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Critical thinking is the ability to engage in reflective and independent thinking. It requires you to use your ability to reason. It is about being an active learner rather than a passive recipient of information.
Critical thinkers rigorously question ideas and assumptions rather than accepting them at face value.
Critical Thinking Characteristics
The ability to make quick and decisive decisions.
The ability to think outside the box, by being resourceful and creative when analyzing and providing potential solutions for issues.
The ability to be systematic and organized when approaching problem solving.
Quiz
What skill do you need to be a Critical Thinker?
This is the starting point of getting ideas that will be analyzed to choose the best decision.
Components Of Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is aimed at achieving the best possible outcomes in any situation. This involves gathering and evaluating information from as many different sources possible.
Critical thinking requires a clear, often uncomfortable, assessment of your personal strengths, weaknesses and preferences, and their possible impact on decisions you may make.
Critical thinking requires the development and use of foresight as far as this is possible.
Implementing the decisions made arising from critical thinking must take into account an assessment of possible outcomes and ways of avoiding potentially negative outcomes, or at least lessening their impact.
Critical thinking involves reviewing the results of the application of decisions made and implementing change where possible.
Quiz
What is the first step to achieve the main aim of critical thinking?
You need to have as much information as possible so you can make the connections needed to move forward.
Did you know?
This Byte was created by a volunteer professional that wanted to share this insight to help you succeed - no agenda, no cost.
Mastering Critical Thinking
Practice balanced thinking: Over/under thinking will cause you to miss seeing what’s critical and what’s complex.
Exercise mental and emotional moderation: Try varying your approach to issue resolution.
Practice situational awareness: Grow your ability to recognize core relevancies inside complex situations and issues.
Exercise and promote disciplined, effective, and efficient thinking: Focused thinking will help you discover the essentials you need to solve problems.
Express richer emotional intelligence: This will help you to control disruptive impulses rather than be controlled by them.
Focus on destinations, not dramas: Learn to keep your eye on workflow to bring your goals in on time.
Quiz
Charlotte wants to become a star critical thinker. Which of these is a skill she needs to work on?
A disciplined thought process will help develop her critical thinking skills. The other skills are more about execution than thinking.
Take Action
Critical thinking masters understand that excellence in critical intelligence is the result of finely tuned habits designed for repeatable success in the direction of their goals.
The more clearly we are aware of ourselves, our strengths, and our weaknesses, the more likely our critical thinking will be productive.
This Byte has been authored by
Oluwatofe Adejumo
Learning and Development Specialist