“The conventional view serves to protect us from the painful job of thinking.” – John Kenneth Galbraith

Critical thinking is a disciplined way of thinking that can be applied to any topic or problem. It is the ability to clearly and logically consider information that is presented to us. There is value in thinking critically in every aspect of our lives. From making personal decisions, to questioning media reports, to assessing work projects, applying critical thinking is an essential skill everyone should be trying to hone.

When we were children, adults told us how to behave and what we should believe and we blindly followed their instruction. Then, as we aged, we were taught to expand our minds and consider concepts and opinions that may be in conflict with what we previously thought. This expansion of mind opened the door to infinite possibilities and challenged us in ways never experienced before.

Listening to different ideas enabled us to develop the process of analyzing information in order to form our own judgment. We learned to discern what works best for us and no longer were we dependent on what we were told to do. We could form our own opinion. This critical thought process taught us how to create the conscious decisions that affect the quality of our lives.

Today, in a world of social media, around the clock news programs, and propaganda reporting, cultivating a critical thought process is more challenging than ever before. Sometimes it feels like we’ve lost the ability to think for ourselves or form our own conclusions. I often wonder if critical thinking is a lost art.

With information overload, we need to think about thinking. Why?

·       Critical thinking encourages curiosity. Curiosity helps us remain vigilant and gain knowledge about situations or our environment.

·       Critical thinking enhances creativity. Creativity enables us to come up with different ideas and perspectives, no matter how wild they may appear. Critical thinking allows us to analyze these ideas and adjust them accordingly.

·       Critical thinking reinforces problem solving skills. We can use knowledge, facts, and data to effectively solve problems.

·       Critical thinking develops independent thinking. The ability to take in various opinions or facts and then develop our own conclusion offers a freedom from manipulation.

The good news is that critical thinking is a learned skill and we can get better at it. Here are three ways to develop critical thinking:

Question assumptions. Don’t believe everything at face value. Ask questions. Conduct research. You don’t always know what you think you know.

Reason through logic. Ask yourself: Is the argument supported at every point by evidence? Do all the pieces of evidence build on each other to produce a sound conclusion?

Diversify thought. Get outside of your personal bubble and open your mind to new perspectives.

As the Greek philosopher, Aristotle, said, “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” Never stop questioning or thinking!