Since the time of the early Greek philosophers like Plato and Socrates, and even into the contemporary era, critical thinking has been a topic of considerable study and contemplation. In general, the capacity for introspective and autonomous thought might be characterized as critical thinking. Instead of accepting ideas and presumptions at face value, critical thinkers vigorously challenge them. They are constantly willing to discover that the concepts, justifications, and conclusions do not fully capture the situation. Instead of relying on gut instinct or intuition, critical thinkers will discover, analyze, and solve issues in a methodical manner.
Depending on the driving force behind it, critical thinking takes several forms. When motivated by self-interest, it frequently takes the form of expertly manipulating ideas in order to further one’s or a group’s personal agenda (Liang and Fung, 2021). Even if it is pragmatically successful, it often has conceptual flaws. It is often of a higher intellectual order when based on fairmindedness and intellectual honesty while being prone to the accusation of “idealism” by those used to its self-serving application. Critical thinkers continually strive to behave logically, sensibly, and compassionately (Saleh, 2019). They are acutely aware of how human thought, when unrestrained, is essentially defective. They work to lessen the influence of their socio-centric and egocentric inclinations. People who practice critical thinking make use of the concepts and guiding principles that critical thinking provides as intellectual tools to examine, evaluate, and develop their thinking.
Critical thinkers constantly scan the available information. They attempt to locate the holes. They are aware of the importance of obtaining all the facts and strive to avoid making snap judgments and drawing conclusions based on insufficient data (Bouygues, 2019). Always differentiate your impressions and ideas from the facts and accessible data if you want to develop your critical thinking abilities.
One of the effective ways of improving critical thinking is built on the basis of active listening. To enhance critical thinking, it is necessary to exercise compassion and concentrate on comprehending other people’s viewpoints (Bouygues, 2019). Understanding everything they want, need, or anticipate will help an individual respond favorably and have a good conversation after that. The most crucial abilities to develop while learning to think critically are observational skills. A good critical thinker is someone who pays attention to their environment, recognizes the smallest aspects in people or situations, and actively listens. It’s crucial to emphasize emotional intelligence, empathize with others and situations, and develop self-awareness in order to do this.
People who use critical thinking are able to comprehend complex ideas in a way that is more defined and clear. If people use critical thinking, they can comprehend such things more easily. A person must use autonomous judgment in every aspect of daily life. Those conclusions are founded on information and experience. Without the capacity for critical thought, every circumstance one encounters would have to be taken in isolation from all others. When faced with a brand-new situation, a person might be able to employ critical thinking to find a solution.
References
Saleh, S. E. (2019). Critical thinking as a 21st-century skill: conceptions, implementation and challenges in the EFL classroom. European Journal of Foreign Language Teaching. Web.
Bouygues, H.L. (2019) 3 Simple Habits to Improve Your Critical Thinking. Harvard Business Review. Web.
Liang, W., & Fung, D. (2021). Fostering critical thinking in English-as-a-second-language classrooms: Challenges and opportunities. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 39, 100769.