Critical Thinking Is a Way

Critical thinking is a way of actively engaging with the world around you through learning and perceiving ideas and problems with an open and questioning mind. Critical thinking is not merely learning a skill or fact -- it is drawing upon pervious experiences and reflecting on things learned to create new questions. To be a critical thinker, one must evaluate information presented to them with his or her own mind and not just take the information at face value. This is something that needs to be taught so that people will be more thoughtful in their actions and choices in life and not just take the world as it is presented to them.

Critical thinking is a concept that has been developing for the past twenty-five hundred years (Foundation for Critical Thinking 2009). Socrates and his Socratic method emphasized debate and critical thinking and taught that through debate critical thinking would occur naturally (Benson 2000). Through this format of debate, questions are brought up and Socratic questioning is a method in which one asks questions in such a way that the answer to that question requires still more questioning (Benson 2000). Questioning is the only way for actual learning and understanding to occur because it engages the student in the learning process (Benson 2000).

Young children are often very inquisitive and are usually full of many questions about this new world around them. Children wonder "why" about everything -- they are practicing critical thinking without even realizing it. This often changes, however, once they go off to school and are required to listen to the teacher and be able to recite back all of the required facts, figures, and dates -- it is easier not to question things and it is easy to succeed in this type of educational setting by reciting back what the teacher says. It is not usually until a student is in high school or college that he will again learn how to think for himself. This may feel like a new concept at this point and many scholars have spent much time in trying to figure out how to best get their students engaged.

In Teaching Critical Thinking: Practical Wisdom author Bell Hooks supports the idea of engaged pedagogy, in which teachers are interacting with their students and learning about who they are teaching (Hooks 2010). Students will be more responsive and willing to learn if they feel a connection within the classroom setting. Critical thinking is more about the sharing of information, rather than the recitation of it and when they feel comfortable students and teachers alike will be more willing to share.

When one is able to think critically the world is essentially opened up to them. The critical thinker will be more adept at communication with others, using and interpreting abstract ideas, and finding alternatives to problems among other things (Foundation for Critical Thinking 2009). These skills are useful in both personal and professionals settings. With critical thinking skills one is more independent and is able to come up with their own ideas and solutions and not be dependent on others for direction.

Personally, a critical thinker will be able to evaluate the world in which they live and make conscious choices about what will be most beneficial to their own life and the lives of those around them. They will be able to be an actively engaged citizen able to understand public policies that will impact their life and do something about it if they disagree. They will be able to enrich their mind through reading and study and have the tools to interpret information on their own. Critical thinkers can have more fulfilling conversations when they know how to incite thoughtfulness in others.

Professionally, a critical thinker will be more of an asset in the business world than someone who is not able to think critically. They will be able to work more independently and be able to come up with more creative ideas. A critical thinker will be able to competently and imaginatively solve problems on the job as well as come up with new and efficient ways to do things. Business is dependent on getting things done quickly and getting things done right the first time -- when one is able to streamline business by using critical thinking skills to figure where time and waste can be cut, more money can be made and the business will be more successful.

Innovators, artists and scholars must all be critical thinkers. All new ideas are born out of thinking critically and not taking things for what they are on the surface. These people see something and need to find a way to make it better, more beautiful, or find a way to delve deeper into the subject and explain it in a brand new way. There would be no new invention, scientific discovery, or progress without questioning the old ways and doing something about making things better or more effective.