Learning how to think critically is a very important. It’s a skill that helps you think outside the box to solve problems as well as be open minded toward other view points.
Let’s dive into critical thinking!
What Is Critical Thinking?
Critical thinking involves analyzing available facts, evidence, observations as well as arguments to form a judgment. It’s a valuable soft skill that allows you to make logical and informed decisions.
Soft skills such as critical thinking are abilities that help you work and connect with other people.
What Are Some Of The Benefits
Learning how to think critically has many benefits. For example, you’ll find that critical thinking can help you in your life.
Benefits Include:
- Making a task easier because it makes the vision clear.
- Enhances your problem-solving ability.
- It refines your research skills.
- It improves language and presentation skills.
- Critical thinking is a skill for life, not just for learning.
- It helps you regain confidence after a setback.
Here’s a post you might find interesting: “Rediscovering Self-Confidence After A Setback”
Here’s An Example
Critical thinking at its core is the ability to look at the significance as well as the results of a belief and action.
For example, you’re facing a setback in your career. Due to the economy, you get laid off.
There’s a belief that it’s time to move on from your career and you’re thinking about what action to take. Critical thinking allows you to analyze all possible outcomes and arguments.
Instead of just automatically accepting the possible outcomes of the actions you take, you explore and evaluate those actions on a deeper level.
Finally, you make a decision about what action to take. This happens after carefully considering all possible outcomes.
Learn How To Think Critically In 5 Steps
Let’s take our example and think about it critically. It’s important because you might be bombarded with so many decisions. The decisions you make will affect your career over the long-term.
In order to come to an informed decision, it helps to follow these 5 steps for thinking critically.
Step # 1: Formulate Your Question
It helps if you know what you want. When you’re trying to come back from being laid off, start by formulating a question.
“Should I look for another job in my field?”
“Is this field not working out for me anymore, is it time for a career change?”
When you’re applying critical thinking, you’ll take a deep look at these questions. It’s possible that the reasons for wanting to make a change might be for obscure reasons. For example, change might driven by how you feel at the time.
Step # 2: Gather Your Information
After you formulate your question, start gathering the information you need.
If you decided to change careers, it helps to gather information from someone you trust who’s been in your situation. They might tell you something that’s good, however they might tell you something that’s heavily biased.
It helps to gather information from other people, because it can help you weigh different options.
Step # 3: Apply Your Information
When you’re faced with a decision, it helps to ask questions about the information you gathered. For example, you might be asking questions about things you assume.
It’s possible that you were told something that’s too good to be true. For example, you assume that you’ll have unlimited earning potential, but you end up being scammed.
Thinking critically allows you to dig deeper into those assumptions.
Step # 4: Consider The Implications
To imply something means to draw a conclusion that a decision will affect you in the future.
When you decide to make a career change, you should be aware of how you’ll be affected long-term. For example, some career changes will require more education and training. Depending on what you study will depend on how many student loans you need to take out.
Also, you should ask yourself if it’s worth taking on debt and also if there will be jobs in that field in the future. It’s implied that making the wrong decision will adversely affect your life long-term. However, the right decision will help you.
Step # 5: Explore All Points Of View
Critical thinking involves exploring all points of view. It’s important to look at something from multiple perspectives so you can see the whole picture.
For example, exploring all points of view can give you different ideas as well as different solutions. Also, it helps that someone else can see your career change from their perspective.
When someone sees something differently, they might pick up on something on you don’t notice. The career that you want to go to might be better or worse that what you’re already seeing.
Making a final informed decision has a better outcome when you apply critical thinking.
Do You Think Critically?
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