Critical Thinking 101 (RFL)

[Jinn]

Critical Thinking 101 (RFL - REALLY FUCKIN' LONG)

What IS Critical Thinking?

An essential tool of inquiry; purposeful, self-regulatory judgment that results in interpretation, analysis, evaluation, and inference, as well as explanation of the evidential, conceptual, methodological, criteriological, or contextual considerations upon which that judgment is based.

The ideal critical thinker is habitually inquisitive, well-informed, trustful of reason, open-minded, flexible, fair-minded in evaluation, honest in facing personal biases, prudent in making judgments, willing to reconsider, clear about issues, orderly in complex matters, diligent in seeking relevant information, reasonable in the selection of criteria, focused in inquiry, and persistent in seeking results which are as precise as the subject and the circumstances of inquiry permit.

Also:

Critical Thinking: A cognitive process based on reflective thought and a tolerance for ambiguity which has the following attributes:

Disciplined and self directed.

Oriented toward inquiry, analysis and critique.

Multidimensional and multilogical problem-solving rather than unidimensional, monological, or linear requisite knowledge and ability to generate options and make discriminating judgments.

Now you might be thinking-- JinnKai, what's your deal? Why are you defining Critical Thinking? Well, my fellow TFP friends, I'll tell you why. But first, I must apologize if I offend anyone with the content of this post; its quite "off-the-cuff" and a rather vehement response to recent encounters.

Critical Thinking is easily, without a doubt, the most important skill to develop throughout your entire life. If you could devote all of your time and energy to become the best intellectually "actualized" person you could be, it would be through developing your Critical Thinking skills. For those of you skilled in Critical thinking, you've likely come up with the obvious objection: surely there are skills more worthy of devoting your time to?

There are hundreds of millions of worthwhile skillsets to learn in the world, but Critical Thinking is critical to them, in my opinion. There is no skillset that cannot benefit from a solid understand of Critical Thinking. Through Critical Thinking, you can save yourself from hours, days, even years of effort -- you can improve your relationships, your sex life, and your intelligence. You can become a more well-rounded, caring, diverse, respectful human being. You can enjoy the benefits that this knowledge provides, you and most importantly you can be proud that you've lived a life clear of delusion. Sounds almost like a drug, doesn't it? I mean surely I can't make a claim like this without giving some sort of evidence, or examples? TFP -- you asked, and I delivered.

So, JinnKai: How can Critical Thinking bring about all of these amazing benefits to my life? I challenge you to give me an example where Critical Thinking could NOT benefit you. A simple exercise of logic and doubt can remove a great deal of superstition, hatred, anger, and ignorance. QUESTION EVERYTHING. Questioning everything we are provided with is the most important bastion that supports Critical Thinking. Remember that time your mom told you that swimming right after eating would give you cramps and cause you to die? Look it up. Find out -- is it true? Could it be deadly? Should I be worried? All of these concerns will quickly dissapear as you become more educated in the processes at work. You'll learn what cramps are, how they're caused, how swimming interacts with it, and more. You'll become a much more intelligent person, simply from asking this simple question. Now imagine if you extended this to everything in your life. We only use 10% of our brain power everyday, imagine if you used the other 90% of it for Critical Thinking.

Aha! Now, see.. your Critical Thinking should have kicked in on that last sentence. We only use 10% of our brains, JinnKai? Are you sure? In researching this interesting fact, you'd determine that it is a complete fabrication, and you might even learn about the intricate processes that occur in your brain every second. DOUBT EVERYTHING. This does not mean you have to distrust your friends, or your family, or even disagree with them. There is a finite balance between being a know-it-all and actually knowing-it-all. If you suspect someone is not telling the truth, or they are simply ignorant of the facts -- you don't have to correct them. Just do your research, study their claim, and make a rational conclusion. They might've been right! Even if they are, you've just now added another section to your ever-growing knowledge base. In the paragraphs above, I mentioned how Critical Thinking can improve your sex life, your relationships, and even make you a more caring person. How did racism and genocide come about? Ignorance. People were willing to denigrate an entire race due to ignorance about their abilities. "Black people are dirty." A simple bit of research into this matter could delve you into hormones and glandular studies. It might even create interest in you to research the matter more: physiological race differences, how odors effect relationships (pheremones) or any of the related topics. Only by DOUBTING EVERYTHING would you come to realize the ignorance of a racist position. Tolerance goes hand-in-hand with Critical Thinking. Your sex life -- having trouble performing? Research the anatomy and physiology of sex; maybe it's something you've eaten, maybe its a drug reaction.. maybe its the booze. These are all things you can learn and ramify, but only if you're incredulous about them in the first place. I cannot stress enough: DOUBT EVERYTHING.

Phishing attempts, the largest "internet crime," are perpetrated simply because people do not exercise Critical Thinking. How do I know this? Because the littlest bit of doubt; "Hmm.. this doesn't look legitimate. It's riddled with spelling errors and its not my banks web address" would have prevented the occurance. If someone tells you somet, asks you something, claims something is true, claims the law says so, claims you only have certain rights, claims.. the list goes on; DOUBT THEM.


I'd be unfair to tell you to doubt everything I and others say without giving you a basis of places to begin your rsearch. If you run into a common myth, like that of "swimming after eating" or "10% of your brain" -- www.snopes.com. They've perfected Critical Thinking, and look to MANY sources for the information. If you're not sure about a drug or a phrase or a word.. use www.google.com or www.dictionary.com. If you don't know a word, look it up. You'll be that much more enriched. Unsure about your religious beliefs? Question them. Read all the relevant religious texts. Ask your friends, ask your neighbors, consult the encyclopedia. Look at history, look at anything you can. The more resources you view, the more likely you are to have a stronger viewpoint. Unsure about your political beliefs? Question them. Read the laws. Look up the words if you have to -- but make sure you understand what they can and CAN't DO. Make sure you know the punishments, the enforceability, and the rationale. DOUBT EVERYTHING.

Ok JinnKai -- I made it this far, so you better have a good conclusion. I can't really stress enough that you should DOUBT EVERYTHING. If there's something suspect in my post, look it up. Tell me about it so that I, too, can learn. If you see another post that makes you wonder; research it. Find other sources, look up words... think about it, and read others' posts before replying. DOUBT WHAT YOU SEE, WHAT YOU HEAR, WHAT YOU LEARN. Albert Einstein did not develop his theory of relativity because he believed the current theories. He doubted that it could be true, so he did his own research. Newton, Copernicus, the names go on -- but they have one thing in common; THEY DOUBTED EVERYTHING. I realize that many of you (if you've made it this far) might think that I'm preaching to the choir: but that is inherently not true by reading a few posts on TFP. The "random fact" threads are littered with facts that people have adopted, beside their complete untruth. A simple google search would have remedied their misguided ways.

Ok -- so now that I've hopped down from my soapbox, I'd like this to be a little more than a horribly long exploration of Critical Thinking. So -- I ask you, TFP:


Please reply and offer your own insight into this thread, because it's likely just become the most important 'message' I hope to spread. Ignorance abounds, curtailed quickly by a lesson in Critical Thinking.

Do you think you're a Critical Thinker?
Do you think JinnKai is a douchebag with a complex?
Would you benefit from thinking more critically?
What do YOU think Critical Thinking should mean?
Do you see a flaw in critical thinking, beyond being labelled a "skeptic" ?
Is "doubting everything" a realistic viewpoint for the current world?
Do you wish more people were Critical Thinkers?
If so, what can you do to make people analyze what they're hearing, saying, and doing?

(damn, I should really get back to work..)

[tecoyah]

Do you think you're a Critical Thinker? Of course I do
Do you think JinnKai is a douchebag with a complex?Nope
Would you benefit from thinking more critically?Of course I would
What do YOU think Critical Thinking should mean? The ability to analyse, break down, and manipulate Data....enabling one to use it efficiently
Do you see a flaw in critical thinking, beyond being labelled a "skeptic" ?Nope
Is "doubting everything" a realistic viewpoint for the current world?I would say...Doubting those things that can affect me
Do you wish more people were Critical Thinkers?Without a Doubt
If so, what can you do to make people analyze what they're hearing, saying, and doin? I no longer bother trying to get them to pay attention....those who do will benefit, those who dont are irrelevant

Damn good post ....by the way

[maleficent]

Do you think you're a Critical Thinker? To some degree
Do you think JinnKai is a douchebag with a complex? Pain in the butt at times , but a douchebag, never
Would you benefit from thinking more critically? Thinking more wouldn't kill me...
What do YOU think Critical Thinking should mean? I think it should mean to gather all the evidence that you can within a certain time frame (that's crucial) process that information, and make a decision based on what you have processed
Do you see a flaw in critical thinking, beyond being labelled a "skeptic" ? I think to some degree it's a time waster... You have to pick your battles, because not all them can or should be won... sometimes you just have to agree and move on with it
Is "doubting everything" a realistic viewpoint for the current world? it's not realistic at all because if everyhing is doubted than no resolutions will be made... I've been in enough meetings where it's nothing but wind and people talking to hear themselves talk - -I would imagine a world of critical thinking would be lik eone of those meetings
Do you wish more people were Critical Thinkers? I wish more people would see the big picture, rather than their own l ittle world -- that'd not really critical thinking though - so nope.
If so, what can you do to make people analyze what they're hearing, saying, and doing?

[Pragma]

Do you think you're a Critical Thinker? Yes, I hope I am most of the time

Do you think JinnKai is a douchebag with a complex? Nope, not at all

Would you benefit from thinking more critically?I don't think anyone would benefit from thinking less criticially, or at least I can't easily picture a situation

What do YOU think Critical Thinking should mean?It means - to me - being able to look at a given situation from a variety of viewpoints and analyse exactly what the given problem at hand is, stripping away the irrelevant data

Do you see a flaw in critical thinking, beyond being labelled a "skeptic" ? No

Is "doubting everything" a realistic viewpoint for the current world? I don't think "doubting everything" is a realistic (or even good) viewpoint, but questioning the way that things work around you and taking the time to understand them better is good

Do you wish more people were Critical Thinkers?Yes, it would make life much easier

If so, what can you do to make people analyze what they're hearing, saying, and doing?You can't really force someone to be a critical thinker - many people just aren't capable (either at all or at their current mental state) to think critically about issues. As a result, I do my best to explain that I try to examine situations from a critical perspective and that my views aren't meant as an attack on them - but eventually I just give up on trying to make them think critically

Excellent article - hopefully a lot of people read it fully through and actually think about what was said.

[ngdawg]

Do you think you're a Critical Thinker?according to the first half of that thesis, yes, but not entirely
Do you think JinnKai is a douchebag with a complex?Don't know. Would saying 'doubt it' suffice?
Would you benefit from thinking more critically?of course since I tend to shoot from the hip
What do YOU think Critical Thinking should mean?analyzing a given situation and finding the most beneficial course of action-whether in thought or deed
Do you see a flaw in critical thinking, beyond being labelled a "skeptic" ?not at all
Is "doubting everything" a realistic viewpoint for the current world?Maybe not doubting, but certainly questioning
Do you wish more people were Critical Thinkers?Yes. The onus of just the few who truly are might not be so great.
If so, what can you do to make people analyze what they're hearing, saying, and doing?I can't make others change, I can only work on me. That being said, I do try to verbally repeat back what is said as far as my interpretation goes. As I would understand others, so would they then understand me.
Lots to think about. I am Skeptical to a fault which sometimes hinders instead of helps the thought process.

[Fourtyrulz]

Do you think you're a Critical Thinker? Yup
Do you think JinnKai is a douchebag with a complex? Nope
Would you benefit from thinking more critically? Yup
What do YOU think Critical Thinking should mean? Thinking in a logical and reasonable manner.
Do you see a flaw in critical thinking, beyond being labelled a "skeptic" ? Nope
Is "doubting everything" a realistic viewpoint for the current world? Yup
Do you wish more people were Critical Thinkers? Yup, I think the world would run much easier if people just sat down and thought, "Does this make sense?"
If so, what can you do to make people analyze what they're hearing, saying, and doing? Simply ask them, "Why?"

My girlfriend gets pissed off at me sometimes for doubting her if she repeats a story or fact she heard from her friends or family, even if I just tell her I don't think it makes sense. Why believe everything people, even your family, tells you? I sometimes question my professors (not out loud of course ) or my own thoughts.

[maleficent]

Originally Posted by Fourtyrulz

Why believe everything people, even your family, tells you?.

Because I said so, that's why, do you really want to spend 45 minutes arguing with me over something that, in the grand scheme of things, doesn't really matter?

In some cases, people will argue over the littlest of things in that all powerful need to be right... my time is more valuable...

[Jinn]

Aye -- I hoped to make that distinction -- critical thinking does NOT mean you have to perpetually argue with everyone under the sun.

There is a finite balance between being a know-it-all and actually knowing-it-all. If you suspect someone is not telling the truth, or they are simply ignorant of the facts -- you don't have to correct them. Just do your research, study their claim, and make a rational conclusion. They might've been right! Even if they are, you've just now added another section to your ever-growing knowledge base.

That lesson, I learned the hard way.

[Randerolf]

Excelent post.

May I add another resource that is both amusing and informative?
http://www.skepdic.com/contents.html

Living inquisitively is delicious.

[Fourtyrulz]

Originally Posted by maleficent

Because I said so, that's why, do you really want to spend 45 minutes arguing with me over something that, in the grand scheme of things, doesn't really matter?

In some cases, people will argue over the littlest of things in that all powerful need to be right... my time is more valuable...

Not believing people doesn't necessarily mean I argue with them constantly.

If you suspect someone is not telling the truth, or they are simply ignorant of the facts -- you don't have to correct them. Just do your research, study their claim, and make a rational conclusion.

This is precisely what I do.

[shesus]

I actually just researched critical thinking in the class I am taking so I may as well do some more with it...

Do you think you're a Critical Thinker? yes

Do you think JinnKai is a douchebag with a complex? no, I actually think this is a good topic

Would you benefit from thinking more critically? I have become a pretty critical thinker through gaining my Master's but more thinking has never killed anyone

What do YOU think Critical Thinking should mean? Critical thinking is looking an idea, concept, or fact and proving it true or false through research, experimentation, or experience

Do you see a flaw in critical thinking, beyond being labelled a "skeptic" ? I wouldn't say it is a flaw, but being over critical about everything could become an obsession

Is "doubting everything" a realistic viewpoint for the current world? I think that people shouldn't take things at face value. However, doubting everything is a little too much. I think that there is enough paranoia in the country.

Do you wish more people were Critical Thinkers? I think that the world would be a lot more interesting if more people had critical thinking. There are too many uneducated bandwagons in the world.

If so, what can you do to make people analyze what they're hearing, saying, and doing?Well, I am a teacher, so I will work on the next generation...

[Tophat665]

Do you think you're a Critical Thinker? - Sometimes, maybe as much as half of the time.
Do you think JinnKai is a douchebag with a complex? Everyone has a complex. I don't know, JK, do you taste sour?
Would you benefit from thinking more critically? - Possibly. While I agree that Critical thought is indispensible to getting by, I think there is a lot to be said for uncritical thought; taking things at face value and asking yourself how that feels. I guess what I am saying is that sometimes things are or ought to be obvious, and one needs to be aware of that. I don't think that is at all what people mean when they talk about critical thinking. I would argue that "The Emperor Has No Clothes" is an uncritical thought.
What do YOU think Critical Thinking should mean? - Actively seeking to appreciate any problem from multiple viewpoints, then engaging logic and reason to arrive at an optimum solution, while remaining open to a change in conditions or perceptions.
Do you see a flaw in critical thinking, beyond being labelled a "skeptic" ?
1) It takes time, and it's a big world. If you think critically about everything all the time, your "everything" has to shrink. If you think certain things through and decide that, barring truly significant changes in situation, they can be regarded as settled and set aside, you can expand your reality in other directions.
2) The majority of people are not critical thinkers. The majority rules, but, lacking critical thinking skills, they are ruled by the glibest huckster who traipses along. In such an environment, I am not entirely sure that critical thought is something that it benefits one to boast of (though not necessarily to apply.)
Is "doubting everything" a realistic viewpoint for the current world? Emphatically not. You must not doubt your own abilities or you cannot effectively apply them.
Do you wish more people were Critical Thinkers? Yes and No. I would be concerned that nothing would ever get done. it takes 40 men with their feet in the mud to keep one with his head in the clouds.
If so, what can you do to make people analyze what they're hearing, saying, and doing? Laugh at them.

[kramus]

Originally Posted by Tophat665

*snip*

If so, what can you do to make people analyze what they're hearing, saying, and doing? Laugh at them.

You are a wise man.

[Mondak]

For what it is worth - thanks for the post. Most people are pretty uncomfortable with critical thinkers. It certainly is not the path of least resistance that is for sure.

I view your post as a wish unfortunitly. I will live for myself, provide an example for others and let them chose (or choke on) their own path. I suspect that your post will go on deaf ears (eyes) but I feel very strongly about the subject as well.