There are more important skills than others, and having a good ability for critical thinking is one of those that we must not stop working hard on.
Let's start by defining the concept
Psychologists Cristina Furedy and John Furedy (1985)
studied the relationship between critical thinking and teaching and came to the conclusion that the ability to think critically
is not a unique skill, but is composed of a set of skills such as the ability to identify arguments and assumptions, recognize important relationships, make correct inferences, evaluate evidence and authority, and draw conclusions. Robert Ennis, an American philosopher considered one of the leading exponents of critical thinking, defines critical thinking as the form of rational and reflective thinking that recognizes the predominance of reason over other dimensions. That is, the one that deals with or is interested in knowing what to believe or deciding what to do and whose purpose is to recognize what is just and true. Therefore,
critical thinking is not a way to generate new ideas, but to take existing ones and observe them, evaluate them, see their biases, and master them. In summary, when we use critical thinking, we are able to think for ourselves. Pretty cool, right? Well, the good news is that it is a skill that can be developed and perfected, so let's get to work!
Curiosity and its relationship with critical thinking
We have to imagine our
curiosity as a good monster that we must feed so that it grows healthy and big. The more food (the good kind), the better, and what the monster likes the most is that we don't take anything for granted, that we question, investigate, explore beyond what we are told, develop an open mind, and a constant thirst for knowledge. If we raise a big and healthy monster, it will give us the ability to have critical thinking. Anyone can feed their curiosity to develop this skill, but university students who are training to have their
eTítulo in the future will find it very easy to feed the monster. Let's see 8 things we can put into practice:
1. Learn to ask effective questions
A fundamental skill to develop critical thinking is the ability to ask effective questions. We should not settle for superficial answers. We need to delve deeper and break down problems into smaller components to gain a more complete understanding. Asking challenging and reflective questions will allow us to analyze problems from different perspectives.
2. Develop lateral thinking
Let's not limit ourselves to a single approach or perspective. Lateral thinking is a technique that helps us generate creative solutions by exploring unconventional ideas. This will broaden our horizons and allow us to search for connections between different concepts and disciplines. It's what is known as
thinking outside the box. Doesn't that sound a little more familiar now?
3. Develop research skills
Critical thinking requires us to have the ability to find relevant and reliable information. That's why it's important that our research sources are not TikTok and Instagram. We need to learn how to research properly using reliable sources, evaluate the validity of information, and use technological tools to optimize searches and not spend half our lives investigating a single concept. Remember that information is power and food for the monster.
4. Reflective practice: critical thinking towards oneself
To develop the ability to think critically, it is fantastic to dedicate some daily time to personal reflection and analysis of our own experiences and decisions.
What went well? What could have been done differently? What were the lessons learned? Reflective practice will help us develop self-evaluation skills and continuously improve our ability to think rationally.
5. Fearless of failure
Failure is an inevitable part of the learning process. We must not be afraid to make mistakes, as they are opportunities to grow and improve. If we stop asking questions or questioning what we are told out of fear of being wrong, we will remain stuck in an immature stage of development. We cannot learn from the mistakes of others; it is our own mistakes that will teach us to evaluate reality with better perspectives.
6. Debate: making critical thinking a practice
Another limiting factor in developing critical thinking is being afraid to give our opinion, to debate, or to disagree even in the slightest. Debating politely will not only allow us to better organize our arguments and points of view but also learn from others', which is undoubtedly an enriching opportunity.
7. Maintain a multidisciplinary approach
Let's not limit our learning to a single area of study. The ability to think critically benefits from an extensive and multidisciplinary vision that allows us to have an acceptable general culture and a broad perspective of different knowledge. Exposing ourselves to different disciplines and approaches will help us develop a more comprehensive understanding and a more holistic perspective.
8. Critical thinking in everyday life
We should not reserve critical thinking solely for the academic field. If we want to improve our skills, we must question cultural assertions, analyze news, evaluate our own and others' decisions, and seek innovative solutions in all areas of life.
WARNING
Be careful not to lose sight of things. Questioning everything is a very positive practice that helps us develop a great capacity for critical thinking, but there are limits. These are the ones that science, ethics, and reality set for us. We can question a philosophical thought and discuss it a thousand times as long as our arguments have a tangible basis. If our argument to deny a material and scientific reality is something like "because it offends me" or "because I feel that way," that is not critical thinking; that is in the field of beliefs and has a more theological nuance. The scientific research method allows scientific studies to be criticized, but to do so, we must follow a series of steps that guarantee that the criticism is based on verifiable foundations, not on indemonstrable absurdities such as those that claim that the Earth is flat or that drinking bleach cures cancer, the flu, and even hemorrhoids. Feelings and reason do not always go hand in hand, and learning to deal with those internal discussions is learning to think.
