Want to be more analytical with what you hear and learn? If so, you have to practise being more logical. So, this article will show you how to think critically.
Have you ever talked to someone who has believed every sound they heard?
Like, those ignorant people who’ll say ridiculous things but truly believe it? Yeah, they’re annoying.
So, to not be like them, you need to learn how to think critically.
Critical thinking is a process of analyzing information with objectivity and reasonable judgement.
The reason why it is important is that it helps you to not believe everything that is told to you.
If you are a critical thinker, you can look at “facts” and see if it’s rational or not. It teaches you to question things and to be logical.
To think critically, you must first encounter something that smells fishy.
Then, you assess it by asking yourself questions such as, “what is another perspective on this case?”
Or you can yourself, “why did this conclusion happen and not another one?” Or, “how is this scientifically possible?”
This is the simplest way to start thinking critically.
But this method will only work if you are proactive about it. You have to put in the effort to ask these questions.
They won’t magically arise every time you read or hear something.
How to Use Critical Thinking at School
So how can you use critical thinking in school?
When you are learning something new, analyze it. If it seems weird or biased, ask yourself why the information seems that way.
Then, ask yourself if there are any other possible outcomes or viewpoints.
List all of the possibilities you can think of.
Then ask yourself some additional questions using the 5 Ws: who, what, when, where, why, and how.
For example:
- Who benefits from this?
- Where can this concept be improved?
- What would be a counter-argument?
- When would this cause a problem?
- Why have we allowed this to happen?
- How will this benefit the majority of people?
After you feel you have thoroughly critically analyzed the concept, bring your research to a teacher, friend, or group.
Have them go through your thoughts and analyze it. They should add to the process with their own questions and critiques.
As they go over your work, adding their own arguments, you are becoming a better critical thinker because you now possess multiple viewpoints.
You are now not only assessing the information from the text but also yours and your group’s as well.
How I think critically
Every time I read the news, I always feel that certain news organizations are bias.
They’ll tend to write a heading (or title) and story that agrees with one side of a case. But they’ll do it in a sneaky way.
They won’t outright say that this one side is correct and the other is wrong.
They’ll just give information that benefits one side and withholds all other information that doesn’t.
So, I always have to be critical when reading news stories. I often ask:
- “What is another side to this story?”
- “Why is this the best scenario?”
- “Who does this benefit?”
- “How does this harm/benefit us/others?”
If I didn’t do this, I would believe everything that I read or heard. This would make me a sheep because I’d just listen and not think.
And that, to me, is not healthy.
You have to be critical and knowledgeable. You have to be able to question things.
Additionally, don’t let your biases affect your critical thinking.
If there is something that you value, like your religion, for instance, you have to be critical and question that information too.
You can’t just critically analyze beliefs that you don’t cherish or believe in.
You have to apply it to everything that you learn.
Conclusion
Critical thinking will allow you to look at things objectively.
You will be able to assess it for its validity.
Also, critical thinking will allow you to analyze your beliefs and viewpoints to see if they are logical.
Thus, start applying this way of thinking to your learning.