Critical thinking is an extremely useful skill no matter where you are in life. Whether you are with the top decision-making bodies of a big company or you are forging your own path as a self-employed individual, critical thinking can bring forth opportunities that will allow you to improve your life in almost all areas.
When we think of the people that we look up to, more often than not, they are critical thinking leaders of some sort. At first glance, they just seem to be so naturally good at what they’re doing. However, what we don’t immediately realize is that they’ve actually spent countless of hours opening up their minds to various possibilities. They’ve also had to nitpick the details of their worst mistakes head on in order to properly move forward.
Honing Skills Takes Practice
Critical thinking isn’t something that we’re born with. We just learn how to do it when we mindfully interact with the world and the people around us. It happens when we allow ourselves to learn instead of just accepting things as they appear, without any further examination.
Just like any other skill that we’d love to get good at, improving our critical thinking can only take place if we continually put in the work. The ones that eventually become great at it are the ones that deliberately set aside time to stretch their mental capacity in some form, every single day.
Ultimately, critical thinkers are able to perfect their thinking process by creating reliable habits. Fortunately, getting there doesn’t have to take a lot out of you. You can start by doing the following:
- Admit that you don’t and can’t know everything.
Sometimes, when we are so convinced of what we know, we fail to acknowledge that even our seemingly well-researched explanations can still have loopholes. It is imperative that we learn to accept the possibility that everything we say is open to someone else’s questioning. Once we become comfortable with the idea that we simply cannot be experts all the time, we wouldn’t need to constantly act defensive when it comes to our beliefs.
- Open yourself up to alternate viewpoints.
In relation to #1, our critical thinking skills are bound to improve when we consider that our knowledge isn’t absolute. Hard as it may be to accept, sometimes, even our “truths” can easily be disproven by someone who has dug deeper –– in the right places. If we learn how to keep an open mind, it will be easier for us to deal with opinions that are largely different from ours.
- Know which topics you feel strongly about.
We may think that we’re openminded enough, but the truth is, there will always be topics that cannot shake us no matter what. It is important that we acknowledge what those topics are and examine why we hold such strong opinions about them. In this manner, we know exactly how we can articulate our thoughts to those who have questions.
- Gather as much information as possible.
In most situations, acting on impulse usually doesn’t end well for all the parties involved. We must understand that things cannot just be taken at face value, especially when decision-making is involved. Although there is rarely a perfect outcome, we must take the time to examine every facet of the problem to ensure that we pick the choice with the least regrets.
- Ask follow-up questions.
Asking the right questions is probably one of the most important aspects of critical thinking. This is not about being right, it is more about making sure that we’re doing things right. For this reason, it is essential that we try to ask about factors that we may have otherwise overlooked.
- Avoid paralysis by analysis.
Even though we try to collect as much related data as possible, there will come a point where we’ll need to stop fixating over the details and start analyzing the big picture instead. We have to let go of the obsessive need to know and learn how to use our time and available information resourcefully.
- Keep a problem-solving journal.
Writing down our problems can help shed light on the parts that we didn’t see when we were simply thinking about it. For this to be effective, we can go through the following prompts:
- What was the problem / situation?
- How did I react to it?
- What exactly went on? Why did I react the way I did?
- Did I learn anything new about myself? What would I have done differently if something similar were to happen again?
- Invest in lifelong learning and self-development.
To be good in critical thinking involves expanding our horizons. This can be done by committing ourselves to lifelong learning. Depending on our learning styles and preferences, we may choose to read books on particular topics of interests, enroll in classes, listen to lectures, watch videos, etc. What’s important is we engage our minds from time to time, and allow ourselves to step out of our comfort zones.
- Examine your feelings.
Critical thinking isn’t all about facts and logic, it is also about examining why we feel a certain way towards particular issues. Odd as it may sound, scrutinizing the “why’s” of our feelings can help us think of our situation more rationally.
- Observe how your peers influence you.
We may or may not be aware of the certain “rules” that we abide by in our friend groups. What kind of behaviors or opinions are encouraged or discouraged? Which “rules” have we been following without really thinking about it? We should take the time to consider if these systems are even true to who we really are, and if we’re better off breaking free from them.
It is truly possible to unleash the true power of your mind by gradually learning these tried-and-tested habits of a critical thinker. It may be too much to try all of these at once, but if you stay consistent with building one habit, you will eventually be able to stack the rest on top of it.
