How are your "Critical Thinking Skills"? (ideas, how many, name)

[Dingler]

I look at postings on many different message boards and there is one thing that shocks me more than anything----the lack of Critical Thinking Skills by many people. I believe the average person does not think very well. They make decisions on political, social, ethical and community issues without really thinking things through very well. They do not understand the unintended consequences of certain decisions and seem to lack common sense.

I suspect this lack of critical thinking is affecting all of us as people are dumbing down and make decisions based on emotion vs facts and careful consideration.

[mollysmiles]

While I was in college I quickly learned that I needed to stop reacting emotionally to situations if I was ever going to be able to be a teacher. I had always worked off my emotions until that point, and it had worked for me--at least it seemed to! I had a work/study job at a preschool, and quickly learned to be "professional" and disguise my feelings---sometimes about the spiders the kids would bring me, sometimes about how a parent was raising their child. I studied psychology and early childhood education, and this was something that we talked about in both areas. After teaching for a while I got a job working with families in crisis....if there ever was a time to have critical thinking skills, this was it! I had learned not to react emotionally, and to have a poker face. A social worker I worked with once told me she would breathe in and out five times when in a difficult situation. The breathing helped her to stay calm, increased blood flow to her brain (which she said was critical!), and most importantly--helped her to keep her mouth shut and give her brain time to think! I agree that people spend a lot of time reacting, and I think that can make it difficult to get to know someone. My parents always used to say to me "stop and think", and I used to go "right, yep, ok, sure", and just dismiss it. Now I know what great advice it is!

[ducksburg]

I agree with you.
I tried a lot to think independently and critically.But I hardly show it to others nowadays.

[FedUpInFtMyers]

I couldn't agree more! I've noticed the very same thing. Concepts, thoughts, and ideas seem to be passed around and perpetuated as individuals so willingly - and irresponsibly - accept and adopt points of view from those they perceive to be authority figures or leaders. To be fair, a great deal of this is done subconsciously. However, at what point in time do we, as individuals, stop and ask ourselves why we believe what we believe and what the basis for that belief is.

While it is nothing new that belief systems are passed down in families, cultures, and societies, it is my personal observation that this "dumbing down" is at an all-time high as of late. Not just through "blind faith" in the opinions and ideas of those we perceive to hold some kind of authority position in our lives, but it seems that there are quite a few people who accept their feelings and reactions as truth and then act upon them - - either by fighting to defend those feelings and reactions (to the death) on this Forum (and hurting anyone that gets in their way in the process) or by throwing rocks at some dog (who is wagging his tail) as they pass by it tied to a tree in their neighbor's yard because that dog is an "aggressive breed". Those are just examples to name a few, and the list goes on . . .

Perhaps it is my background in law, my conscience, or possibly even upbringing - or maybe I just think "too much" (as opposed to "dumbing down") - but when I feel or believe something so much so that I am willing to defend that feeling or belief and take action based upon it, I always take a step back to analyze it because I need to know why. More importantly, I strongly need some evidence to support that feeling or belief because I feel a responsibility and obligation to those that I interact with on all levels.

Just because the majority thinks a certain way or takes some sort of action doesn't make them correct, and I have always had a very deep sense of that. Lack of critical thinking skills is a problem as well as the mentality of "group thinking". It does disturb me - not just on this Forum - but also in everyday living how many people that I have encountered in recent years that you cannot have very good conversations with due to the fact that they are not thinking well, as you have suggested. When someone brings a new idea or concept to a conversation, or an idea that is totally contrary to my own, I wish to know the "why" of it in an effort to see "all sides" of an issue or to perhaps re-evaluate my stance on the issue being discussed. It is disappointing how many people answer my question of "Why is that? You seem so sure. Why do you feel that way?" with "I don't know." It is truly mind-boggling to me that someone can be so very passionate about an issue or topic and yet have never thought any of it through. How can we ever truly know someone who is this way? More importantly, how can these individuals (I guess I'm using that term loosely here) ever hope to know themselves when they are merely just mirror images of someone else or purely reactive in their daily lives?

Love your thread, by the way.

[BIFAITHE]

I have a hard time with that myself. Recently there were some issues at my job and the first thing that I wanted to do is to hand my boss my resignation. After careful thinking I realized that she did me a favor. She took away some responsibilities. I now have less to do and my pay is the same. It is important that at times of crisis we do not react with our emotions but with our minds.

[SteelCityRising]

I think my critical thinking skills are up to par, I think, I think, I think....