Critical thinking ( I)
WE live in a knowledge- based society, and the more critical you think the better your knowledge will be. Critical Thinking provides you with the skills to analyze and evaluate information so that you are able to obtain the greatest amount of knowledge from it. It provides the best chance of making the correct decision, and minimizes damages if a mistake does occur.
Critical Thinking will lead to being a more rational and disciplined thinker. It will reduce your prejudice and bias, which will provide you a better understanding of your environment. You will be able to evaluate, identify, and distinguish between relevant and irrelevant information. It will lead you to be more productive in your career, and provide a great skill in your everyday life.
Critical thinking is akin to the study of logic. Critical thinking relates to how we make decisions and use our judgment. Critical thinking is more than just thinking about thinking or metacognition. It is also about how we take action. The ability to reason is often considered one of the characteristic marks of being human. An individual’s ability to reason well is a critical thinking skill. Many of the definitions of critical thinking tend to focus on the ability to reason. Reasoning occurs when we use our knowledge of one thing, process, or statement to determine if another thing, process, or statement is true. When we apply reasoning, we use logic to determine “what follows what.” Human reasoning does not always follow logic and is often based on emotional bias.
Open- mindedness is the virtue by which we learn. In particular, being open- minded means taking into account relevant evidence or arguments to revise a current understanding. It means being critically open to alternatives, willing to think about other possibilities even after having formed an opinion, and not allowing pre- conceived notions to constrain or inhibit reflection on newly presented information. Open- minded inquiry is a central theme in education.
In critical thinking the step of analysis helps us to discriminate and access information. Learning occurs in three domains: cognitive, affective, and psychomotor. In the cognitive domain, analysis involves the process of discriminating or separating. It gives us the ability to break down the complexity of an item or
idea, and allows us to gain a better understanding.
Logic and reasoning are similar but not the same. Logic is the branch of philosophy that gives the rules for deriving valid conclusions. A conclusion is valid if it follows from statements that are accepted as facts. For instance, a logical statement might be, 1 + 1 = 2. This is a rule based on fact. Factual statements are called premises. When reasoning does not follow the rules, we say it is illogical.
We will approach critical thinking and problems in a step- bystep fashion, it’s called linear or vertical thinking. However, often we tend to not line up the premises in a normal step- bystep fashion. When we approach a problem in a different order, we are using non- linear thinking. Sometimes, non- linear thinking is also called lateral thinking.
One of the first steps in developing non- linear thinking is to step out of your comfort zone. Basically, this concept involves seeing information or circumstances from a different perspective. A zone is defined as an area set apart in some way. In critical thinking and problem solving we sometimes have to get out of the areas or zones that make us comfortable and stretch our thinking. An important step in problem solving is taking the time to acquire the necessary information. Often, we tend to jump to conclusions before we have all of the facts. How can we use our understanding of logic to gather all the necessary facts? Remember, the premises are the facts or statements that help us come to conclusions.
“Be the change you wish to see,” is a common slogan on bumper stickers. With so many events happening on an international and national level each day, change is simply a standard course in businesses. We can always expect changes in organizations. Nothing stays the same, and we sometimes are in the position where we the ones initiating the change. The question in today’s culture is not will change occur in an organization, but how well are employees at adapting to change. Employees protect themselves from becoming obsolete by changing. Adaptation is a survival skill of nature. The species, which survive in an environment are those, that are capable of adapting well.
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Prof. Merino is the CEO of Jars Education Group; a Professor of Psychology and a Mental Health Commissioner in California. Share your successes and challenges: drmerino@ jarseducation. com
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