The not-so-critical thinker is someone unable to manage thinking critically on a regular basis. This can result in someone who is largely considered biased or judgmental, such as someone who is unwilling or able to accept the judgment that someone else is passing on them or someone who simply sees no reason to think critically about a situation. These people may struggle in their relationships and careers, as it is much harder to find a job that will literally never require some sort of higher-level thinking skills. Nevertheless, let’s stop and look at some common characteristics of the not-so-critical thinkers.
Pretentious and Unable to Accurately Self-Analyze
Someone struggling to think critically is likely to be quite pretentious—they may say that they know or understand out of embarrassment rather than admit the truth, and they are frequently unaware of their own weaknesses or limitations.
Think of Conflict as a Threat to the Ego or an Annoyance
Someone struggling to think critically is likely to see any sort of conflict that may arise as a threat to the ego rather than something that requires attention. If anyone tries to refute them, they are likely to feel threatened or annoyed and dismiss the claims without reflection.
Impatient and Unwilling to Spend the Time to Learn
Someone struggling to think critically is likely to constantly be impatient—if something is complex, they will skip to the end with a best guess rather than attempting to really understand it. They would rather rush through to the end instead of learning, even though this means that they are still left in confusion.
Follow Gut Reactions Instead of Evidence
The not-so-critical thinker is likely to focus on feelings and gut reactions. When they are asked if they want to get the sports car or the SUV, they are going to opt for the sports car because it makes them excited, even though they could really probably find better use with the SUV. They are so caught up in their feelings that they do not pay attention to data and evidence, and this can cause them to behave impulsively instead of logically.
Preoccupied with Themselves
To the uncritical thinker, they are constantly correct. They are preoccupied with their own opinions of the world, and because of that, they are unwilling to entertain anyone else’s viewpoint. As soon as someone voices that they disagree, the uncritical thinker starts focusing on how best to refute the claim rather than making it a point to learn the other person’s viewpoint, which may be quite valid. The preference will always be given to viewpoints that are in agreement with them or in viewpoints that are supportive of their own.
