanding of the relationship between ideas. It does not mean that every statement has to be argued. Critical thinking, in simple terms, means not accepting a stated fact at face value. Instead, a person with critical thinking capabilities tries to reason and question ideas to decipher the underlying causes that promote the said idea.
Critical thinking does not apply to an individual’s personal views or opinions. It is one of the most sought-after traits that employers seek in their human resources. Companies are investing in promoting critical thinking in the workplace. They want employees who can independently and objectively manage professional problems.
Here are some attributes associated with critical thinking. Reading through them will help you understand better where you stand on the broad critical thinking spectrum.
1- Analytical Mindset
It is one of the primary attributes of critical thinking. Analytical skill means breaking a component into smaller, individual parts. This method helps in approaching a problem from the core and not just superficially. It is based on facts and data combined with logical reasoning and communication. Even the most complex problems will seem solvable when you use analytical thinking for finding answers.
2- Curiosity
We wouldn’t know what gravitation is if Sir Isaac Newton had not shown the curiosity to learn why the apple fell on the ground. This is what curiosity does. Curiosity is what aids people in making breakthrough innovations and discovering. You can apply the same logic to your professional or personal concerns. It’s always good to be curious to get to the bottom of a problem.
3- Listening Skills
You cannot make good decisions if you lack the skill to listen. There is a difference between listening and hearing. The former is more deep-rooted. It means that you are not only receiving information but noting even the unsaid words. A person with good listening skills can effectively interpret what people are trying to say. This trait is free of preconceived notions or judgments.
4- Introspection
It’s easy to form a view on someone else’s opinion or personality. It takes critical thinking ability to introspect. It is the process of examining your own thoughts, emotions, and feelings. For a person to develop objective thinking, they should be willing to analyze their own reasoning processes.
If you find yourself questioning if critical thinking can be learned? Well, the answer is a big Yes! It is a skill and it can definitely be mastered. All it requires is being alert and not letting prejudices determine your perspective. We have mentioned below certain tricks that you can start incorporating into your daily life and see the result for yourself in the near future.
1- Question yourself
When you hear about a certain situation or a problem, your mind will automatically start giving you suggestions for your next action. You do not have any control over this process. What you should do is take a step back and think with an open mind and not accept everything your brain tells you at the first go. It will be full of biases and judgments. You must question your beliefs before making the final decision.
2- Question others
Stop trusting the words of people without doing your own research. This includes even people who may be experts in their field. If you wish to develop critical thinking, one way forward is researching and developing your own opinions based on facts.
3- Listen proactively
Listening proactively means paying attention to questions such as how and why. Your intention matters when listening to someone else. Are you doing it just to act polite or are you genuinely interested in knowing someone’s point of view? Once you become a proactive listener, it will help me make sound judgments about your problems.
The importance of critical thinking is such that there are experts who dedicatedly worked on compiling everything you need to know about critical thinking. Take this list of 6 books to develop critical thinking for example. All of these books provide key insights into the broad concept of critical thinking.
Another option is to head to the Headway app and skip through investing hours in reading a book. This app provides you with 15-minute summaries of the most popular audio and textbooks that you can listen to on the go! The carefully curated collection of nonfiction books has answers to all your worries and all you need to do is download the app from the Play Store / App Store.
