SafeShaikh.com » Critical Thinking http://safeshaikh.com Go Safe!! Tue, 21 Jul 2009 20:47:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.1 en hourly 1 Critical Thinking http://safeshaikh.com/critical-thinking/critical-thinking/ http://safeshaikh.com/critical-thinking/critical-thinking/#comments Fri, 20 Mar 2009 00:58:37 +0000 Safe Shaikh EBEA020C-888B-4A42-BBE8-AA0E778854B7 Organizations today often encourage its employee better decision making though critical thinking. However, this is sometime difficult for people without knowing what critical thinking is. This week reading topic is critical thinking. Critical thinking is thinking about thinking. Most people fail to think critically because people do not realize that they are exercising critical thinking through out the day. In order for one to think critically, one must first understand that what critical thinking is. 
Critical thinking has become important in modern world. Critical thinking is not something people are born with, it must be taught. Most children when born do not have ability to think critically. The ability to think must be taught to them. “Critical thinking is that mode of thinking—about any subject, content, or problem—in which the thinker improves the quality of his or her thinking by skillfully analyzing, assessing, and reconstructing it.” (Paul & Lind, 2006, p. xxiii) In other word, critical thinking is thinking about thinking. It has three stages; an analytic, an evaluation, and improvement. In analytic stage involves focusing on the parts of thinking in any situation such as its purpose, question, information, inferences, assumptions, concepts, implications, and point of view. The second stage, an evaluation involves figuring out its strengths and weaknesses to the point it is clear, accurate, precise, relevant, deep, broad, logical, significant, and fair. The Final stage, improvement involves building on its strengths while reducing its weaknesses. According to R. Paul and L. Elder, Prentice Hall, the authors of Critical Thinking, to think critically, one must be able to examine his or her thinking and put it through some tests. One must be able to able to identify weakness and strength. Finally, one must be able to creatively reconstruct his or her thinking to make it better. As I pointed out earlier, critical thinking is not something people are born with. It must be learned. Keep in mind that, critical thinking is not easily learned simply by listening to lecture, reading book, or even understanding concepts. It is learned by actually performing the stages that makes up critical thinking which are analyze, evaluate and improve creatively.
It is important to note that thinking occurs even if you want it to stop. In reality there is nothing that can be done to stop thinking. There are methods that can be practice such as meditation. However, it still does not stop ones ability to think. Therefore, it is in ones best interest to understand critical thinking and as result he or she will be better off if in control of thinking. “A person who thinks critically can ask appropriate questions, gather relevant information, efficiently and creatively sort through this information, reason logically from this information, and come to reliable and trustworthy conclusions about the world that enable one to live and act successfully in it.” (Schafersman,1991)
This week reading topic of critical thinking has given me better understanding of concept and knowledge that will be remembered during my long career path in business as well as personal decision making. Critical Thinking has huge impact on decision making. Knowing this I will be able to make better decisions not only at workplace but in my daily personal life as well. Almost every day I face a challenge at work where critical thinking would come in handy. For example, through out the day I negotiate with supplier on prices, terms and conditions. If I use the three stages of critical thinking which are analyze, evaluate, and improve. I will be able to think better which will in return give me better advantage. Ability to think critically would also benefit when negotiating contracts.
There are many benefits of thinking critically. To name few, it would help people express taught clearly. It would help them communicate better, ask right question, focus on goals, and even gives them multiple perspectives. Critical thinking would also give people ability to know that their strengths and weaknesses. On the other hand, poor thinking would result in simply bad communication and bad decisions making.
In conclusion, critical thinking play a big role in everyone life not only at workplace but personal life as well. It funny how all people think through out the day yet most people do not realize they are doing so. It seems that thinking is way of life. People think to understand and communicate with one another. However, if people simply slow things down and simply analyze the taught, evaluate and than perhaps they will creatively be able to reconstruct thinking to make it better.

References
Paul R. & Linda L. (2006) Critical Thinking: Tools for Taking Charge of Your Learning and Your Life, Second Edition. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.
Steven D. Schafersman, (1991) Critical Thinking: Retrieved February 6, 2007 from http://www.freeinquiry.com/critical-thinking.html

 

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