We can read that man has reached the Moon or that he has never reached it, we can observe the report of the results of a scientific experiment, or we can watch on television what we think may be a massive manifestation.

We can believe in it or not, taking into account that what comes to us from the media, what we read, what we are told… all of this can be the product of a mistake or due to biased interests or opinions.

Today we have to be able to doubt everything, reflecting and evaluating what we perceive and/or what we communicate. That is why we can ask ourselves about the capacity to carry out this screening. What is critical thinking and how to develop it?

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Critical thinking: defining the concept

Critical thinking is the capacity manifested by human beings to analyze and evaluate existing information regarding a subject or a specific issue, trying to clarify the veracity of such information and reach a justified idea about it, ignoring possible external biases.

We apply critical thinking to try to discern reality from what we are told and perceived from the analysis of the reasoning used to explain it . In an analogous way to what Descartes proposed, it is a matter of doubting the information, dogmas and absolute axioms that surround us until we ourselves can give them veracity or, on the contrary, ignore them. With this, we seek to have a justified idea of reality and not blindly accept what others tell us.

This type of thinking, linked to scepticism , helps human beings to create their own identity, appearing throughout development and being especially visible in and from adolescence. It is not a matter of taking the opposite view to the world, but of being able to elaborate our own point of view based on the verification and contrasting of data. The aim of critical thinking is to eliminate fallacies and biases that compromise the objectivity of the data being researched.

Critical thinking is closely related to other capacities such as creativity, logic or intuition, allowing us to develop new strategies and ways of seeing and perceiving things. Having a good capacity for critical thinking helps us to avoid conformism and to advance as human beings, avoiding the fact that there is only one way of seeing the world.

Critical and non-desiderative thinking

We have indicated before that critical thinking helps us not to let ourselves be carried away by the opinion of others and to consider this something totally true and correct. However, critical thinking should not be confused with acting on our impulses.

While being critical of what’s going on is helpful in overcoming ourselves and creating new ways of seeing the world, that doesn’t mean we have to rely on what we just create. This could lead us to think that what we want or think about something is the truth, which in turn could lead us to commit cognitive biases.

For example, a person with major depression may believe that his or her condition will never change and that anything he or she tries is of no consequence. This doesn’t mean that it will, finding (either alone or with professional help) positive things in your life that will help you improve your condition.

Critical thinking itself implies being able to put aside the different fallacies and biases to focus on seeking a truth that is as justified and reasonable as possible, looking for proof and evidence that what is said or done is true. It is based on the search for objectivity, avoiding the subjective and manipulative elements that other people or even oneself can introduce in the analysis of information.

What skills does critical thinking involve?

We have made a description of what critical thinking is. But what exactly is necessary to have it? Having critical thinking implies that the individual who has it possesses to some degree the following skills or traits.

1. Reflection capacity

To be able to have a critical mind it is necessary to be able to reflect on things in abstract terms . That is, to be able to associate the information that reaches us with its meaning at a superficial as well as a deep level, as well as the implications that this information has with respect to the rest of reality.

2. Flexibility

Critical thinking implies the ability to doubt that what we perceive or believe to be true, accepting the possibility that there are other alternatives different from the one or the proposals. Thus, a certain mental flexibility is necessary that allows us to visualize that other perspectives different from the usual one can be objective and produce the results sought.

3. Logic and bias detection

The ability to visualize the logic or lack thereof in the things we analyze, as well as the possible flaws and biases that statements and thoughts may have regarding them, is fundamental in this aspect. If we are not able to detect specific aspects of the argument that do not correspond to reality or that lack explanation, it is not possible to make a well-founded criticism.

4. Theory of Mind

It is necessary to take into account that all statements and opinions are made by human beings, who present their views based on what they consider to be correct. Thus, knowledge may be biased even on purpose , if an objective is sought with its transmission.

5. Ability to doubt things

In order not to accept any explanation, it is necessary to be able to question its veracity. However, it is necessary that the doubts be limited to what is reasonable , because otherwise one could doubt any existing principle. And although it would be a type of critical thinking, excessive scepticism would not lead to any resolution.

6. Motivation and curiosity

In order to doubt something, it is very useful that what we doubt is meaningful to us. We can be critical of something we don’t care about, but the presence of a high motivation and curiosity regarding the subject or the arguments given implies that we will try to find a truthful and justifiable solution .

Methods to promote critical thinking

Critical thinking is a very useful skill and nowadays it is highly sought after by society, both at work and in other aspects of life. It is therefore of great interest to be able to promote it . To this end we have various activities and habits that can be useful to us.

1. Try to keep an open mind

We all have our opinions about what surrounds us. However, in order to think critically it is necessary to take into account that ours or the explanation that society offers may not be the only one nor the most accurate. It is more complicated than it seems , but we must allow in our mind the acceptance of other positions no matter how different from our own.

2. Attempt to train empathy

Being able to put yourself in the shoes of others makes it easier to understand how they have come to the conclusions they have reached. Some activities that can facilitate empathy are role-playing , theatre, or the expression and communication of emotions and thoughts to others.

3. Actively participates in discussions

The best way to increase competition in a capacity is to exercise it. For this reason, participation in forums and debates is very useful, as they confront the opinions, beliefs and data found by different people.

4. Analyze texts and videos

Analysis of different materials can help to improve critical thinking skills. It is especially important to look at the possible goals or reasons a person may have for creating such material. You can start with simple and clearly based material on subjective elements , such as opinion columns or advertising elements. Later we can move forward by incorporating more technical and apparently objective material.

5. Avoid bandwagon and underdog effects

Many people join an opinion because it is either supported by the majority or ignored by it . It is necessary that our thinking is not influenced by the fact that others pay more or less attention to the fact or information in question.

  • You may be interested in: “Gregarism: the Bandwagon effect and the Underdog effect”

6. Challenging stereotypes

Society constantly generates stereotypes on a large number of subjects. Try to choose one of them and look for information that puts it into question to see to what extent it serves to explain reality .

7. Find and compare contradictory elements

It is easy to find publications on controversial topics about which there is no clear or absolutely certain general opinion. Searching for two contrasting opinions and analysing each of them allows us to see what the weak points of these arguments are , helping us to be able to analyse other future information.

8. Research and Format

In order to be able to discuss something, it is necessary to know what we are talking about. Being informed about what is happening in the world will allow us to put into perspective the information we receive from the outside, including the very means by which we have been informed.

9. Learn to separate the information from what provokes you

Emotions help us to give an inner meaning to what happens to us and what we live. However, in many cases they cause us to behave or think in a certain way based only on those sensations . This can lead us to consider what something makes us feel as the only truth.

10. Try to follow your intuition

In spite of what was said at the inner point, sometimes our mind acts in a concrete way that we cannot rationally explain. Intuition is sometimes conceptualized as the result of unconscious information processing , that is, as the performance of an internal analysis of information that we have not processed at a conscious level. However, we must take into account that this intuition can also be biased.