If you already know about critical thinking, GREAT! It'll be a quick scan.
If you're unsure about it, read on. It's worth the read.
If you think this is boring, remember that it's your choice. It's up to you to care about being fooled by misinformation, because it does take a little effort to think things through rather than believe your first instinct. Some people are too busy, so they just go by what they hear. But what happens when someone asks their opinion? All they have to go on are the little bits they heard from TV or neighbors. Is that the best way?
Still, plenty of people get to be full grown, responsible adults, some living their whole lives, without ever having picked up the skill of critical thinking. So do you really need it? Don't you just need a job and some common sense, to live?
True, nobody can make you learn about critical thinking. But you should be glad that others use it, or we wouldn't have cars and modern houses, electricity, appliances, and machinery. Everything from medicine to movies were made by smart people who go through their days thinking critically about whatever they encounter.
What is CT, Exactly?
How do you know what's true and what isn't? Critical thinking.
Everyone wants to believe they can tell the difference between truth and BS. But can you really? We like to think of critical thinking as having four main parts: deciphering information, emotional intelligence, avoiding logical fallacies, and "missing information." We'll speak about those four in a minute.
Critical Thinking Checklist
- Recognize what you're hearing: fact, fiction, or opinion
- Recognize that everyone adds their own unique point of view to a story, it's human nature
- Don't get into in emotional arguments *
- Verify that your sources are reputable *
- Learn about logical fallacies *
- Overly broad statements leave room for error
- Make sure your experts are not biased
- Don't jump to conclusions
- Don't lump together separate ideas
- Check for missing information and opposing views *
Examples of Critical Thinking in Action
Of course you've been thinking all your life, and probably have done a fine job so far! But if you're new to the phrase "critical thinking" it can be kind of a tough thing to put your finger on. And honestly, resources for critical thinking are not always user friendly.
Here are a few internet references for critical thinking as a whole concept, but if you're new to this DO YOURSELF A FAVOR and breeze past these. Instead, look at the next two sections below because they're MUCH more interesting!
Wiki page [kind of dry]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_thinking
Critical Thinking Skills [the best one]
https://www.skillsyouneed.com/learn/cri ... nking.html
Foundation for Critical Thinking [complicated]
https://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/ ... inking/411
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy [encyclopedia level]
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/critical-thinking
7 Mental Exercises to Make You a Better Critical Thinker [especially interesting]
https://www.inc.com/larry-alton/7-menta ... inker.html
Deciphering Information
Deciphering information just means understanding it.
These days it seems like two people can look at the same article yet come up with different conclusions. Shouldn't everyone reach the same conclusions if they're looking at the (same) facts?? In the real world, everyone listens to their favorite news outlet. You hear all kinds of information.
[VOCAB - CONSENSUS - When science reaches an overall conclusion for which the overwhelming majority agree.]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_consensus
FACT, FICTION, OPINION, and INTERPRETATION
Fact is something that can be proven by independent people.
Fiction is something made up.
Opinion is what someone thinks about something.
Interpretation is when you form your own opinions on what you hear.
We have a couple sections on this, 5. Doing Your Own Research (because the cliche' is not accurate) and 6. Vetting Sources (because information so often contradicts itself). You'll see tips for this all over the place whenever critical thinking is discussed, such as the example links above.
Emotional Intelligence
Ever see a grown adult acting like an immature kid? Emotional intelligence is what keeps most adults from acting that way. Check out each of these links. There's a quiz too, put out by Berkeley University (so they won't sell you anything or abscond with your info).
Wiki page [kind of dry]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emotional_intelligence
Help Guide [the best one]
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/emotional-intelligence-eq.htm
Mind Tools [almost same as above]
https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_45.htm
Psychology Today [a little dry but good]
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/emotional-intelligence
EQ Quiz [especially interesting]
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/quizzes/ei_quiz
Logical Fallacies
These are especially fun because you can catch so many people doing these. The old saying, "Two wrongs don't make a right" is a perfect example of an error in logic. There are actually dozens of logical fallacies. They're all the ways you can be mistaken in your logic (thinking).
Here are some lists of the common ones. Likely you've heard some this week.
Wiki page [kind of dry]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fallacies
15 Common Logical Fallacies and How to Spot Them [the best one]
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/common-logical-fallacies
From the famous Perdue OWL [kind of dry but good]
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/academic_writing/logic_in_argumentative_writing/fallacies.html
Master List of Logical Fallacies [146 of them]
http://utminers.utep.edu/omwilliamson/ENGL1311/fallacies.htm
Entertaining way to explore LF [especially interesting]
https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/
Missing Information
This is APP's opinion: A lot of the problem in critical thinking (deciphering information)
The end.
NOTE: The material in the "APP's Answers" posts sometimes seem elementary and simplistic yet at the same time long and drawn-out. Yes. It's the beginning foundation for the topic. If you already know about these things, by all means add your suggestions to the appropriate forums. Or just scroll on. There can be a steep learning curve for those not already familiar with these things. Our answers are a starting point.
If you're already fairly knowledgeable, still scan each section and SKIP down to the RESOURCES listed. Readers don't have to take our opinion. Each part has good external sources/links, so you can get more in-depth and intricate answers from real experts.
QUICK LINKS - Good Science
MAIN / Good Science
MAIN / OUR ANSWER 1. Short Answer
MAIN / OUR ANSWER 2. Critical Thinking
MAIN / OUR ANSWER 3. CT - Next Level
MAIN / OUR ANSWER 4. Vetting Sources
MAIN / OUR ANSWER 5. "Do Your Own Research"
MAIN / OUR ANSWER 6. The Scientific Method
MAIN / OUR ANSWER 7. Replication - Or it Didn't Happen
MAIN / OUR ANSWER 8. Peer Review Can Be Brutal
MAIN / OUR ANSWER 9. Methodology is Key
MAIN / What's Your Opinion?
Home
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CREATING A POLL: When writing any post (not comment replies) the option for "Poll Creation" is in a tab below the "submit" button. You can always edit the poll later via editing the post itself and navigating back to that tab, but that sort of defeats the purpose if you change it after people have answered, right? To start, try to think through the answers and provide an option for all likely points-of-view. Lastly, the poll will display below the post after it's published. In "preview" mode it shows on top.
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