What is critical thinking?

Critical thinking is a system of judgments that is used to analyze things and information, interpret phenomena, evaluate events, and then draw objective conclusions.

Is it easy for you to determine the connections between ideas, to notice inconsistencies in the argument of the interlocutor? If so, congratulations, you are a critical thinker. What is it and what does the GLOBUS have to do with it, says Nikita Nepryakhin.

1. What is the essence of critical thinking?

Critical thinking is an important soft skill. A person with developed critical thinking has a whole set of skills – this is observation and the ability to justify one’s point of view, focus on studying information and the ability to apply analytical skills in a variety of situations.

2. Where can critical thinking come in handy?

Everywhere. This is not an exaggeration: the ability to think critically can be useful in any area of ​​our lives – both for children and adolescents and adults.

A person who has a critical mind is able to:

• understand the logical and cause-and-effect relationships between different ideas and concepts;
• quickly analyze the judgments of others and evaluate them;
• competently construct their own arguments and convey them to others;
• notice inconsistencies, inconsistencies and ordinary errors in logic and argumentation;
• note the importance and relevance of ideas to the general context;
• reflectively evaluate their own opinions and beliefs.

3. What is a GLOBE?

To answer the question “how does it feel to think critically?” in more detail, I developed a system of six requirements [1].

To make it easier to remember them, a simple abbreviation was formulated – GLOBE, where each letter reveals a specific aspect of the concept.

G – flexible thinking

This criterion is one of the key ones. The world is changing at an incredible speed, therefore, in order to adapt to absolutely any conditions, we must change along with it.

This means the ability to “juggle” different options for action, going beyond the usual framework. This is the ability not only to quickly look for new strategies, but also to reconsider your decisions, to abandon old views if they turn out to be wrong. A person with flexible thinking does not see the situation unipolarly, and even if something did not work out for him, he does not give up, because there is always another alternative.

An inflexible person is a hostage of his attitudes and stereotypes. He is uncompromising, categorical and intractable. Only the flexibility of thinking, character and behavior helps to avoid unnecessary conflicts and unnecessary stress.

L – logical presentation

Usually, speaking of logic, we mean the ability to reasonably reason, abstract, analyze, make reasonable conclusions and act consistently.

Critical thinking and logic are like Siamese twins: it is impossible to imagine a critically thinking person who is not able to understand, for example, causal relationships. However, any logic is powerless in itself. It will triumph only if there are other criteria.

O – informed judgments

Closely related to the previous criterion is the third point. Critical thinking is impossible without a convincing argument. Proving any position, a critically thinking person will never say: “Yes, I’m telling you!”, “Trust me!”, “I said, period!”, “Yes, even a fool understands this!”. Demanding other logical and proven arguments, he himself will never slip into unfounded statements.

He will not take any thesis on faith without an adequate evidence base: confirmed facts, statistics, solid scientific research, references to specific experience.

B – impartial approach

It means not adjusting logic to your selfish desires, striving for justice, being able to control your emotions and calmly perceive reality. To think as if from a third person, a kind of arbitrator.

Perhaps this is one of the most difficult criteria. It is difficult to be impartial, because in our head there are many formed mental programs, suggestions, beliefs and attitudes. And our ego, at times, selfishly influences thoughts and actions. To avoid this, you need to ask yourself questions more often: “Does my subjective attitude speak in me?”, “Is there no personal interest in this decision?”, “What would a person from the outside do?” and so on.

Absolute impartiality is impossible to achieve, but everyone should strive for it.

U – ordered thoughts

Thinking critically means thinking in an orderly, systematic, sequential, organized way. It requires putting things in order in your thoughts. In a mature and strong mind there can be no chaos, eccentric, chaotic thoughts: they give rise to disorderly speech, then unsystematic decisions follow, which ultimately leads to a disorganized life.

Harmony can only be born in order. A person who thinks in an orderly manner, makes consistent decisions, systematically evaluates information, masterfully masters analysis and synthesis. It is difficult to confuse or knock it off a clear semantic line.

C – independent thinking

A critical thinker is an independent thinker. Of course, we can listen to the opinions of others, the main thing is that it be a conscious decision. You need to think for yourself not in spite of, for someone, a demonstration of adulthood and how original you are. This must be done for yourself. Otherwise, others will think and make choices for you.

But there can be no complete autonomy, this is already isolation. We are not Robinson Crusoe on a desert island, we are social beings interacting with each other and living in a single information field according to special rules. To paraphrase a well-known expression, we can say that our independence ends where the independence of another begins.

4. How to apply critical thinking?

There are many ways. Professor Samantha Agus, in a TED-Ed video tutorial, offers a five-step approach.

• State the problem. For example, you are invited to try a diet that promises results in two weeks. Setting a personal goal—to lose weight, improve nutrition—will make it easier to critically evaluate this information and relate it to your own needs.

• Gather information. You can ask the experts for advice. This will help evaluate all alternatives.

• Use the information. Ask yourself a series of critical questions: “What am I guided by in this situation?”, “Do I think that I am being told the truth?”, “Does my interpretation of the information sound meaningful?”, “What is the responsibility?”.

• Think about the consequences. Let’s say a candidate during the election race promises to reduce the cost of gasoline at gas stations. Sounds great, but what about the long-term environmental impact? It is always worth thinking about the impact of certain decisions on future events.

• Explore other points of view. This will help you see your options, evaluate your choices, and make an informed decision.