Unfortunately, there is no distinct definition of critical thinking. This is fitting because the very nature of critical thinking frowns upon monopolization. That said, critical thinking is the process of independently gathering information, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating the information in a bid to form decisions, decide what to believe, and how to act upon that information.
Critical thinking is a character trait, i.e. it is easy to discern a critical thinker from a non-critical thinker by analyzing a few key traits present in how one behaves, acts, and carries him or herself. While each critical thinker is different and exhibits different character traits, below are the most significant character traits present in most critical thinkers.
Critical thinkers use the critical thinking skills to analyze information, determine which aspects of information to believe and which to disbelieve, as well as how to act upon that information. As such, all critical thinkers must:
Be Open-MindedÂ
As a critical thinker, you must not stick to what you know; instead, you must allow yourself a chance to learn new things, and new ways of doing things: You must be and remain open-minded at all instances. This trait will allow you to give proper attention to other ideas without showing bias, which often prevents you from seeing other options and possibilities.
Be Well-InformedÂ
Critical thinking revolves around making informed decisions. You cannot make informed decisions based on scanty information or knowledge. As a critical thinker, you must prioritize information gathering. If your knowledge on a specific subject is lacking, desist from making a decision, and proceed to gather relevant information (become well informed) on it before making a decision.
Have Good JudgmentÂ
Critical thinking is more than listening to people’s opinions; it is also about good judgment, i.e. the ability to sieve received information and determine if the said information is credible or not. Critical thinkers judge the credibility of information sources, the quality of arguments, and any evidence supporting an argument or information in question.
Be Able to Develop a Position Â
Do not be tempted to confuse critical thinking with ‘someone sitting on the fence’. As a critical thinker, you must develop a position. You should be able to think (critically of course) about issues, come to your own conclusions, and be able to defend your position whenever the situation arises.
Clarify Issues, or Ask for ClarificationÂ
As a critical thinker (or a practicing critical thinker), you must be able to clarify your position or your points. You can do this by explaining your points in a systematic manner, and answer any questions that may come up when you voice your position on an issue.
As such, you must develop the ability to ask questions that implore others to clarify what they are saying. When you cannot understand what someone is saying, you cannot come to a reasonable conclusion in relation to the information that a person gives you.
At the end of the day, most situations will warrant that you come to a specific conclusion. It is important that as you draw conclusions, you exercise caution when drawing those conclusions. By exercising caution, when new information becomes known, you will be able to analyze it, synthesize the information, and do an evaluation.
Always remember that critical thinking is a nonstop process. If you discover new information that shows situations in a different light, examine this new information and decide whether it changes, or shapes your opinion on a subject.
Having looked at key character traits every critical thinker, you inclusive must develop, let us look at, and understand why critical thinking is such an important life skill.
