On Critical Thinking

It is often said that the average human only uses ten percent of its brain. If we could use more than ten percent of our brain, imagine what intellectual powers we could possibly tap into. Even though critical thinking is no where on the level of telekinesis or mind reading, one does not need super human powers to do it. For many, critical thinking is a deeper thought process than what most of normally use in our day to day lives. To think critical means to take a look further than what things seem to be on the outside and to read between the lines. In my opinion there are three big parts of critical thinking. The first is questioning. In other words not simply accepting something as being true or correct, but to question what the situation at hand really is. The Second is Analysis. An important step in critical thinking is analyzing what has been stated and more importantly what has not been stated. And last but not least, the third process of critical thought is evaluation. Evaluating or deciding if the subject makes sense, if it is logical, and if it is consistent with known fact is very important use to the critical thinker.

Furthermore, critical thinking is a very important ability to master, and for that reason, I always try my best to think and read critically. In order to do this I have formed some important habits whenever I read. To begin with, I always read with purpose. Rather than simply scanning the text with my eyes, I try to discover what the author’s true purpose or intent was in the writing. By doing this I tend to learn more information than just what I am being told in the writings. Another habit of mine is first scanning over the text, then going back and thoroughly and critically read and digest the text. I also always “mark up” the pages of whatever I am reading. Just open a page of any one of my books and you will find words highlighted and underlined, and tons of notes in the margins. Lastly, I find it very important to read things that maybe confuse me at first very thoroughly several times and use the context to further understand the meaning of writings.
Although most of these habits I only apply to reading, I also apply them to many other areas in my life. For example when a teacher is giving a lecture, I try to think critically about the subject to learn more about it. I am also constantly analyzing politics. In my opinion all politics have a deeper meaning which can trick the unseeing eye, and if you are not thinking critically about politics and the choices being made around you, it is easy to be deceived, and the same goes for many aspects of the media.

All in All, I am greatly looking forward to sharpening my critical thinking and reading skills in this class. I hope that my abilities to analyze writings will transfer over to even more aspects of my life including academic areas and a more in-depth look as to the way I view the world in general.