Critical Thinking

The introductory definition of critical thinking on Wikipedia is succinct: Critical thinking is the objective analysis of facts to form a judgment. However, this single statement, left on its own, begs some questions. Is objectivity desirable, a standard to aspire to, or is objectivity erroneously equated with fairmindedness? Is objectivity even possible to achieve for humans, or is it rooted in a self-aggrandizing desire for legitimacy? Does being objective lend more to credibility than being subjective, or does claiming to be objective actually undermine one's credibility? Imagine that! Critically thinking about critical thinking!

To the Wikipedia editor's credit, s/he follows up with the statement, The subject is complex, and several different definitions exist, which generally include the rational, skeptical, unbiased analysis, or evaluation of factual evidence. Personally, I believe that claiming to be unbiased/objective is a fallacy, and I will explore that later. But despite my protestations, I still appreciate that simple definition of critical thinking, because it gets people thinking about something that is easily overlooked - thought.

Thinking, like breathing for living beings, is supremely ubiquitous to the human experience. We are constantly thinking, and it is so natural for us, we don't even think about it. But like breathing, if you invest some time and effort towards improving it, your investment will pay dividends. Especially if you have habits that, left unchecked, will disrupt your life in compoundingly destructive ways. Take my breathing, for example: only after reading articles and watching videos on the topic of breathing did I become aware of how weak and shallow my breathing was. In the same way, thinking critically about yourself can reveal flaws in your thinking processes, and lead to self-improvement.

The following definition of critical thinking is long and dense, but a good guide into understanding it on a deeper level:

Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action. In its exemplary form, it is based on universal intellectual values that transcend subject matter divisions: clarity, accuracy, precision, consistency, relevance, sound evidence, good reasons, depth, breadth, and fairness.