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Why Is Critical Thinking Important? A Survival Guide

Updated: June 19, 2024

Published: April 2, 2020

Why is critical thinking important? The decisions that you make affect your quality of life. And if you want to ensure that you live your best, most successful and happy life, you’re going to want to make conscious choices. That can be done with a simple thing known as critical thinking. Here’s how to improve your critical thinking skills and make decisions that you won’t regret.

What Is Critical Thinking?

You’ve surely heard of critical thinking, but you might not be entirely sure what it really means, and that’s because there are many definitions. For the most part, however, we think of critical thinking as the process of analyzing facts in order to form a judgment. Basically, it’s thinking about thinking.

How Has The Definition Evolved Over Time?

The first time critical thinking was documented is believed to be in the teachings of Socrates , recorded by Plato. But throughout history, the definition has changed.

Today it is best understood by philosophers and psychologists and it’s believed to be a highly complex concept. Some insightful modern-day critical thinking definitions include :

• “Reasonable, reflective thinking that is focused on deciding what to believe or do.”
• “Deciding what’s true and what you should do.”

The Importance Of Critical Thinking

Why is critical thinking important? Good question! Here are a few undeniable reasons why it’s crucial to have these skills.

1. Critical Thinking Is Universal

Critical thinking is a domain-general thinking skill. What does this mean? It means that no matter what path or profession you pursue, these skills will always be relevant and will always be beneficial to your success. They are not specific to any field.

2. Crucial For The Economy

Our future depends on technology, information, and innovation. Critical thinking is needed for our fast-growing economies, to solve problems as quickly and as effectively as possible.

3. Improves Language & Presentation Skills

In order to best express ourselves, we need to know how to think clearly and systematically — meaning practice critical thinking! Critical thinking also means knowing how to break down texts, and in turn, improve our ability to comprehend.

4. Promotes Creativity

By practicing critical thinking, we are allowing ourselves not only to solve problems but also to come up with new and creative ideas to do so. Critical thinking allows us to analyze these ideas and adjust them accordingly.

5. Important For Self-Reflection

Without critical thinking, how can we really live a meaningful life? We need this skill to self-reflect and justify our ways of life and opinions. Critical thinking provides us with the tools to evaluate ourselves in the way that we need to.

6. The Basis Of Science & Democracy

In order to have a democracy and to prove scientific facts, we need critical thinking in the world. Theories must be backed up with knowledge. In order for a society to effectively function, its citizens need to establish opinions about what’s right and wrong (by using critical thinking!).

Benefits Of Critical Thinking

We know that critical thinking is good for society as a whole, but what are some benefits of critical thinking on an individual level? Why is critical thinking important for us?

1. Key For Career Success

Critical thinking is crucial for many career paths. Not just for scientists, but lawyers , doctors, reporters, engineers , accountants, and analysts (among many others) all have to use critical thinking in their positions. In fact, according to the World Economic Forum, critical thinking is one of the most desirable skills to have in the workforce, as it helps analyze information, think outside the box, solve problems with innovative solutions, and plan systematically.

2. Better Decision Making

There’s no doubt about it — critical thinkers make the best choices. Critical thinking helps us deal with everyday problems as they come our way, and very often this thought process is even done subconsciously. It helps us think independently and trust our gut feeling.

3. Can Make You Happier!

While this often goes unnoticed, being in touch with yourself and having a deep understanding of why you think the way you think can really make you happier. Critical thinking can help you better understand yourself, and in turn, help you avoid any kind of negative or limiting beliefs, and focus more on your strengths. Being able to share your thoughts can increase your quality of life.

4. Form Well-Informed Opinions

There is no shortage of information coming at us from all angles. And that’s exactly why we need to use our critical thinking skills and decide for ourselves what to believe. Critical thinking allows us to ensure that our opinions are based on the facts, and help us sort through all that extra noise.

5. Better Citizens

One of the most inspiring critical thinking quotes is by former US president Thomas Jefferson: “An educated citizenry is a vital requisite for our survival as a free people.” What Jefferson is stressing to us here is that critical thinkers make better citizens, as they are able to see the entire picture without getting sucked into biases and propaganda.

6. Improves Relationships

While you may be convinced that being a critical thinker is bound to cause you problems in relationships, this really couldn’t be less true! Being a critical thinker can allow you to better understand the perspective of others, and can help you become more open-minded towards different views.

7. Promotes Curiosity

Critical thinkers are constantly curious about all kinds of things in life, and tend to have a wide range of interests. Critical thinking means constantly asking questions and wanting to know more, about why, what, who, where, when, and everything else that can help them make sense of a situation or concept, never taking anything at face value.

8. Allows For Creativity

Critical thinkers are also highly creative thinkers, and see themselves as limitless when it comes to possibilities. They are constantly looking to take things further, which is crucial in the workforce.

9. Enhances Problem Solving Skills

Those with critical thinking skills tend to solve problems as part of their natural instinct. Critical thinkers are patient and committed to solving the problem, similar to Albert Einstein, one of the best critical thinking examples, who said “It’s not that I’m so smart; it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” Critical thinkers’ enhanced problem-solving skills makes them better at their jobs and better at solving the world’s biggest problems. Like Einstein, they have the potential to literally change the world.

10. An Activity For The Mind

Just like our muscles, in order for them to be strong, our mind also needs to be exercised and challenged. It’s safe to say that critical thinking is almost like an activity for the mind — and it needs to be practiced. Critical thinking encourages the development of many crucial skills such as logical thinking, decision making, and open-mindness.

11. Creates Independence

When we think critically, we think on our own as we trust ourselves more. Critical thinking is key to creating independence, and encouraging students to make their own decisions and form their own opinions.

12. Crucial Life Skill

Critical thinking is crucial not just for learning, but for life overall! Education isn’t just a way to prepare ourselves for life, but it’s pretty much life itself. Learning is a lifelong process that we go through each and every day.

How to Think Critically

Now that you know the benefits of thinking critically, how do you actually do it?

How To Improve Your Critical Thinking

• Define Your Question: When it comes to critical thinking, it’s important to always keep your goal in mind. Know what you’re trying to achieve, and then figure out how to best get there.
• Gather Reliable Information: Make sure that you’re using sources you can trust — biases aside. That’s how a real critical thinker operates!
• Ask The Right Questions: We all know the importance of questions, but be sure that you’re asking the right questions that are going to get you to your answer.
• Look Short & Long Term: When coming up with solutions, think about both the short- and long-term consequences. Both of them are significant in the equation.
• Explore All Sides: There is never just one simple answer, and nothing is black or white. Explore all options and think outside of the box before you come to any conclusions.

How Is Critical Thinking Developed At School?

Critical thinking is developed in nearly everything we do. However, much of this important skill is encouraged to be practiced at school, and rightfully so! Critical thinking goes beyond just thinking clearly — it’s also about thinking for yourself.

When a teacher asks a question in class, students are given the chance to answer for themselves and think critically about what they learned and what they believe to be accurate. When students work in groups and are forced to engage in discussion, this is also a great chance to expand their thinking and use their critical thinking skills.

How Does Critical Thinking Apply To Your Career?

Once you’ve finished school and entered the workforce, your critical thinking journey only expands and grows from here!

Impress Your Employer

Employers value employees who are critical thinkers, ask questions, offer creative ideas, and are always ready to offer innovation against the competition. No matter what your position or role in a company may be, critical thinking will always give you the power to stand out and make a difference.

Careers That Require Critical Thinking

Some of many examples of careers that require critical thinking include:

• Human resources specialist
• Marketing associate
• Business analyst

Truth be told however, it’s probably harder to come up with a professional field that doesn’t require any critical thinking!

Photo by  Oladimeji Ajegbile  from  Pexels

What is someone with critical thinking skills capable of doing.

Someone with critical thinking skills is able to think rationally and clearly about what they should or not believe. They are capable of engaging in their own thoughts, and doing some reflection in order to come to a well-informed conclusion.

A critical thinker understands the connections between ideas, and is able to construct arguments based on facts, as well as find mistakes in reasoning.

The Process Of Critical Thinking

The process of critical thinking is highly systematic.

What Are Your Goals?

Critical thinking starts by defining your goals, and knowing what you are ultimately trying to achieve.

Once you know what you are trying to conclude, you can foresee your solution to the problem and play it out in your head from all perspectives.

What Does The Future Of Critical Thinking Hold?

The future of critical thinking is the equivalent of the future of jobs. In 2020, critical thinking was ranked as the 2nd top skill (following complex problem solving) by the World Economic Forum .

We are dealing with constant unprecedented changes, and what success is today, might not be considered success tomorrow — making critical thinking a key skill for the future workforce.

Why Is Critical Thinking So Important?

Why is critical thinking important? Critical thinking is more than just important! It’s one of the most crucial cognitive skills one can develop.

By practicing well-thought-out thinking, both your thoughts and decisions can make a positive change in your life, on both a professional and personal level. You can hugely improve your life by working on your critical thinking skills as often as you can.

At UoPeople, our blog writers are thinkers, researchers, and experts dedicated to curating articles relevant to our mission: making higher education accessible to everyone.

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• What Is Critical Thinking? | Definition & Examples

What Is Critical Thinking? | Definition & Examples

Published on May 30, 2022 by Eoghan Ryan . Revised on May 31, 2023.

Critical thinking is the ability to effectively analyze information and form a judgment .

To think critically, you must be aware of your own biases and assumptions when encountering information, and apply consistent standards when evaluating sources .

Critical thinking skills help you to:

• Identify credible sources
• Evaluate and respond to arguments
• Assess alternative viewpoints
• Test hypotheses against relevant criteria

Table of contents

Why is critical thinking important, critical thinking examples, how to think critically, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about critical thinking.

Critical thinking is important for making judgments about sources of information and forming your own arguments. It emphasizes a rational, objective, and self-aware approach that can help you to identify credible sources and strengthen your conclusions.

Critical thinking is important in all disciplines and throughout all stages of the research process . The types of evidence used in the sciences and in the humanities may differ, but critical thinking skills are relevant to both.

In academic writing , critical thinking can help you to determine whether a source:

• Is free from research bias
• Provides evidence to support its research findings
• Considers alternative viewpoints

Outside of academia, critical thinking goes hand in hand with information literacy to help you form opinions rationally and engage independently and critically with popular media.

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Critical thinking can help you to identify reliable sources of information that you can cite in your research paper . It can also guide your own research methods and inform your own arguments.

Outside of academia, critical thinking can help you to be aware of both your own and others’ biases and assumptions.

Academic examples

However, when you compare the findings of the study with other current research, you determine that the results seem improbable. You analyze the paper again, consulting the sources it cites.

You notice that the research was funded by the pharmaceutical company that created the treatment. Because of this, you view its results skeptically and determine that more independent research is necessary to confirm or refute them. Example: Poor critical thinking in an academic context You’re researching a paper on the impact wireless technology has had on developing countries that previously did not have large-scale communications infrastructure. You read an article that seems to confirm your hypothesis: the impact is mainly positive. Rather than evaluating the research methodology, you accept the findings uncritically.

Nonacademic examples

However, you decide to compare this review article with consumer reviews on a different site. You find that these reviews are not as positive. Some customers have had problems installing the alarm, and some have noted that it activates for no apparent reason.

You revisit the original review article. You notice that the words “sponsored content” appear in small print under the article title. Based on this, you conclude that the review is advertising and is therefore not an unbiased source. Example: Poor critical thinking in a nonacademic context You support a candidate in an upcoming election. You visit an online news site affiliated with their political party and read an article that criticizes their opponent. The article claims that the opponent is inexperienced in politics. You accept this without evidence, because it fits your preconceptions about the opponent.

There is no single way to think critically. How you engage with information will depend on the type of source you’re using and the information you need.

However, you can engage with sources in a systematic and critical way by asking certain questions when you encounter information. Like the CRAAP test , these questions focus on the currency , relevance , authority , accuracy , and purpose of a source of information.

When encountering information, ask:

• Who is the author? Are they an expert in their field?
• What do they say? Is their argument clear? Can you summarize it?
• When did they say this? Is the source current?
• Where is the information published? Is it an academic article? Is it peer-reviewed ?
• Why did the author publish it? What is their motivation?
• How do they make their argument? Is it backed up by evidence? Does it rely on opinion, speculation, or appeals to emotion ? Do they address alternative arguments?

Critical thinking also involves being aware of your own biases, not only those of others. When you make an argument or draw your own conclusions, you can ask similar questions about your own writing:

• Am I only considering evidence that supports my preconceptions?
• Is my argument expressed clearly and backed up with credible sources?
• Would I be convinced by this argument coming from someone else?

If you want to know more about ChatGPT, AI tools , citation , and plagiarism , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

• ChatGPT vs human editor
• ChatGPT citations
• Is ChatGPT trustworthy?
• Using ChatGPT for your studies
• What is ChatGPT?
• Chicago style
• Paraphrasing

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Critical thinking refers to the ability to evaluate information and to be aware of biases or assumptions, including your own.

Like information literacy , it involves evaluating arguments, identifying and solving problems in an objective and systematic way, and clearly communicating your ideas.

Critical thinking skills include the ability to:

You can assess information and arguments critically by asking certain questions about the source. You can use the CRAAP test , focusing on the currency , relevance , authority , accuracy , and purpose of a source of information.

Ask questions such as:

• Who is the author? Are they an expert?
• How do they make their argument? Is it backed up by evidence?

A credible source should pass the CRAAP test  and follow these guidelines:

• The information should be up to date and current.
• The author and publication should be a trusted authority on the subject you are researching.
• The sources the author cited should be easy to find, clear, and unbiased.
• For a web source, the URL and layout should signify that it is trustworthy.

Information literacy refers to a broad range of skills, including the ability to find, evaluate, and use sources of information effectively.

Being information literate means that you:

• Know how to find credible sources
• Use relevant sources to inform your research
• Understand what constitutes plagiarism
• Know how to cite your sources correctly

Confirmation bias is the tendency to search, interpret, and recall information in a way that aligns with our pre-existing values, opinions, or beliefs. It refers to the ability to recollect information best when it amplifies what we already believe. Relatedly, we tend to forget information that contradicts our opinions.

Although selective recall is a component of confirmation bias, it should not be confused with recall bias.

On the other hand, recall bias refers to the differences in the ability between study participants to recall past events when self-reporting is used. This difference in accuracy or completeness of recollection is not related to beliefs or opinions. Rather, recall bias relates to other factors, such as the length of the recall period, age, and the characteristics of the disease under investigation.

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Critical Thinking: A Simple Guide and Why It’s Important

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Critical Thinking: A Simple Guide and Why It’s Important was originally published on Ivy Exec .

Strong critical thinking skills are crucial for career success, regardless of educational background. It embodies the ability to engage in astute and effective decision-making, lending invaluable dimensions to professional growth.

At its essence, critical thinking is the ability to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information in a logical and reasoned manner. It’s not merely about accumulating knowledge but harnessing it effectively to make informed decisions and solve complex problems. In the dynamic landscape of modern careers, honing this skill is paramount.

The Impact of Critical Thinking on Your Career

☑ problem-solving mastery.

Visualize critical thinking as the Sherlock Holmes of your career journey. It facilitates swift problem resolution akin to a detective unraveling a mystery. By methodically analyzing situations and deconstructing complexities, critical thinkers emerge as adept problem solvers, rendering them invaluable assets in the workplace.

☑ Refined Decision-Making

Navigating dilemmas in your career path resembles traversing uncertain terrain. Critical thinking acts as a dependable GPS, steering you toward informed decisions. It involves weighing options, evaluating potential outcomes, and confidently choosing the most favorable path forward.

☑ Enhanced Teamwork Dynamics

Within collaborative settings, critical thinkers stand out as proactive contributors. They engage in scrutinizing ideas, proposing enhancements, and fostering meaningful contributions. Consequently, the team evolves into a dynamic hub of ideas, with the critical thinker recognized as the architect behind its success.

☑ Communication Prowess

Effective communication is the cornerstone of professional interactions. Critical thinking enriches communication skills, enabling the clear and logical articulation of ideas. Whether in emails, presentations, or casual conversations, individuals adept in critical thinking exude clarity, earning appreciation for their ability to convey thoughts seamlessly.

☑ Adaptability and Resilience

Perceptive individuals adept in critical thinking display resilience in the face of unforeseen challenges. Instead of succumbing to panic, they assess situations, recalibrate their approaches, and persist in moving forward despite adversity.

☑ Fostering Innovation

Innovation is the lifeblood of progressive organizations, and critical thinking serves as its catalyst. Proficient critical thinkers possess the ability to identify overlooked opportunities, propose inventive solutions, and streamline processes, thereby positioning their organizations at the forefront of innovation.

☑ Confidence Amplification

Critical thinkers exude confidence derived from honing their analytical skills. This self-assurance radiates during job interviews, presentations, and daily interactions, catching the attention of superiors and propelling career advancement.

So, how can one cultivate and harness this invaluable skill?

✅ developing curiosity and inquisitiveness:.

Embrace a curious mindset by questioning the status quo and exploring topics beyond your immediate scope. Cultivate an inquisitive approach to everyday situations. Encourage a habit of asking “why” and “how” to deepen understanding. Curiosity fuels the desire to seek information and alternative perspectives.

✅ Practice Reflection and Self-Awareness:

Engage in reflective thinking by assessing your thoughts, actions, and decisions. Regularly introspect to understand your biases, assumptions, and cognitive processes. Cultivate self-awareness to recognize personal prejudices or cognitive biases that might influence your thinking. This allows for a more objective analysis of situations.

✅ Strengthening Analytical Skills:

Practice breaking down complex problems into manageable components. Analyze each part systematically to understand the whole picture. Develop skills in data analysis, statistics, and logical reasoning. This includes understanding correlation versus causation, interpreting graphs, and evaluating statistical significance.

✅ Engaging in Active Listening and Observation:

Actively listen to diverse viewpoints without immediately forming judgments. Allow others to express their ideas fully before responding. Observe situations attentively, noticing details that others might overlook. This habit enhances your ability to analyze problems more comprehensively.

✅ Encouraging Intellectual Humility and Open-Mindedness:

Foster intellectual humility by acknowledging that you don’t know everything. Be open to learning from others, regardless of their position or expertise. Cultivate open-mindedness by actively seeking out perspectives different from your own. Engage in discussions with people holding diverse opinions to broaden your understanding.

✅ Practicing Problem-Solving and Decision-Making:

Engage in regular problem-solving exercises that challenge you to think creatively and analytically. This can include puzzles, riddles, or real-world scenarios. When making decisions, consciously evaluate available information, consider various alternatives, and anticipate potential outcomes before reaching a conclusion.

✅ Continuous Learning and Exposure to Varied Content:

Read extensively across diverse subjects and formats, exposing yourself to different viewpoints, cultures, and ways of thinking. Engage in courses, workshops, or seminars that stimulate critical thinking skills. Seek out opportunities for learning that challenge your existing beliefs.

✅ Engage in Constructive Disagreement and Debate:

Encourage healthy debates and discussions where differing opinions are respectfully debated.

This practice fosters the ability to defend your viewpoints logically while also being open to changing your perspective based on valid arguments. Embrace disagreement as an opportunity to learn rather than a conflict to win. Engaging in constructive debate sharpens your ability to evaluate and counter-arguments effectively.

✅ Utilize Problem-Based Learning and Real-World Applications:

Engage in problem-based learning activities that simulate real-world challenges. Work on projects or scenarios that require critical thinking skills to develop practical problem-solving approaches. Apply critical thinking in real-life situations whenever possible.

This could involve analyzing news articles, evaluating product reviews, or dissecting marketing strategies to understand their underlying rationale.

In conclusion, critical thinking is the linchpin of a successful career journey. It empowers individuals to navigate complexities, make informed decisions, and innovate in their respective domains. Embracing and honing this skill isn’t just an advantage; it’s a necessity in a world where adaptability and sound judgment reign supreme.

So, as you traverse your career path, remember that the ability to think critically is not just an asset but the differentiator that propels you toward excellence.

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How to develop critical thinking skills

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What are critical thinking skills?

How to develop critical thinking skills: 12 tips, how to practice critical thinking skills at work, become your own best critic.

A client requests a tight deadline on an intense project. Your childcare provider calls in sick on a day full of meetings. Payment from a contract gig is a month behind. 

Your day-to-day will always have challenges, big and small. And no matter the size and urgency, they all ask you to use critical thinking to analyze the situation and arrive at the right solution. 

Critical thinking includes a wide set of soft skills that encourage continuous learning, resilience , and self-reflection. The more you add to your professional toolbelt, the more equipped you’ll be to tackle whatever challenge presents itself. Here’s how to develop critical thinking, with examples explaining how to use it.

Critical thinking skills are the skills you use to analyze information, imagine scenarios holistically, and create rational solutions. It’s a type of emotional intelligence that stimulates effective problem-solving and decision-making . 

When you fine-tune your critical thinking skills, you seek beyond face-value observations and knee-jerk reactions. Instead, you harvest deeper insights and string together ideas and concepts in logical, sometimes out-of-the-box , ways. 

Imagine a team working on a marketing strategy for a new set of services. That team might use critical thinking to balance goals and key performance indicators , like new customer acquisition costs, average monthly sales, and net profit margins. They understand the connections between overlapping factors to build a strategy that stays within budget and attracts new sales. 

Looking for ways to improve critical thinking skills? Start by brushing up on the following soft skills that fall under this umbrella: 

• Analytical thinking: Approaching problems with an analytical eye includes breaking down complex issues into small chunks and examining their significance. An example could be organizing customer feedback to identify trends and improve your product offerings. 
• Open-mindedness: Push past cognitive biases and be receptive to different points of view and constructive feedback . Managers and team members who keep an open mind position themselves to hear new ideas that foster innovation . 
• Creative thinking: With creative thinking , you can develop several ideas to address a single problem, like brainstorming more efficient workflow best practices to boost productivity and employee morale . 
• Self-reflection: Self-reflection lets you examine your thinking and assumptions to stimulate healthier collaboration and thought processes. Maybe a bad first impression created a negative anchoring bias with a new coworker. Reflecting on your own behavior stirs up empathy and improves the relationship. 
• Evaluation: With evaluation skills, you tackle the pros and cons of a situation based on logic rather than emotion. When prioritizing tasks , you might be tempted to do the fun or easy ones first, but evaluating their urgency and importance can help you make better decisions. 

There’s no magic method to change your thinking processes. Improvement happens with small, intentional changes to your everyday habits until a more critical approach to thinking is automatic. 

Here are 12 tips for building stronger self-awareness and learning how to improve critical thinking: 

1. Be cautious

There’s nothing wrong with a little bit of skepticism. One of the core principles of critical thinking is asking questions and dissecting the available information. You might surprise yourself at what you find when you stop to think before taking action. 

Before making a decision, use evidence, logic, and deductive reasoning to support your own opinions or challenge ideas. It helps you and your team avoid falling prey to bad information or resistance to change .

2. Ask open-ended questions

“Yes” or “no” questions invite agreement rather than reflection. Instead, ask open-ended questions that force you to engage in analysis and rumination. Digging deeper can help you identify potential biases, uncover assumptions, and arrive at new hypotheses and possible solutions. 

3. Do your research

No matter your proficiency, you can always learn more. Turning to different points of view and information is a great way to develop a comprehensive understanding of a topic and make informed decisions. You’ll prioritize reliable information rather than fall into emotional or automatic decision-making. 

4. Consider several opinions

You might spend so much time on your work that it’s easy to get stuck in your own perspective, especially if you work independently on a remote team . Make an effort to reach out to colleagues to hear different ideas and thought patterns. Their input might surprise you.

If or when you disagree, remember that you and your team share a common goal. Divergent opinions are constructive, so shift the focus to finding solutions rather than defending disagreements. 

5. Learn to be quiet

Active listening is the intentional practice of concentrating on a conversation partner instead of your own thoughts. It’s about paying attention to detail and letting people know you value their opinions, which can open your mind to new perspectives and thought processes.

If you’re brainstorming with your team or having a 1:1 with a coworker , listen, ask clarifying questions, and work to understand other peoples’ viewpoints. Listening to your team will help you find fallacies in arguments to improve possible solutions.

6. Schedule reflection

Whether waking up at 5 am or using a procrastination hack, scheduling time to think puts you in a growth mindset . Your mind has natural cognitive biases to help you simplify decision-making, but squashing them is key to thinking critically and finding new solutions besides the ones you might gravitate toward. Creating time and calm space in your day gives you the chance to step back and visualize the biases that impact your decision-making. 

7. Cultivate curiosity

With so many demands and job responsibilities, it’s easy to seek solace in routine. But getting out of your comfort zone helps spark critical thinking and find more solutions than you usually might.

If curiosity doesn’t come naturally to you, cultivate a thirst for knowledge by reskilling and upskilling . Not only will you add a new skill to your resume , but expanding the limits of your professional knowledge might motivate you to ask more questions. 

You don’t have to develop critical thinking skills exclusively in the office. Whether on your break or finding a hobby to do after work, playing strategic games or filling out crosswords can prime your brain for problem-solving. 

9. Write it down

Recording your thoughts with pen and paper can lead to stronger brain activity than typing them out on a keyboard. If you’re stuck and want to think more critically about a problem, writing your ideas can help you process information more deeply.

The act of recording ideas on paper can also improve your memory . Ideas are more likely to linger in the background of your mind, leading to deeper thinking that informs your decision-making process. 

10. Speak up

Take opportunities to share your opinion, even if it intimidates you. Whether at a networking event with new people or a meeting with close colleagues, try to engage with people who challenge or help you develop your ideas. Having conversations that force you to support your position encourages you to refine your argument and think critically. 

11. Stay humble

Ideas and concepts aren’t the same as real-life actions. There may be such a thing as negative outcomes, but there’s no such thing as a bad idea. At the brainstorming stage , don’t be afraid to make mistakes.

Sometimes the best solutions come from off-the-wall, unorthodox decisions. Sit in your creativity , let ideas flow, and don’t be afraid to share them with your colleagues. Putting yourself in a creative mindset helps you see situations from new perspectives and arrive at innovative conclusions. 

12. Embrace discomfort

Get comfortable feeling uncomfortable . It isn’t easy when others challenge your ideas, but sometimes, it’s the only way to see new perspectives and think critically.

By willingly stepping into unfamiliar territory, you foster the resilience and flexibility you need to become a better thinker. You’ll learn how to pick yourself up from failure and approach problems from fresh angles. 

Thinking critically is easier said than done. To help you understand its impact (and how to use it), here are two scenarios that require critical thinking skills and provide teachable moments. 

Scenario #1: Unexpected delays and budget

Imagine your team is working on producing an event. Unexpectedly, a vendor explains they’ll be a week behind on delivering materials. Then another vendor sends a quote that’s more than you can afford. Unless you develop a creative solution, the team will have to push back deadlines and go over budget, potentially costing the client’s trust. 

Here’s how you could approach the situation with creative thinking:

• Analyze the situation holistically: Determine how the delayed materials and over-budget quote will impact the rest of your timeline and financial resources . That way, you can identify whether you need to build an entirely new plan with new vendors, or if it’s worth it to readjust time and resources. 
• Identify your alternative options: With careful assessment, your team decides that another vendor can’t provide the same materials in a quicker time frame. You’ll need to rearrange assignment schedules to complete everything on time. 
• Collaborate and adapt: Your team has an emergency meeting to rearrange your project schedule. You write down each deliverable and determine which ones you can and can’t complete by the deadline. To compensate for lost time, you rearrange your task schedule to complete everything that doesn’t need the delayed materials first, then advance as far as you can on the tasks that do. 
• Check different resources: In the meantime, you scour through your contact sheet to find alternative vendors that fit your budget. Accounting helps by providing old invoices to determine which vendors have quoted less for previous jobs. After pulling all your sources, you find a vendor that fits your budget. 
• Maintain open communication: You create a special Slack channel to keep everyone up to date on changes, challenges, and additional delays. Keeping an open line encourages transparency on the team’s progress and boosts everyone’s confidence. 

Scenario #2: Differing opinions 

A conflict arises between two team members on the best approach for a new strategy for a gaming app. One believes that small tweaks to the current content are necessary to maintain user engagement and stay within budget. The other believes a bold revamp is needed to encourage new followers and stronger sales revenue. 

Here’s how critical thinking could help this conflict:

• Listen actively: Give both team members the opportunity to present their ideas free of interruption. Encourage the entire team to ask open-ended questions to more fully understand and develop each argument. 
• Flex your analytical skills: After learning more about both ideas, everyone should objectively assess the benefits and drawbacks of each approach. Analyze each idea's risk, merits, and feasibility based on available data and the app’s goals and objectives. 
• Identify common ground: The team discusses similarities between each approach and brainstorms ways to integrate both idea s, like making small but eye-catching modifications to existing content or using the same visual design in new media formats. 
• Test new strategy: To test out the potential of a bolder strategy, the team decides to A/B test both approaches. You create a set of criteria to evenly distribute users by different demographics to analyze engagement, revenue, and customer turnover. 
• Monitor and adapt: After implementing the A/B test, the team closely monitors the results of each strategy. You regroup and optimize the changes that provide stronger results after the testing. That way, all team members understand why you’re making the changes you decide to make.

You can’t think your problems away. But you can equip yourself with skills that help you move through your biggest challenges and find innovative solutions. Learning how to develop critical thinking is the start of honing an adaptable growth mindset. 

Now that you have resources to increase critical thinking skills in your professional development, you can identify whether you embrace change or routine, are open or resistant to feedback, or turn to research or emotion will build self-awareness. From there, tweak and incorporate techniques to be a critical thinker when life presents you with a problem.

Cultivate your creativity

Foster creativity and continuous learning with guidance from our certified Coaches.

Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

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Developing Critical Thinking

• Posted January 10, 2018
• By Iman Rastegari

In a time where deliberately false information is continually introduced into public discourse, and quickly spread through social media shares and likes, it is more important than ever for young people to develop their critical thinking. That skill, says Georgetown professor William T. Gormley, consists of three elements: a capacity to spot weakness in other arguments, a passion for good evidence, and a capacity to reflect on your own views and values with an eye to possibly change them. But are educators making the development of these skills a priority?

"Some teachers embrace critical thinking pedagogy with enthusiasm and they make it a high priority in their classrooms; other teachers do not," says Gormley, author of the recent Harvard Education Press release The Critical Advantage: Developing Critical Thinking Skills in School . "So if you are to assess the extent of critical-thinking instruction in U.S. classrooms, you’d find some very wide variations." Which is unfortunate, he says, since developing critical-thinking skills is vital not only to students' readiness for college and career, but to their civic readiness, as well.

"It's important to recognize that critical thinking is not just something that takes place in the classroom or in the workplace, it's something that takes place — and should take place — in our daily lives," says Gormley.

In this edition of the Harvard EdCast, Gormley looks at the value of teaching critical thinking, and explores how it can be an important solution to some of the problems that we face, including "fake news."

About the Harvard EdCast

The Harvard EdCast is a weekly series of podcasts, available on the Harvard University iT unes U page, that features a 15-20 minute conversation with thought leaders in the field of education from across the country and around the world. Hosted by Matt Weber and co-produced by Jill Anderson, the Harvard EdCast is a space for educational discourse and openness, focusing on the myriad issues and current events related to the field.

An education podcast that keeps the focus simple: what makes a difference for learners, educators, parents, and communities

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Improve Your Critical Thinking Skills

To make good decisions, it’s important to think critically. And, yet, too many leaders accept the first solution proposed to them or don’t take the time to evaluate a topic from all sides. To guard against these mistakes, there are several things you can do to hone your critical thinking skills. First, question your assumptions, […]

To make good decisions, it’s important to think critically. And, yet, too many leaders accept the first solution proposed to them or don’t take the time to evaluate a topic from all sides. To guard against these mistakes, there are several things you can do to hone your critical thinking skills. First, question your assumptions, especially when the stakes are high. If you’re coming up with a new business strategy, for example, ask: Why is this the best way forward? What does the research say about our expectations for the future of the market? Second, poke at the logic. When evaluating arguments, consider if the evidence builds on itself to produce a sound conclusion. Is the logic supported by data at each point? Third, seek out fresh perspectives. It’s tempting to rely on your inner circle to help you think through these questions, but that won’t be productive if they all look and think like you. Get outside your bubble and ask different people to question and challenge your logic.

Source: Adapted from “3 Simple Habits to Improve Your Critical Thinking,” Helen Lee Bouygues

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Brain Power

How to learn critical thinking and improve brain power.

Are you someone who acts on emotions? Do you find yourself struggling to form ideas or communicate better? All of these things can be solved when you discover how to learn critical thinking.

When we become critical thinkers, we can often turn one-sided arguments into legitimate debates. We provide our own thoughts and opinions in a way that can make a larger impact.

The catch is that learning how to engage in critical thinking isn’t so simple. To help, I’ll be covering what critical thinking is and some skills and methods that you can apply to develop it.

Table of Contents

What is critical thinking, why is critical thinking important, how to boost critical thinking, final thoughts.

The Foundation for Critical Thinking has an apt description for this concept: [1]

“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 other words, critical thinking is the act of taking information and processing it in such a way that we can make better decisions. Those decisions are better because we have a firmer grasp on a given situation.

You may find the above definition quite wordy, but this is because critical thinking demands the application of a wide variety of tools. They are there to handle any kind of information thrown at us.

Now that you know what it is, why is critical thinking so important ? For one, it is different than our usual thinking. We’re stopping and thinking deliberately in these situations.

This kind of thinking provides some perks over regular thinking:

1. You Can Engage With Material Beyond a Superficial Level.

We can formulate stronger opinions, which will allow us to have more informed discussions. This is far different than memorizing information from articles or textbooks and then regurgitating that same information.

2. You Can Create Worthy Arguments.

When we have solid arguments, we can back them up with more confidence. There is a difference between arguing on a topic we’re not familiar with versus one we are knowledgeable about and can stand behind.

3. You Can Better Evaluate Your Work.

Once we have a clear idea of the strong and weak parts of our work, we can work to improve it. This can shift our life, boost performance, and more.

With all this in mind, what are some things that we can start doing to improve our critical thinking skills? [2] Going back to the phrase the FTC provided, we can use that regarding how to learn critical thinking and improve it at the same time.

Critical thinking involves:

• Conceptualizing
• Synthesizing

That information we obtain stems from:

• Experiencing
• Communicating

All of the above guide our beliefs and actions. Using these points, here are some activities that you can do regularly to enhance the skills involved in critical thinking.

1. Question Your Assumptions

The greatest innovators have been the people who take certain notions and assumptions and question them. People like Newton and Einstein are people we remember because they were people who had different perspectives, which led to some of the greatest discoveries in history.

This is the spark of innovation.

While we don’t need to be a modern-day Einstein, it is important that we look at our assumptions and question them from time to time.

What is blocking you from achieving your goals and dreams? Whatever that answer is, begin to question it and evaluate your beliefs.

2. Stretch Your Mental Processes

Another way regarding how to learn critical thinking is to stretch your mental processes. This is a powerful method because humans are natural-born short thinkers.

What I mean by that is our brain uses something called heuristics — mental shortcuts — to give context to our surroundings. In the past, our ancestors used this to great advantage for hunting or fighting.

However, in the modern era, where we make more complicated decisions, this becomes a problem. This is why voting can be a challenge, as it involves many of the skills and concepts mentioned above. To come to a realiable conclusion, we have to stretch our thinking and incorporate several complex skills.

The idea, then, is that you should be aware of your shortcomings and look for ways to stretch them. This means that when you have an answer, look at your biases and ask why you have arrived at a particular choice or answer.

3. Be Self-Critical

They say we are our own worst critic, and some people take view this as a negative thing. I disagree as self-reflecting is one of the most important aspects around.

Reflection can stem from various sources, but one of the most important for us is self-reflection. All that matters is how you are shaping your thoughts.

Where most people are tearing themselves down with negative criticism, I look to asking myself questions. For example, I can ask, “Why do I believe that?” This will lead me to an answer that I can approach with constructive criticism.

When you ask yourself these kinds of questions, you begin to grow as you look at what we know objectively and formulate opinions. This is moving information away from technical book-stuff to forming opinions through deeper thinking processes.

A final important aspect of being self-critical is an ability to be aware of your biases, strengths, weaknesses, and personal preferences. You can use those to approach situations from different perspectives.

4. Listen Actively

Active listening is another method to be a better critical thinker. When you listen in this manner, you are taking the time to process everything coming your way, including ideas, arguments, criticism, and more.

This is important because many people listen to others in order to formulate a response or reaction. The problem is that it uses your brainpower and takes attention away from what’s being said.

Another way to think of active listening is listening with empathy. When you read or hear a person’s perspective, you can take that information and begin analyzing it instead of coming up a response or reaction.

5. Evaluate Evidence and Facts

Another part of how to learn critical thinking is through evaluation. How can we properly evaluate facts and evidence? Simple. Start by questioning it as we have been doing thus far.

Begin by looking into who gathered the evidence and how they did it. Lastly, ask why did they did it in the first place.

Consider all the studies you hear in the news. In some cases, the studies could have a small sample size that doesn’t reflect the population. Or maybe it was funded by a company or industry with a vested interest in making the study look good. You won’t know until you start to look into the study and interpreting it yourself.

6. Think for Yourself

All of this leads to being able to think for yourself . This is important to maintain now and moving forward. We are in the information age after all, and there are a lot of opinions, thoughts, ideas, and information being thrown around.

It’s very easy to get bogged down with all the information coming your way. It can sometimes be so much that you can get lost and forget to think for yourself.

At the same time, you don’t want to be so overconfident that you ignore everything. Bring in other people’s opinions and thoughts, but make sure that the final decision is down to you and that you’re satisfied with it.

It is also important to evaluate each situation to decide whether you need external sources or not.

7. Think Critically When It Matters

While discovering how to learn critical thinking, it’s important to understand that this isn’t a skill you constantly engage in without rest. While your thinking processs can sometimes get in the way, making you want to change them, it’s important to pace yourself.

Thinking still requires a lot of brainpower, and if we’re constantly exercising it, we’ll create mental strain.

Recognize that critical thinking is nothing more than a tool. Use it only when you have bigger or tougher situations you need to respond to.

When you are critically thinking, remember that you can make mistakes. Mistakes are part of the process, and that’s okay. What’s key is noticing these and how they started in order to avoid them in the future.

The road on how to learn critical thinking isn’t that difficult on paper, but it can be hard in practice. As you can tell, it’s a matter of looking at everything with a certain level of skepticism and evaluating your answers.

It’s not something that can happen instantly as we all have biases and our own thought patterns. What matters is recognizing them and making adjustments little by little.

Try to use it during the times that matter most. When we exercise it when necessary, we can start to see its various benefits. [3]

Being a critical thinker is a lifetime journey, but it’s a rewarding one as there is always more information out there for us to learn and develop from.

Featured photo credit: Oklahoma Academy Publishing via unsplash.com

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Why Critical Thinking Is Important (& How to Improve It)

Last updated May 1, 2023. Edited and medically reviewed by Patrick Alban, DC . Written by Deane Alban .

By improving the quality of your thoughts and your decisions, better critical thinking skills can bring about a big positive change in your life. Learn how.

The quality of your life largely depends on the quality of the decisions you make.

Amazingly, the average person makes roughly 35,000 conscious decisions every day! 

Imagine how much better your life would be if there were a way to make better decisions, day in and day out?

Well, there is and you do it by boosting a skill called critical thinking .

Learning to master critical thinking can have a profoundly positive impact on nearly every aspect of your life.

What Exactly Is Critical Thinking?

The first documented account of critical thinking is the teachings of Socrates as recorded by Plato. 

Over time, the definition of critical thinking has evolved.

Most definitions of critical thinking are fairly complex and best understood by philosophy majors or psychologists.

For example, the Foundation for Critical Thinking , a nonprofit think tank, offers this definition:

“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.”

If that makes your head spin, here are some definitions that you may relate to more easily.

Critical thinking is “reasonable, reflective thinking that is focused on deciding what to believe or do.”

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Or, a catchy way of defining critical thinking is “deciding what’s true and what you should do.”

But my favorite uber-simple definition is that critical thinking is simply “thinking about thinking.”

6 Major Benefits of Good Critical Thinking Skills

Whether or not you think critically can make the difference between success and failure in just about every area of your life.

Our human brains are imperfect and prone to irrationality, distortions, prejudices, and cognitive biases .

Cognitive biases are systematic patterns of irrational thinking.

While the number of cognitive biases varies depending on the source, Wikipedia, for example, lists nearly 200 of them ! 

Some of the most well-known cognitive biases include:

• catastrophic thinking
• confirmation bias
• fear of missing out (FOMO)

Critical thinking will help you move past the limitations of irrational thinking.

Here are some of the most important ways critical thinking can impact your life.

1. Critical Thinking Is a Key to Career Success

There are many professions where critical thinking is an absolute must.

Lawyers, analysts, accountants, doctors, engineers, reporters, and scientists of all kinds must apply critical thinking frequently.

But critical thinking is a skill set that is becoming increasingly valuable in a growing number of professions.

Critical thinking can help you in any profession where you must:

• analyze information
• systematically solve problems
• generate innovative solutions
• plan strategically
• think creatively
• present your work or ideas to others in a way that can be readily understood

And, as we enter the fourth industrial revolution , critical thinking has become one of the most sought-after skills.

According to the World Economic Forum , critical thinking and complex problem-solving are the two top in-demand skills that employers look for. 

Critical thinking is considered a soft or enterprise skill — a core attribute required to succeed in the workplace . 

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• Provides the building blocks to create new brain cells and brain chemicals
• Helps increase resilience to stress to avoid mental burnout
• Supplies the brain with the fuel it needs for mental energy

A foundational principle of mental health and cognitive performance is to supply the body with the best nutrition possible. See why I recommend Performance Lab.

According to The University of Arizona, other soft skills include : 

• interpersonal skills
• communication skills
• digital literacy

Critical thinking can help you develop the rest of these soft skills.

Developing your critical thinking can help you land a job since many employers will ask you interview questions or even give you a test to determine how well you can think critically.

It can also help you continually succeed in your career, since being a critical thinker is a powerful predictor of long-term success.

2. Critical Thinkers Make Better Decisions

Every day you make thousands of decisions.

Most of them are made by your subconscious , are not very important, and don’t require much thought, such as what to wear or what to have for lunch. 

But the most important decisions you make can be hard and require a lot of thought, such as when or if you should change jobs, relocate to a new city, buy a house, get married, or have kids.

At work, you may have to make decisions that can alter the course of your career or the lives of others.

Critical thinking helps you cope with everyday problems as they arise.

It promotes independent thinking and strengthens your inner “BS detector.”

It helps you make sense of the glut of data and information available, making you a smarter consumer who is less likely to fall for advertising hype, peer pressure, or scams.

3. Critical Thinking Can Make You Happier

Knowing and understanding yourself is an underappreciated path to happiness. 

We’ve already shown how your quality of life largely depends on the quality of your decisions, but equally as important is the quality of your thoughts.

Critical thinking is an excellent tool to help you better understand yourself and to learn to master your thoughts.

You can use critical thinking to free yourself from cognitive biases, negative thinking , and limiting beliefs that are holding you back in any area of your life.

Critical thinking can help you assess your strengths and weaknesses so that you know what you have to offer others and where you could use improvement.

Critical thinking will enable you to better express your thoughts, ideas, and beliefs.

Better communication helps others to understand you better, resulting in less frustration for both of you.

Critical thinking fosters creativity and out-of-the-box thinking that can be applied to any area of your life.

It gives you a process you can rely on, making decisions less stressful.

4. Critical Thinking Ensures That Your Opinions Are Well-Informed

We have access to more information than ever before .

Astoundingly, more data has been created in the past two years than in the entire previous history of mankind. 

Critical thinking can help you sort through the noise.

American politician, sociologist, and diplomat Daniel Patrick Moynihan once remarked , “You are entitled to your opinion. But you are not entitled to your own facts.” 

Critical thinking ensures your opinions are well-informed and based on the best available facts.

You’ll get a boost in confidence when you see that those around you trust your well-considered opinions.

5. Critical Thinking Improves Relationships

You might be concerned that critical thinking will turn you into a Spock-like character who is not very good at relationships.

But, in fact, the opposite is true.

Employing critical thinking makes you more open-minded and better able to understand others’ points of view.

Critical thinkers are more empathetic and in a better position to get along with different kinds of people.

Critical thinking keeps you from jumping to conclusions.

You can be counted on to be the voice of reason when arguments get heated.

You’ll be better able to detect when others:

• are being disingenuous
• don’t have your best interests at heart
• try to take advantage of or manipulate you

6. Critical Thinking Makes You a Better, More Informed Citizen

“An educated citizenry is a vital requisite for our survival as a free people.”

This quote has been incorrectly attributed to Thomas Jefferson , but regardless of the source, these words of wisdom are more relevant than ever. 

Critical thinkers are able to see both sides of any issue and are more likely to generate bipartisan solutions.

They are less likely to be swayed by propaganda or get swept up in mass hysteria.

They are in a better position to spot fake news when they see it.

5 Steps to Improve Your Critical Thinking Skills

Some people already have well-developed critical thinking skills.

These people are analytical, inquisitive, and open to new ideas.

And, even though they are confident in their own opinions, they seek the truth, even if it proves their existing ideas to be wrong.

They are able to connect the dots between ideas and detect inconsistencies in others’ thinking.

But regardless of the state of your critical thinking skills today, it’s a skill set you can develop.

While there are many techniques for thinking rationally, here’s a classic 5-step critical thinking process . 

How to Improve Your Critical Thinking Skills

Clearly define your question or problem.

This step is so important that Albert Einstein famously quipped:

“If I had an hour to solve a problem, I’d spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions.”

Gather Information to Help You Weigh the Options

Consider only the most useful and reliable information from the most reputable sources.

Disregard the rest.

Apply the Information and Ask Critical Questions

Scrutinize all information carefully with a skeptic’s eye.

Not sure what questions to ask?

You can’t go wrong starting with the “5 Ws” that any good investigator asks: Who? What? Where? When? Why?

Then finish by asking “How?”

You’ll find more thought-provoking questions on this Critical Thinking Skills Cheatsheet .

Consider the Implications

Look for potential unintended consequences.

Do a thought experiment about how your solution could play out in both the short term and the long run.

Explore the Full Spectrum of Viewpoints

Examine why others are drawn to differing points of view.

This will help you objectively evaluate your own viewpoint.

You may find critical thinkers who take an opposing view and this can help you find gaps in your own logic.

Watch the Video

This TED-Ed video on YouTube elaborates on the five steps to improve your critical thinking.

Recommended: Upgrading brain health is key to making your brain work better.

• Improve your mental clarity and focus.
• Boost your memory and your ability to learn.
• Increase your capacity to think critically, solve problems, and make decisions.

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• Published on August 31, 2023
• August 31, 2023

How Critical Thinking Can Empower You to Do More and Succeed

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Do you consider yourself a critical thinker? Are you able to solve problems rationally, evaluate information objectively, and arrive at conclusions based on factual evidence?

Critical thinking is a skill—one that can be honed and developed with practice and time.

Whether you inherently possess this talent or not, rest assured that you, too, can foster your own critical thinking abilities.

Jim Kwik , brain coach and trainer of Mindvalley’s Superbrain Quest, says, “ It’s not about mental intelligence; it’s about mental fitness .”

What Is Critical Thinking?

Critical thinking is the ability to think clearly, logically, and objectively. It’s the ability to analyze and evaluate information in a methodical way.

For example, imagine being handed a jigsaw puzzle. With your critical thinking skills, you’d be able to study each piece, figure out where it goes, and see the bigger picture. And when it comes down to it, it’s not accepting things at face value.

So what’s the big deal about it anyway? Simply put, developing critical thinking skills can help you make better decisions in everyday life. Whether you’re deciding which car to buy or which movie to watch, a little bit of analytical thought can go a long way. Remember: it’s all about weighing up the evidence, considering different perspectives, and drawing conclusions based on that information.

Now, don’t feel pressured to become a master detective overnight. Developing this skill takes time and practice. So every time you’re faced with a question or puzzling topic, take a step back and think critically about it.

Learn more: 7 Most Common Types of Thinking & How to Identify Yours

Why Is Critical Thinking Important?

Critical thinking skills encourage you to operate without prejudice or bias, to keep the facts straight, and to arrive at logical, fact-based solutions.

As Vishen , the founder of Mindvalley, says, “ If you want to be the best you can be, you’ll need to be willing to make a change or two. ”

In today’s world, where there’s a ton of information and things are changing superfast, being able to think critically feels like a superpower.

Making smart choices and thinking carefully about stuff becomes easier if you work on these skills. It’s like having a clear map to find your way through all the confusing stuff out there.

Now, in what ways can critical thinking be beneficial to you?

• Versatile Skill: Critical thinking navigates professional diversity.
• Effective Problem-Solving: It tackles multifaceted challenges adeptly.
• Personal Growth: Self-reflection fuels the evolution of beliefs and perceptions.

10 Critical Thinking Skills to Thrive in a Dynamic World

Having sharp critical thinking skills has become more important than ever. By sharpening them, you’ll have the ability to make smart choices using trustworthy information and logical thinking. 

Here are ten to highlight:

1. Analysis 

You use a systematic approach to understand underlying concepts and relationships through the breakdown of information or a situation.

Real-life example: To analyze a piece of literature, you would first break it down into its component parts, such as the plot, characters, setting, and themes. Then, you would look for patterns and relationships between these parts. This would help you understand the underlying meaning of the work.

2. Evaluation 

You make well-informed judgments and sound decisions when you evaluate the credibility, relevance, and reliability of information or arguments.

Real-life example: A triage nurse in an emergency room assesses the severity of patients’ conditions and determines which patients should be seen by a physician first.

3. Inference 

You use available evidence and prior knowledge to draw logical conclusions.

Real-life example: Imagine a warm day in July. You see a person with a red face who is sweating profusely. You conclude that they are probably hot—as simple as that!

4. Interpretation 

You have a coherent and meaningful way of understanding and communicating information, data, or ideas. Real-life example: Think of how a doctor interprets the results of a medical test by considering the patient’s symptoms, medical history, and other test results. This allows the doctor to communicate the meaning of the test results in a way that is understandable to the patient and their family.

5. Explanation 

You use clarity and logical reasoning and allow others to understand and evaluate your reasoning. Real-life example: Just like in school, when a teacher explains a complex mathematical concept to their students by breaking it down into smaller, easier-to-understand steps. This allows the students to follow the teacher’s reasoning and understand how the concept works.

6. Self-regulation

You identify and rectify cognitive biases and monitor and adjust your thinking consciously. Real-life example: A salesperson who is good at self-regulation may be able to identify and correct their own tendency to make assumptions about potential customers. They may also be able to monitor their own thinking during a sales pitch and adjust it accordingly, such as by asking more questions or by being more open-minded.

7. Creativity 

You use imagination and innovative thinking to generate original solutions, ideas, or approaches to problems and challenges. Real-life example: Creative artists may be able to come up with new and innovative ways to express themselves. For example, they can create a new type of painting or a new form of music.

8. Open-mindedness

You’re receptive to different perspectives, ideas, and viewpoints and are willing to consider and evaluate alternative possibilities without immediate judgment. Real-life example: At a team meeting, a colleague suggests a new, unconventional approach to a project. Instead of dismissing it, you listen, ask questions, and consider its potential. Your open-mindedness and critical thinking led you to adopt elements of the idea, resulting in a successful project outcome that benefits from diverse perspectives.

9. Problem-solving

You have the capacity to identify, define, and address challenges or obstacles in a systematic and effective manner. Real-life example: Consider a software engineer who is good at problem-solving. They may be able to identify and define a bug in a piece of software, develop a systematic approach to fixing the bug, and test the software to ensure that the bug has been fixed.

10. Adaptability 

You’re flexible and responsive to new information, situations, or perspectives. Real-life example: A student who is adaptable may be able to adjust their study habits if the material becomes more challenging or if the teaching style changes. They could change their major or their career goals if they discover that they are not interested in the original path.

By embracing and refining these critical thinking skills, you’ll become more proficient in your cognitive abilities.

10 Questions That Boost Critical Thinking

Asking thought-provoking questions is one of the most effective ways to encourage critical thinking.

Questions that challenge assumptions, require evidence, or promote deeper thinking can help people see things from different perspectives and come up with their own conclusions.

Let’s look at the top ten:

1. How did you get this information?

By asking someone—or even yourself—this question, you set the stage for the source of the information to be examined. Did the information reach us by word of mouth? Through some random, unsigned article or through a confirmed source?

2. From a different perspective, how would you view the matter?

To correct an opponent’s arguments, you must thoughtfully anticipate their arguments in order to counter them. This question challenges everyone to think from an opposing person’s perspective. 

This means that you need to try to understand the other person’s point of view, even if you disagree with it. This can be a difficult task, but it is important to try to do it if you want to understand the larger situation.

3. What would you do to solve this issue?

Creating practical, creative solutions to problems is a significant life skill. This question provides an exceptional opportunity to encourage people to do so.

4. Why do you agree? Why do you disagree?

The process of choosing a side in any debate requires you to consider both perspectives, weigh the arguments, and make an informed decision. So, go on, and ask the question.

5. Why, why, why?

You should relive the experience you had when you were a child by pushing ourselves beyond a simple first, second, and third answer to reach the core of the matter. However, it’s important not to overdo it, as you want your learning experience to be positive.

6. Could this be avoided? How?

Using critical thinking strategies, consider how you can prevent the occurrence of a certain problem from happening again in the future. Repeating a mistake is always a good thing to avoid.

7. Why is this important?

This is an essential concept that needs to be stressed when discussing any topic. It does not matter whether it is about a historical event or a mathematical concept, understanding why the topic is relevant today is crucial.

8. Can you give me an example of this?

When applying critical thinking skills, creating or drawing from examples based on experience is excellent. When you create such cases, you’re forced to think about the issue in a new way. 

You have to come up with a hypothetical situation that illustrates the point you are trying to make. And this can help you see the issue from different perspectives and come up with new solutions.

9. What’s the reason for asking this question?

This question invites people to consider whether the question merits any further consideration instead of answering it at face value. It’s also designed to encourage people to be aware of their own biases. 

When you answer questions, you often bring your own biases to the table. This can lead you to answer questions in a way that supports your own beliefs, even if the question is not clear or relevant.

By being aware of your biases, you can be more objective in your answers.

10. Why is this troubling you?

If you learn how to analyze difficulties rather than just accept them as they are, you’ll be able to develop strong problem-solving abilities.

Learn more: Critical Thinking Questions That Will Blow Your Mind

How to Improve Critical Thinking Skills: Tips From Mindvalley Trainers

If you’d like to hone your critical thinking abilities, then you’re in luck. You’ve assembled five actionable tips and tricks from Mindvalley experts:

1. Examine your biases

Some of the biggest hindrances to your ability to think critically are your own biases, preferences, and beliefs .

Coming to a better, more holistic understanding of your biases can help you look past them to become a more objective, critical thinker.

How can you identify them?

The best way to delve into what makes you tick is by becoming aware of your own reactions. If ever you feel yourself becoming irritable, upset, frustrated, angry, anxious, or distressed, you may want to pay attention to which of your values or beliefs have been impinged upon.

Insight from Marisa Peer , the creator of Rapid Transformational Therapy® (RTT®) and trainer of Mindvalley’s Rapid Transformational Hypnotherapy for Abundance Quest:

2. Question everything

The more questions you ask, the more you’re likely to learn. So if you’d like to work on your critical thinking skills, you’ll need to start asking a lot of questions.

It doesn’t mean you need to bombard the people you meet with a barrage of questions, but you should practice active listening skills.

If you pay attention, you can learn a lot, but more often than not, you’re too caught up in your own daydreams.

Be sure to question yourself as well—your own beliefs and ideals. You change as you grow, and your ideas often change as well. And sometimes, people don’t realize how much their ideals have changed until they examine them.

3. Learn to be an investigator

This skill is of ever-increasing importance in a world overflowing with “fake news.” Learning to research and investigate the things you learn is an integral skill that will facilitate your knowledge and success.

When you hear something of interest, don’t accept it at face value.

Ask questions, and dig deeper. Get to the root of the issue. Learn as much as you can, and then learn some more. Practice vigilant research skills and identify reputable resources you can trust.

Ask questions, and then investigate the answers.

Insight from Jim Kwik , brain performance coach and trainer of Mindvalley’s Superbrain Quest:

3. Perform critical thinking exercises

As Jim says, “ We need to understand how our minds work, so we can work our minds better. “

Critical thinking skills can be developed through exercises like the following: data analysis, problem-solving, and abstraction. All these critical thinking exercises are indeed powerful ways to develop and enhance critical thinking skills. 

Let’s elaborate on each one of these:

Reverse the process

A mental block or lack of inspiration can occur after working on a problem for a long time. When this happens, it is crucial to take a fresh look at the situation. When trying to reframe a concern, one of the best ways is to work backward. Try reverse engineering your approach and see if it makes you think more creatively. 

People who like to work their minds and investigate issues from different angles have enjoyed competitive debating for years. Debates occur most often in high school or college, but you can hold them at any age with your friends or family.

Choose a new, unknowing topic, think outside the box, perform some research, structure your arguments, and have a mental workout.

The Ladder of Inference 

By using the Ladder of Inference , one can gain a deeper understanding of how people make decisions based on their beliefs and experiences. 

Take a moment to reflect on a recent decision or opinion you formed and trace your thinking process up a ladder with six rungs representing different phases of thinking: data, observations, selected data, meaning assigned, assumptions made, and conclusions drawn. The exercise encourages self-awareness and helps you identify areas where your critical thinking skills can be improved. 

Assess each step to determine if you missed vital information or jumped to conclusions too quickly.

4. Practice empathy

A lot of what critical thinking points to is the notion that being a critical thinker means removing reactivity and subjectivity from the thinking process. That all sounds a tad cold and detached, doesn’t it? 

But here’s the thing: critical thinking involves an inherent element of empathy . And that can help you connect with others on more intimate and profound levels.

It’s essentially putting yourself in someone else’s shoes. It’s imagining what life is like from another person’s perspective. This detachment from your ideas, your thoughts, and your ego. And it allows you to relocate into the mental space of another person, helping you see beyond yourself. Critical thinking, in a nutshell.

Insight from Jeffrey Allen , energy healer and trainer of Mindvalley’s Duality Quest:

5. Train your brain

If you’d really like to improve your critical thinking skills, there are plenty of games and apps you can download that help improve your cognitive abilities.

Try any of the following for just 15 minutes a day to enjoy a quick and efficient brainpower boost:

You can also check out this 15-minute mind hack to incredibly boost your brainpower, brought to you by Vishen:

Awaken Your Critical Thinking Power

As Jim said, “ Our most precious gift is our brain. You can learn to unlimit and expand your mindset, your motivation, and your methods to create a limitless life. “

So cultivate a world where thoughtful reasoning thrives and navigate life’s complexities with clarity and confidence. 

If you need some inspiration on your journey to boost your critical thinking skills, Mindvalley is the place for you. Your transformation can start with insightful Quests, such as:

• Be Extraordinary Quest with Vishen
• Superbrain Quest with Jim Kwik 
• Rapid Transformational Hypnotherapy for Abundance Quest with Marisa Peer

By unlocking your FREE Mindvalley access , you can sample classes from these programs as well as many others. What’s more, there are free meditations on a daily basis, some of which are specially designed to help you boost your critical thinking abilities.

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Global Cognition

Critical thinking in everyday life.

by Winston Sieck updated September 19, 2021

Have you ever been listening to one of your teacher’s lessons and thought that it had no relevance to your own life?

You’re not alone. Just about every student has felt the same way.

Sure, you use critical thinking skills in the classroom to solve word problems in math, write essays in English, and create hypotheses in science.

But how will you use critical thinking in everyday life?

First, keep in mind that critical thinking is simply a “deliberate thought process.”

Basically, it means that you are using reason and logic to come to a conclusion about an issue or decision you are tangling with.

And clear, sound reasoning is something that will help you every day.

To help you make the leap from classroom to real world, here are 3 concrete examples of critical thinking in everyday life.

Fake News vs. Real News

Take a moment to reflect on your media skills. Do you think you have what it takes to sort out a real news source from a piece of clever advertising?

According to a recent study from Stanford University, a whopping 82% of the teens surveyed could not distinguish between an ad labeled “sponsored content” and a legitimate news story.

Part of the problem may come from schools cutting back on formal instruction of critical thinking skills and an assumption that today’s “digital native” teens can automatically tell the difference without practice or instruction.

You are good at lots of things. But, you know, you’ve practiced those things you’re good at. So, how can you practice telling fact from fiction?

One way (outside of school) is to chat with your family and friends about media sources. Find out how they stay informed, and why they choose those outlets. Ask each other routine questions for evaluating sources .

Do your Friends Know Everything?

It’s tempting to believe that the world begins and ends with your friends. Don’t get me wrong. Friends are definitely important. However, it pays to reflect a little on how a group influences our lives.

To practice critical thinking in everyday life, take a close look at your group of friends. Are there things that are “forbidden” in your social circle? Are you expected to act a certain way, dress a certain way?

Think a certain way?

It’s natural that when a group defines something as “cool”, all the people in the group work to fit into that definition. Regardless of what they individually believe.

The problem is that virtually every situation can be defined in multiple ways. What is “dumb” to one person may be “cool” to another.

Develop your ability to redefine the way you see the world around you. On your own terms.

Find a time when your friend group sees the negative in a situation. Is there a positive way to view it instead? Or at least a way that makes it seem not quite so bad?

You may not be ready to speak up with your independent view. And that’s ok. Just practice thinking differently from the group to strengthen your mind.

Critical Thinking in the Driver’s Seat

One of the core critical thinking skills you need every day is the ability to examine the implications and consequences of a belief or action. In its deepest form, this ability can help you form your own set of beliefs in everything from climate change to religion.

But this skill can also save your life (and your car insurance rate) behind the wheel.

Imagine you are cruising down the freeway when your phone alerts you to an incoming text message. The ability to examine your potential actions and their accompanying consequences will help you make the best choice for how to handle the situation.

Do you look at the text and risk getting into an accident? Do you wait and risk not responding to an urgent matter? Or do you pull over to look at the text and risk being late for your appointment?

The same skill can be applied when you are looking for a place to park, when to pull onto a busy street, or whether to run the yellow light.

Better yet, the more practiced you are at looking at the implications of your driving habits, the faster you can make split second decisions behind the wheel.

Why Critical Thinking in Everyday Life Matters

Literally everyone can benefit from critical thinking because the need for it is all around us.

In a philosophical paper , Peter Facione makes a strong case that critical thinking skills are needed by everyone, in all societies who value safety, justice, and a host of other positive values:

“Considered as a form of thoughtful judgment or reflective decision-making, in a very real sense critical thinking is pervasive. There is hardly a time or a place where it would not seem to be of potential value. As long as people have purposes in mind and wish to judge how to accomplish them, as long as people wonder what is true and what is not, what to believe and what to reject, strong critical thinking is going to be necessary.”

So, in other words, as long as you remain curious, purposeful, and ambitious, no matter what your interests, you’re going to need critical thinking to really own your life.

About Winston Sieck

Dr. Winston Sieck is a cognitive psychologist working to advance the development of thinking skills. He is founder and president of Global Cognition, and director of Thinker Academy .

Reader Interactions

July 27, 2019 at 7:20 am

Wonderful article.. Useful in daily life… I have never imagined the way critical thinking is useful to make judgments

December 9, 2020 at 9:38 pm

My name is Anthony Lambert I am student at miller Motte. Critical Thinking is one my classes. I thank you for giving me the skills of critical thinking.

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How to Build Your Judgment and Critical Thinking

Blessed are the critical thinkers: for they help us understand and find truth..

Posted April 28, 2022 | Reviewed by Lybi Ma

• Each person has the strength of judgment they can tap into.
• A critical thinking blessing is one practical strategy you can use for building this strength.
• Observing the processes of good critical thinkers can help you enhance this strength.

Us vs. them. In-group vs. out-group. Good guys vs. bad guys. Polarization is at an all-time high. What might be an antidote?

One step in the right direction is to increase our character strength of judgment , also called critical thinking . This strength is about the pursuit of truth. It reminds us that truth is not found in impressions, stereotypes, quick glances, and preconceived notions. It is found with a persevering and always-evolving process of reflection, introspection, analysis, and open-mindedness to other views. It is found not by flipping on a political news program but by flipping on your thinking in new ways. It is found not by surfing through social media headlines but by looking for exceptions to your existing views.

How can we build this character strength? One strategy is to observe, study, and learn from those who express the strength well. What does an exemplar of critical thinking say about this strength? How do they act? Let’s find out.

Davis, an accomplished musician and decorated police chief, was a master critical thinker. He has been known throughout his community for his logic and good judgment. He has loved looking at every detail of a situation, especially his beliefs about things. He has been analytical about anything potentially controversial such as spirituality , politics , family life, and personal problems. He doesn't take his beliefs about things for granted. Rather, he goes deeper. He has sought out universal truths (and never took those for granted either).

When interviewed about his critical thinking, Davis offered several insights and practical strategies for appreciating and building this strength.

You are known as a great critical thinker. How do you use this strength of character?

When I am faced with a dilemma or controversy, I ask myself several questions:

• How is my belief or what I’m thinking about now not true ?
• What are the exceptions to my belief?
• What would someone from a different culture or lived experience say about my ideas?
• What am I missing, forgetting, or not including?
• If I wouldn’t stake my life on my conclusion or my belief, what part of it makes me most hesitant?
• If I was to become just a little bit more accurate or get a bit more detail on the situation, what would it be?

Wow, you really have a solid approach of “drilling down” to get to the core of that which is most essential.

I think of it like I am peeling layers of veneer in my mind. I try to peel away my first impression and I peel away my biases such as the automatic tendency to look for support for my beliefs. I peel away the layer of expectations I have of society. I peel away my automatic reactions to please or to impress others. I just keep going in the pursuit of a greater truth. Then, I remind myself that that greater truth I find is not perfect and absolute and finished, but it is better than what I started with.

Judgment or critical thinking is the ultimate “mind strength.” Doesn’t that mean you get lost in your head and miss the heart?

I see the mind and heart as one. They are completely interconnected. Each offers a different lens or starting point. A good critical thinker sees and experiences both of these lenses and others. My typical approach is to start with the analyses I mentioned to get past the multitude of biases I am subject to. I know that when I get closer to a truth I am touching my heart. I can feel it in my chest. Some people do this process in reverse and start with the heart. Each person makes their own decision on what’s best for them.

Spoken like a true critical thinker. Who takes the reverse process? Can you offer an example?

Actually, I do. As a critical thinker, I don’t want to get locked into one approach. It behooves me to be open to different analyses and ways of interacting. For example, when a person is very locked into a particular way of thinking that I perceive to be unhealthy or have negative consequences, my first step is to “appeal to their heart.” I empathize with them; I show them understanding, even though I may not agree with them. I can always offer that gift of understanding. I might also share with them how their views do not seem to align with their values. From there, my critical thinking helps me provide details and logical reasons for the misalignment I perceive. Still, I maintain an open-mindedness to be wrong, to be challenged, to be corrected.

What you are describing seems to have implications that go far beyond you and the people you interact with. How would you describe the potential of your approach?

I think of the pursuit of truth as very spiritual. A universal truth provides connection and sustenance between people. It reaches and expresses our common humanity. This is of great importance to philosophers, proponents of religion, and people across nations. When a truth is identified, there is greater acceptance within a divided group and across groups. This reminds us of some of the spiritual truths of the human condition that we are more alike than different, genetically speaking 99.9 percent the same, and also that all of us on the planet are all in this together.

Getting Practical: Use the Critical Thinking Blessing

You can use the critical thinking-judgment beatitude, "Blessed are the critical thinkers: for they help us understand and find truth" (Niemiec, 2021), to appreciate the depth of this strength of critical thinking-judgment in yourself and in others.

• In yourself : In what situations has this beatitude been a reality for you?
• In others : Identify someone in your life who is high in critical thinking-judgment. Explain to them how you have benefitted from observing and experiencing this strength from them.

This article is part of an exclusive blog series on the 24 character strengths blessings/beatitudes. See the new, scientific article, called Character Strengths Beatitudes: A Secular Application of Ancient Wisdom to Appreciate Strengths for Spiritual Happiness and Spiritual Growth (Niemiec, 2021), published in the journal Religions .

Judgment/critical thinking is one of 24 universal character strengths found across countries, cultures, and beliefs, as uncovered by modern-day scientists.

Ryan M. Niemiec, Psy.D. , is the education director at the VIA Institute on Character.

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The Benefits of Critical Thinking & How to develop it

April 02, 2024

Before we proceed to understand the importance and benefits of critical thinking for students, it is important to understand what critical thinking is.

Critical thinking is the mode of thinking about any subject, problem, or content. It skillfully thinks. Later, it implements and inherent those intellectual thoughts upon them. The best part of critical thinking is, it improves the quality of thinking.

It has intellectual values like clarity, sound evidence, precision, good reasons, relevance, consistency, depth, breadth, and fairness.

Critical thinking requires a proper process, it involves skillfully conceptualizing, analyzing different aspects, synthesizing, most importantly evaluating whatever information is gathered, keenly observing all factors, and experiencing the overall view.

Now let us understand the benefits of critical thinking.

1] it helps to improve decision-making.

Critical thinking will let you make decisions by yourself. It will help you improve decision-making.

For students, while making career decisions or making a new career move, it is crucial to make quick decisions, and hence critical thinking plays a vital role here.

2] Enhances problem-solving ability

Problem-solving is the key skill required for adapting to changes and facing challenges.

This skill of critical thinking should be developed by students to avoid making any situation complex and help find a solution to it.

For instance, two people in the same situation have been given a task and asked to find a solution. One person might take 5 minutes yet can’t give a relevant solution, whereas another person with problem-solving ability will dedicate enough time to research and provide a relevant solution.

Read Here: The Importance of Problem-Solving Skills & How to Develop Them

3] refine your research skills.

Critical Thinking will refine your research skills, moreover will help you research accurately by observing, analyzing, synthesizing, and experimenting with every aspect in detail for a better result.

4] Polishes your creativity

It will help you polish your creative side. Creativity unquestionably defines itself as a requisite skill in the collaborative modern workforce. As critical thinking will surely polish your creativity.

5] Stimulates Curiosity

It stimulates curiosity in you to find the right solution for the problem or the subject you are working on. Curiosity will let you dig and delve deeper to get a better result. This factor will let you stay a lifelong learner.

All these aspects of critical thinking play a vital role in Banking and financial sector. If you are seeking to develop these crucial skills, then you must certainly opt for ‘ Thadomal Shahani Centre for Management ’ institute based in Mulund, Mumbai.

It is one of the Best institutes, aids in developing critical thinking with its innovative teaching methodology, and focuses on comprehensive development, providing students with a globally relevant curriculum, and international faculty members who have hands-on business leadership.

Additionally, If you want to enroll in Certificate in Banking and Financial Services (CBFS) or top global MBA courses, you can contact us for detailed information where you will find the program, curriculum, specializations, certifications, eligibility criteria, and everything related to it.

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Now lets us learn how to develop Critical Thinking skills

– ask questions.

For developing critical skills, it is important to ask more questions. The more you ask questions, the more the curiosity and quest to learn increase. The questions will clarify your thinking, and conceptualizing and analyzing will become more accessible through it.

– Scrutinize the consequences

By asking questions, you have the availability of various options. However, you must not make a hasty decision. You have to scrutinize the consequences of each option and accordingly take a decision. Therefore, it will lead to solving your problems.

– Become Active Listener

To be a critical thinker, you need to first be an active listener. You will ask numerous questions to satisfy your quest, but to know the answers, you need to be a good listener too. Listen to different people’s thoughts, views, and opinions; these will help you form your own decisions.

Know what are the advantages of developing Critical Thinking Skills

Now that you know the importance and advantages of critical thinking.

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10 elements of critical thinking – and how to develop them.

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creative idea.Concept of idea and innovation

My 6/7/24 post here – “Your Three Most Important Career Skills” – focused on the importance – and paucity – of critical thinking, critical listening, and critical reading.

Predictably, it prompted much reader response, mostly asking for elaboration.

What Comprises Critical Thinking

1. open-mindedness.

Malcolm Forbes postulated, “The role of education is to replace an empty mind with an open one.” Critical thinking needs receptivity to new ideas and perspectives, and willingness to reconsider one’s beliefs or opinions – no matter how fundamental – when new evidence or arguments arise.

2. Curiosity

“I’m not necessarily smarter than anyone else,” explained Albert Einstein. “I’m infinitely more curious.” He had a natural inclination – from early childhood – to ask questions, seek information, and explore various viewpoints. His favorite question: “What if…?”

Best High-Yield Savings Accounts Of 2024

Best 5% interest savings accounts of 2024, 3. mental stamina.

Critical thinking is difficult, rigorous, almost always takes time and patience, and can be exhausting. That’s OK, but you should never let a conclusion be the place where you got tired of thinking. Push on.

4. Analysis

Analysis breaks down complex information into smaller parts, to understand its components and how they relate. It’s our left brain at work: linear, logical, methodical, sequential, rational, and objective. It engages in deductive thinking. Computers also do this.

5. Interpretation and Inference

Interpretation makes meaning out of data, relying not just on the brain, but also on experience. It’s our transcendental right brain having fun: creative, intuitive, random, holistic, and playful. It engages in inductive thinking, which today’s computers can’t do, but which A.I. is trying. Through inference, we make sensible deductions based on available information; reach reasonable, workable conclusions; and assess the viability of those conclusions.

6. Evaluation

What’s it worth? To make better decisions, we must accurately assess the credibility, relevance, and significance of information, arguments, and/or evidence.

7. Articulation

“If you can’t explain something to a six-year-old,” declared Albert Einstein, “you probably don’t understand it yourself.” Critical intake and critical output are one and the same.

8. Problem-solving

Both sides of our brains solve problems, just differently. Critical thinking is about the ability to do both with equal aplomb.

9. Self-Accountability and Reflection

Bertrand Russell advised, "In all affairs it's a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you’ve long taken for granted." In this case – our own thinking processes, biases, and assumptions – “now and then” should mean “always and ever.”

10. Metacognition

Avid self-awareness of one's own thinking processes, cognitive strategies, and sphere of awareness can insure ongoing improvement of critical skills.

Developing Your Critical Thinking

1. think creatively.

“Curiosity is the key to creativity,” said Akio Morita, founder of Sony. Cultivate your creativity by exploring the unknown and the ambiguous. Welcome different perspectives, alternative solutions, and new thinking. Always be looking for the spark. Listen to the new guy.

2. Ask Questions

Nothing starts until there is a question – or better, multiple questions. Cultivate a curious mindset by asking probing questions. Question assumptions, biases, and implications. Nothing is off the table.

3. Seek Diverse Perspectives

Diversity is much more than demographics. “Diversity,” explained Malcolm Forbes, “is the art of thinking independently together.” Welcome a variety of viewpoints and opinions, especially those different from your own. Engage in active discussions with people who hold different beliefs. Constantly challenge what you know or believe.

4. Evaluate Information

Learn to critically – and objectively – evaluate the credibility, relevance, and reliability of sources of information. Today’s chaotic media circus, further manipulated by special interests, elevates this challenge.

5. Practice Analytical Thinking

As analytical thinking is more orderly than creative thinking, it can be practiced every day. Good idea.

6. Develop Logical Reasoning Skills

Practice deductive and inductive reasoning to draw logical conclusions from what you already have. But remember, logic and creativity are often at odds.

Things look different in the rear-view mirror, and a day (or more) later.

8. Learn Different Problem-Solving Techniques

Different problems can be solved different ways. Conversely, many problems can be solved many ways.

9. Learn Active Listening

Identify the barriers to active listening – presuppositions, for example – and eliminate them. Fast.

10. Read. Read. Read!

Reading is the most proactive and stimulating way of taking in the world, not by clicking on little blue links, but by real reading: wide, deep, and time-consuming reading, which has a positive effect on thinking. Great leaders are great readers. This we know.

None of this happens in a day, but starting it happens any day.

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What is Critical Thinking and Why is it Valuable in the Workplace?

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• > Personal Effectiveness and Preparing for Change
• > What is Critical Thinking and Why is it Valuable in the Workplace?

There are times at work when you simply have to “do.” A tight deadline, a demanding project outline, or a highly particular superior might mean that it makes sense to complete a task without too much mental tinkering. But work like this can be unsustainable and worse — it won’t leverage your ability to think critically.

There is value in thinking critically in every aspect of your life. From making decisions in your personal life, to interrogating the media you consume, to assessing your work with a critical eye, applying critical thinking is an essential skill everyone should be trying to hone.

At your workplace, critical thinking can distinguish you as a leader, and a valuable mind to bounce ideas off. It can help improve the quality of your work, and the perception those higher up the chain have of you.

Here’s what you need to know about critical thinking in the workplace:

What Exactly is “Critical Thinking”?

  In a nutshell, critical thinking is the ability to think reasonably, detaching yourself from personal bias, emotional responses, and subjective opinions. It involves using the data at hand to make a reasoned choice without falling prey to the temptations of doing things simply because they’ve always been done a certain way.

Critical thinking takes time. It might be quicker simply to take instruction at face value, or rely on the traditions of your team. But without analyzing the reasons behind decisions and tasks, it becomes extremely easy to adopt bad habits. This might be time-wasting meetings, inefficient uses of effort, or poor interactions with team members. Taking the time to ask “why” you’re doing something is the first step to thinking critically.

Sometimes, data is available which allows you to make reasoned decisions based on absolute facts. If you can show that a new best practice can objectively improve current processes with hard data, you’ve used the very basics of critical thinking. That said, actual numbers aren’t always available when making a decision. Real critical thinking involves taking a careful look at situations and making a decision based on what is known, not what is felt.

Why Is Critical Thinking Important in the Workplace?

The short answer to the above question is this: critical thinkers make the best decisions, most often. And in the workplace, where choices about how to complete tasks, communicate information, relate with coworkers, and develop strategy are so common, critical thinkers are extremely valuable.

A savvy hiring manager will make this part of the recruitment process. It’s pretty easy to gauge how someone is inclined to solve a problem — ask them how they would deal with a specific situation, and give them the opportunity to use their critical thinking skills, versus deferring to an emotional, or prescribed reaction. Employing people who can think and act reasonably will pay enormous dividends down the road.

Using your critical thinking skills in the workplace will define you as a problem solver. This is not only useful career-wise (although having upper-level people at your company think highly of you is undoubtedly a benefit) it also establishes you as a leader among your fellow team members. Demonstrating your ability to solve problems and accomplish goals effectively will help instill confidence in you with all your coworkers.

How to Use Critical Thinking in the Workplace

The first step to actually using critical thinking is approaching every situation with an open mind. You need to be receptive to all information available, not just the kind that satisfies your preconceived notions or personal biases. This can be easier said than done, of course — lessons learned and beliefs held are often done so with a reason. But when it comes to critical thinking, it’s important to analyze each situation independently.

Once you’ve analyzed a situation with an open mind, you need to consider how to communicate it properly. It’s all very well and good to approach situations with objective logic, but it doesn’t do you any favours to sound like  Mr. Spock  when you’re conveying your conclusions. Be tactful, patient and humble when you are explaining how and why you’ve come to decisions. Use data if available to support your findings, but understand that not everyone is able to remove emotion from situations.

The final, and perhaps least obvious, application with critical thinking is creativity. Often, getting creative means pushing boundaries and reshaping convention. This means taking a risk — one that can often be worth the reward. Using a critical thinking approach when getting creative can help you mitigate the risk, and better determine what value your creativity can bring. It will help you and your team try new things and reinvent current processes while hopefully not rocking the boat too much.

Learn More About Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is a valuable skill for all aspects of your life. It benefits problem solving, creativity, and teamwork. And it translates particularly well to the workplace, where it can distinguish you as a valuable employee and leader.

Taking the extra time to examine things objectively, make decisions based on logic, and communicate it tactfully will help you, those you work with, and your work goals prosper. To learn more about how to do that, have a look at our  Critical Thinking and Problem Solving for Effective Decision-Making   workshop and register today!

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100+ Critical Thinking Questions for Students To Ask About Anything

Critical thinkers question everything.

In an age of “fake news” claims and constant argument about pretty much any issue, critical thinking skills are key. Teach your students that it’s vital to ask questions about everything, but that it’s also important to ask the right sorts of questions. Students can use these critical thinking questions with fiction or nonfiction texts. They’re also useful when discussing important issues or trying to understand others’ motivations in general.

“Who” Critical Thinking Questions

Questions like these help students ponder who’s involved in a story and how the actions affect them. They’ll also consider who’s telling the tale and how reliable that narrator might be.

• Is the protagonist?
• Is the antagonist?
• Caused harm?
• Is harmed as a result?
• Was the most important character?

• Is responsible?
• Is most directly affected?
• Should have won?
• Will benefit?
• Would be affected by this?

• Makes the decisions?

“What” Critical Thinking Questions

Ask questions that explore issues more deeply, including those that might not be directly answered in the text.

• Background information do I know or need to know?
• Is the main message?
• Are the defining characteristics?

• Questions or concerns do I have?
• Don’t I understand?
• Evidence supports the author’s conclusion?
• Would it be like if … ?
• Could happen if … ?
• Other outcomes might have happened?
• Questions would you have asked?
• Would you ask the author about … ?
• Was the point of … ?
• Should have happened instead?
• Is that character’s motive?
• Else could have changed the whole story?

• Can you conclude?
• Would your position have been in that situation?
• Would happen if … ?
• Makes your position stronger?
• Was the turning point?
• Is the point of the question?
• Did it mean when … ?
• Is the other side of this argument?
• Was the purpose of … ?
• Does ______ mean?
• Is the problem you are trying to solve?
• Does the evidence say?
• Assumptions are you making?
• Is a better alternative?
• Are the strengths of the argument?

• Are the weaknesses of the argument?
• Is the difference between _______ and _______?

“Where” Critical Thinking Questions

Think about where the story is set and how it affects the actions. Plus, consider where and how you can learn more.

• Would this issue be a major problem?
• Are areas for improvement?
• Did the story change?
• Would you most often find this problem?

• Are there similar situations?
• Would you go to get answers to this problem?
• Can this be improved?
• Can you get more information?
• Will this idea take us?

“When” Critical Thinking Questions

Think about timing and the effect it has on the characters or people involved.

• Is this acceptable?
• Is this unacceptable?

• Does this become a problem?
• Is the best time to take action?
• Will we be able to tell if it worked?
• Is it time to reassess?
• Should we ask for help?
• Is the best time to start?
• Is it time to stop?
• Would this benefit society?

• Has this happened before?

“Why” Critical Thinking Questions

Asking “why” might be one of the most important parts of critical thinking. Exploring and understanding motivation helps develop empathy and make sense of difficult situations.

• Is _________ happening?
• Have we allowed this to happen?
• Should people care about this issue?

• Is this a problem?
• Did the character say … ?
• Did the character do … ?
• Is this relevant?
• Did the author write this?
• Did the author decide to … ?
• Is this important?

• Did that happen?
• Is it necessary?
• Do you think I (he, she, they) asked that question?
• Is that answer the best one?
• Do we need this today?

“How” Critical Thinking Questions

Use these questions to consider how things happen and whether change is possible.

• Do we know this is true?
• Does the language used affect the story?
• Would you solve … ?
• Is this different from other situations?

• Is this similar to … ?
• Would you use … ?
• Does the location affect the story?
• Could the story have ended differently?
• Does this work?
• Could this be harmful?
• Does this connect with what I already know?
• Else could this have been handled?
• Should they have responded?

• Would you feel about … ?
• Does this change the outcome?
• Did you make that decision?
• Does this benefit you/others?
• Does this hurt you/others?
• Could this problem be avoided?

More Critical Thinking Questions

Here are more questions to help probe further and deepen understanding.

• Can you give me an example?

• Do you agree with … ?
• Can you compare this with … ?
• Can you defend the actions of … ?
• Could this be interpreted differently?
• Is the narrator reliable?
• Does it seem too good to be true?

• Is ______ a fact or an opinion?

What are your favorite critical thinking questions? Come exchange ideas on the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook .

Plus, check out 10 tips for teaching kids to be awesome critical thinkers ., you might also like.

5 Critical Thinking Skills Every Kid Needs To Learn (And How To Teach Them)

Teach them to thoughtfully question the world around them. Continue Reading

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How Critical Thinking Help in Problem Solving

By: Author Nina Norman

Posted on Last updated: October 9, 2022

Home » How Critical Thinking Help in Problem Solving

Critical thinking allows you to better navigate complex situations. It is essentially your ability to reason and question ideas, arguments, and findings. This article explores critical thinking, the importance of taking an analytical and objective approach to problem-solving, and ultimately how to think smarter.

What you’ll learn:

• On overview of critical thinking and how it assists in navigating complex situations and solving problems.
• The importance of keeping an open mind and focusing on the facts.

Content Summary

What is Critical Thinking? What are the Benefits? Characteristics of Critical Thinkers Foresight Socratic Questioning How to think Critically Evaluation Tips to takeaway Note

What is Critical Thinking?

Critical thinking is the process of analyzing, evaluating, and rationalizing information objectively. There are three types of critical thinking: reasoning, making judgments, and problem-solving, all of which require you to question, challenge, and draw conclusions.

Question : Critical thinking requires you to identify different arguments, evaluate different points of view, and ask questions to determine their strength and validity.

‘The important thing is not to stop questioning’ – Albert Einstein

Challenge : Critical thinking is a method of thinking in which you don’t just accept information at face value, but instead challenge it. This requires you to be somewhat skeptical but also open-minded to new information and findings which challenge your own preconceived ideas and assumptions.

‘It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it’ – Aristotle

Draw Conclusions : Critical thinking helps you to conclude from information, deciding what’s useful and what’s not, enabling you to solve problems, make confident decisions, and provide structured reasoning and support for your argument. Remember, a good critical thinker will weigh up all of the options before taking action.

‘You have a brain and mind of your own. Use it, and reach your own decisions’ – Napoleon Hill

What are the Benefits?

Critical thinking is essentially an exercise for the mind and when we choose to think critically we experience several benefits.

Smarter Thinking

Critical thinking is essentially about thinking smarter. In a world where we are overloaded with information, much of it conflicting, it can be difficult to work out what’s true, important, and relevant. However, by thinking critically you can gain a better understanding of the information you’re presented with.

Critical thinkers are always curious and actively seek out new information and knowledge. They apply critical thinking to even the simplest of issues and tasks, making them more efficient at solving problems and reaching positive outcomes.

Time-Saving

Knowing how to filter out the irrelevant information from the relevant is a key time-saver, helping you to prioritize your time and resources.

With time and practice, critical thinkers become masters of efficiency, as their clear and reasonable way of thinking enables them to make informed decisions faster.

Improved Credibility

Critical thinkers are respected amongst their colleagues and peers as they do their homework and know their stuff! They can be relied upon to provide well-informed points to support their decisions as well as solid evidence to back them up, thus improving their credibility within the organization.

Independence

Critical thinking fosters independence as it encourages independent learning and thought, providing individuals with the skills they need to tackle complex issues and make well-informed and confident decisions, independently.

Characteristics of Critical Thinkers

So who are critical thinkers, and what characteristics do they share?

Open-Minded : Critical thinkers maintain an open mind and are open to all points of view, even those with which they disagree. They can separate facts from opinions, examine issues from all sides, make logical connections between ideas and make rational decisions based on their findings, whilst remaining free from personal judgment or bias. Critical thinkers are flexible in their thinking and remain open to the possibility of changing their views on an issue when logic and strong evidence prevails.

Analytical : Critical thinkers are analytical in their approach, breaking down information into manageable sections to analyze, interpret and evaluate. Once the information has been dissected, they apply sound logic and reasoning to solve the problem or reach a conclusion.

Systematic : Critical thinkers will systematically examine information without jumping to conclusions.

Inquisitive : Critical thinkers are always curious. They ask questions, are keen to know more, and actively seek out new information.

Sensible : Critical thinkers are cautious when making judgments and think carefully before taking action. They think independently and don’t just accept or follow ideas because others do.

Truth-Seeking : Critical thinkers are always looking for the truth and realize that even the wisest people can get things wrong!

Confident in Reasoning : Critical thinkers have faith in the power of logic and sound reasoning, feeling confident that rational and logical thinking will lead to the best solution.

One of the most important aspects of critical thinking is foresight, the ability to think ahead and anticipate what could happen or be needed in the future. This means looking to and thinking about the future.

Foresight can be developed through existing knowledge, similar past experiences, or simply intuition. It can’t predict the future, nor is it a road map of what will happen, but it does help you to identify circumstances that could impact the future.

By using foresight you can identify the problem, weigh up the pros and cons, and foresee the likely outcomes of different options, to make a well-informed decision.

Socratic Questioning

Critical thinking can be traced back to the vision of the philosopher Socrates, who established the importance of asking deep questions before accepting ideas as worthy of belief… which led to the term Socratic Questioning.

What is Socratic Questioning?

Socratic questioning is the process of asking questions that lead to multiple directions. It can be used for several different purposes, for example, to explore complex ideas, solve problems or analyze concepts. Socrates believed that individuals should strive to learn what they don’t know through effective questioning and critical thinking.

What does it involve?

Socratic questioning involves thinking with clarity and logic, asking probing questions, challenging information and its accuracy, and seeking evidence to help you make well-reasoned conclusions.

Why does it?

The underlying principle of ‘Socratic Questioning’ is to learn through the use of critical thinking, reasoning, and logic, and to think critically, you must ask questions that encourage thought. Critical thinking is driven by questions, but remember, the quality of the questions you ask will determine the quality of thought and ultimately the conclusions drawn. For best results, ask open questions such as what, why, where, which, when, and how?

How to think Critically

Critical thinking is one of today’s key employability skills and therefore an important one to have. So how can you think critically in your day-to-day life?

Keep your mind open

It’s important to keep an open mind as you analyze and evaluate information. Being able to step back from a situation will help you to see the bigger picture.

Adopt a growth mindset by approaching situations with an open and curious mind and avoid jumping to conclusions. Critical thinking and a growth mindset go hand-in-hand, it just takes practice.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions

To better understand a situation, it’s important to ask questions and probe for more information. Using open questions can help you to dig deeper, but remember, it’s not an interrogation… so probe politely and respectfully.

Observe, Listen and Analyse

When you carefully observe and record details, you will be able to collect information and gain better insight and a deeper understanding of each situation. It’s also important to focus and actively listen to what’s being said to ensure you have all the facts before making any conclusions.

Analyzing is about breaking information down into parts and evaluating how well those parts function together and separately. This begins with objectivity and relies on observation, gathering, and evaluating evidence so you arrive at a better-informed conclusion.

Is it relevant?

In many circumstances, you’ll be presented with information that seems valuable at first glance but turns out to be a minor detail in a much bigger picture. So, take time to consider how relevant the information actually is… is it really useful or is it just distracting from a more important point?

Keep the balance

It’s important to remain as objective as possible, looking at the information and focusing on the facts. Being objective can be challenging but stepping back from a situation can help you to see the bigger picture more clearly.

People are often driven by spontaneous, unconscious, and emotional behavior, and whilst they can think rationally, they mostly behave habitually. However, when you can understand your irrationalities and can explain why you behave the way you do, you become more predictable and consistent, which can make you more rational. Being aware of your inner biases is essential to overcome them.

Take a breath

Emotion is the enemy of reason… it’s therefore important to keep your emotions in check, basing your conclusions on facts, not feelings. A good critical thinker knows the difference between a rational thought based on careful consideration and an emotional response based on personal bias.

Create the time and space to think and don’t be pushed into making a decision or coming up with a conclusion without having had enough time to apply critical thinking to be sure you have reached the best solution.

Challenge the status quo

Critical thinking may well mean questioning long-established practices and refusing to accept traditional approaches simply because that’s the way it’s always been done. Although your willingness to challenge may seem controversial, it’s an essential part of the process.

Critical thinking involves _________, evaluating and rationalising information __________.

Correct Answer: analysing and objectively Answer Description: Critical thinking involves analyzing, evaluating, and rationalizing information objectively.

When analyzing information what should you do?

A. Focus on the facts B. Remain objective C. Work out what’s relevant Correct Answer: A. Focus on the facts B. Remain objective C. Work out what’s relevant Answer Description: When analyzing information work out what’s relevant, focus on the facts, and remain objective.

Is it ok to challenge information?

A. Yes, of course B. No, take it at face value Correct Answer: A. Yes, of course Answer Description: You should be willing to challenge information. While it may seem controversial, it’s essential to the creative and innovative mindset of a critical thinker.

“Emotion is the enemy of reason.” Is this statement true or false?

A. True B. False Correct Answer: A. True Answer Description: Emotion is the enemy of reason. It’s important to keep your emotions in check and reach a conclusion based on facts, not feelings. A good critical thinker has the self-awareness to know the difference between a rational thought based on careful consideration and an emotional response based on personal bias.

One of the most important aspects of critical thinking is…

A. Hindsight B. Foresight C. Insight Correct Answer: B. Foresight Answer Description: One of the most important aspects of critical thinking is the ability to think ahead and anticipate what could happen or be needed in the future. By using foresight, you can identify the problem, weigh up the pros and cons and predict the likely outcomes of the various options, to make a well-informed decision.

Tips to takeaway

• Keep an open mind.
• Focus on the facts.
• Challenge the status quo.

A key skill that enables you to think clearly and distill complexity, critical thinking is the process of analyzing, evaluating, and rationalizing information objectively.

In an ever-changing environment where many people experience information overload, critical thinkers can better navigate complex situations by questioning and challenging information, drawing their own conclusions, and make confident decisions.

So, what are the benefits of critical thinking?

Well, practicing critical thinking enables you to assess and consider different approaches to most effectively solve problems.

Critical thinkers will rigorously question ideas rather than simply accepting them at face value. As problems become more complicated, critical thinking can help you to weigh up the pros and cons to reach an objective conclusion.

As such, thinking critically can actually be a significant time-saver as you learn to successfully filter out irrelevant information and identify what’s important.

This, in turn, can make critical thinkers more effective communicators, able to competently express consistent and relevant points which support their theory or idea.

What’s more, demonstrating your ability to make well-informed arguments to support your decisions will increase your overall credibility and instill confidence in others.

So, how can you become a critical thinker?

Well, to delve deeper and discover more, it’s important to first have an open and inquisitive mind, being willing to ask questions such as what, why, where, which, when, and how?

When asking questions, be mindful of your tone to ensure your conversation doesn’t become an interrogation! Sometimes, it can help to explain why you’re asking questions and what you’re hoping to achieve.

Be willing to challenge existing ideas and concepts as this is the key to maintaining the creative and innovative mindset of a critical thinker.

When faced with a problem, critical thinkers must remain as objective as possible when looking at information and be sure to focus on the facts. Try to see the bigger picture when analyzing information and take time to look at things from every angle.

When you’ve gathered all the facts, stop and consider how relevant the information actually is. Is it actually useful or could it be distracting from a more pertinent point? Critical thinking takes all information into account but sifts through to focus on and explore what is most relevant to the problem at hand.

As a critical thinker, it’s important to remember that people are often driven by emotional, spontaneous, and unconscious behavior. As such, it’s important to be aware of your own inner biases that could affect your decision-making and point of view when evaluating facts.

It can be difficult to apply cool logic and think critically when you’re tired, stressed, or angry so try to keep your emotions in check when approaching problems to ensure your mindset is open and rational.

If you do find yourself overcome with emotion or feeling pushed into making a decision, give yourself the time and space to think and gain perspective of the situation before proceeding.

In summary…

Critical thinking is the application of logic to make better decisions and is a highly valuable skill in the workplace, as you analyze and evaluate information, focus on the facts, ask questions and remain objective.

7 Reasons Your Critical Thinking Skills are Vital to Democracy

• 6 July 2023

Becca Melhuish

In a world of misinformation, disinformation , and eroding civil liberties, what’s the special ingredient to keep our democracies safe? Fortunately you don’t need to go far to find it: it’s buried just under your skull! Yes, it’s your brain—and its incredible ability to engage in the practice of critical thinking. Here are 7 important reasons why your critical thinking skills are essential for democracy.

Photo by William Felipe Seccon, Unsplash.

But what exactly is critical thinking ? Contrary to common belief, it doesn’t actually mean constantly criticising and looking for flaws. It’s more about being creative, reflective and adaptable. Most importantly, it’s about evaluating evidence to decide whether it’s accurate and relevant—and weighing up whether there’s sufficient information to even decide at all. Essentially, it’s about knowing how to ask the right questions!

And the good news is, the more we flex our critical thinking muscle—putting it to work in our engagement with decision-making at all levels—the stronger we make our democracies. Every critical thinking workout we put our brains through adds an extra layer of protection to our democratic processes—especially when we act on our thinking to call for positive change. 

As Nadya Melati , social activist and participant in our ongoing Democracy Defenders Accelerator explains in her recent Instagram post :

“The democratic system requires citizens as active participants, who contribute within the process. In order to contribute, participants are assumed to be willing and able to think critically—to be able to make a wise decision. So, an ability to think critically helps the voters think rationally about the benefits and impact of their decision for larger society.”

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Inspired by her message, we’ve come up with 7 important reasons your critical thinking skills are exactly what the doctor ordered, if we want to keep our democracies in full health.

1. Weighing up arguments

The nature of discussion and debate in democracy means we’re constantly exposed to a barrage of different arguments and viewpoints, on a whole host of often complex topics. Take the topic of sustainability, for example—an issue which touches all areas of all our lives, but is full of conflicting viewpoints and vested interests trying to push for the solutions that benefit them the most.   

Thinking critically about environmental solutions —and all complex policy topics alike—means we can carefully examine conflicting perspectives, assess the credibility of information presented, and identify biases in both ourselves and others. We can then make decisions based on evidence rather than emotions or uninformed opinions. In a world filled with fallacies and biased viewpoints, critical thinking transforms us into skilled debunkers, capable of unravelling the webs of flawed reasoning. That said, it’s good to recognise that having biases is part of human nature. But while we can never fully avoid them, being aware we all have them is already a big step towards being better critical thinkers.

2. Outing fakes

While social media has brought many benefits to the world of civic engagement, its role in exposing us to a proliferation of mis- and disinformation (often referred to as “fake news”, but that’s a term with its downsides ) and poses a big threat to our democracies. If democracy relies on a well-informed citizenry, but citizens are frequently duped by falsities, lies and conspiracy theories, what then? 

Fortunately, a little critical media and information literacy goes a long way in shielding us from the potential damage. By fact-checking information and scrutinising sources, we can flag up false information, see through misleading campaign materials, and call out propaganda. And by scrutinising candidates’ policies, track records, and campaign promises, we can make sure election candidates don’t compromise with the truth. With our critical thinking hats firmly on, we’re much less likely to be fooled.

Photo by Austin Distel, Unsplash.

3. Building bridges

We’ve all heard about the “ echo chamber ” effect of social media, that’s bringing a growing polarisation of public opinion—with populations being more and more frequently split across two opposing extremes. As social media algorithms expose us predominantly to information that aligns with our own worldview, we lose touch with different perspectives and miss out on meaningful exchanges with other opinions. 

But what can be done about it? By fostering open-mindedness, empathy, and respectful dialogue, critical thinking helps us build bridges of understanding—connecting diverse perspectives to find common ground. As a result, democratic processes are more likely to work for the greater good—with  decisions made benefiting the many, not just the few.

4. Sparking discussions

What we often forget in our day to day lives, is the power of public opinion in a democracy. The attitudes and discourse of the general population lie at the heart of media and politics. And critical thinking plays a huge role in sparking public discussions—prompting us to question the status quo, debate with our peers, and raise our collective voices to call for change in society. 

When public opinion starts to shift, the media picks up on these changes, and brings them into the political spotlight. And initiatives like citizens assemblies and Opinion Festivals—such as the Citizen OS-led Indonesian Opinion Festival —give us more formal channels to turn public discussions into concrete policy change.

Participants of the Democracy Defenders Accelerator (DDA) discussing during the Bootcamp in Estonia. Photo by Meelika Hirmo.

5. Questioning authority

We all know that “power corrupts”, and a crucial role of the citizenry is to keep its elected representatives in check! A population that’s engaged in thinking critically about its government—and not just accepting their words and actions in blind faith—helps keep elected representatives accountable, and working in the interests of the people. With a critical mindset, we’re more likely to spot potential abuses of power, inconsistencies, or breaches of trust by those in office.

What’s more, to bring about progressive change, society needs people willing and able to challenge the social norms set by the authorities or wider society—highlighting social inequalities or injustices, and calling for change. Over the years, critical thinking has fuelled grassroots movements and driven positive change, in areas such as gender equality, civil rights, diversity and inclusion.

6. Protecting freedoms

Around the world, many countries are witnessing a rise in the suppression of civil liberties —with decision-making becoming increasingly autocratic, and civil society being increasingly restricted. A population devoid of critical thinking will have a hard time protecting itself against such threats, and be at risk of gliding down the slippery slope to authoritarianism! 

But all is not lost—fortunately, critical thinkers everywhere are calling out these infringements of our rights, and fighting to keep our democracies safe. With a critical mindset, we can detect threats to democratic principles, such as censorship, voter suppression, or erosion of the right to protest. Critical thinking allows citizens to recognise when their rights are being infringed upon, and take action to protect them.

7. Maintaining trust

Politics can be a messy game, with the potential of deception, broken promises, and mis- and disinformation breeding distrust in institutions and elected representatives. And when distrust runs high, disenchanted citizens can often disengage from the process—losing faith in the system entirely. At times, this can even lead to falling for conspiracy theories, which offer a simpler way of understanding the complexities of the world. 

But in the face of all this, critical thinking allows us to navigate politics with confidence! Rather than becoming disenfranchised or losing faith in the system, critical thinkers hold politicians accountable and steer public debates along evidence-based, well-reasoned lines. And what’s more, we’re able to critically analyse competing narratives and their evidence, to make sure we’re protected from the often alluring appeal of conspiracy theories .

Photo by Anna Oliinyk, Unsplash.

Bonus Track: All-round life improvements

While it’s pretty clear that critical thinking is crucial to democracy, that’s not its only charm! Embracing critical thought in our everyday lives can bring us so many other benefits. For example, it can help us become discerning shoppers—unswayed by slick marketing tactics or greenwashing attempts . By critically evaluating product claims, considering alternatives, and aligning our purchases with our values, we become more conscious consumers. 

It can also help us in weighing up financial decisions, career choices, relationship and family decisions, and much more. By getting into the habit of looking at decisions from all angles, weighing up any assumptions or biases at play , looking out for vested interests, listening attentively and empathising with others points of view, we can navigate life’s decisions more smoothly and effectively. 

So all in all, if there’s one new workout habit to jump on this Summer, it’s got to be getting your critical thinking muscles trained up and ready for whatever life may throw your way!

Level-up your critical thinking with Citizen OS

Looking for a handy tool to think through complex decisions with others? Try our free open-source Citizen OS platform for collective discussions and decision-making. It’s a secure, ad-free tool for groups with differing opinions to engage in meaningful discussions—weighing up pros and cons, backing up arguments with evidence, and voting on the best way forward. 

Got some thoughts to share on the benefits of critical thinking? We’d love to hear from you on our social media channels! Catch us on Instagram , Facebook , Twitter and LinkedIn . 

Becca Melhuish is a social purpose communications professional, running her company, Bajoom Ltd, while on her travels as a flight-free digital nomad. She has a background in environmental and social justice activism, sustainability management and environmental communications. She holds a BA in International Development from the University of Sussex, a PGCert in Behaviour Change Marketing from the University of Brighton, and a Masters in Communications, Media and Creative Industries from Sciences Po, Paris. She has a passion for sustainability, civil society, participatory democracy and the arts, and enjoys putting her design, writing and communications skills to use in supporting causes she cares about. She has been working with the Citizen OS Foundation since 2019.

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• How Does Social Media Affect Teens?

How does social media affect teenagers? Like any form of technology, social media has both an upside and a downside. And when it comes to the social media effects on teens, there are significant pros and cons to take into account. On the plus side, platforms like TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat can be lifesavers for teens who feel isolated or marginalized, particularly LGBTQ teens.

However, the impact of social media on youth can be significantly detrimental to mental health. Social media use exposes teens to cyberbullying, body image issues, and tech addiction, and results in less time spent doing healthy, real-world activities. Moreover, the addictive qualities of social media can prime the brain for addiction to substances.

Key Takeaways

• The impact of social media on youth can be significantly detrimental to mental health, exposing teens to cyberbullying, body image issues, and tech addiction.
• Some researchers theorize that the increase in social media and overall screen use between 2010 and 2015 could account for marked increases in teen depressive symptoms and suicide rates beginning in that same time period.
• Many experts believe that the constant overstimulation of social networking shifts the nervous system into fight-or-flight mode, exacerbating disorders such as ADHD, anxiety, depression, and oppositional defiant disorder.
• Mental health treatment can help teens gain the skills and self-knowledge to heal from the underlying causes and negative consequences associated with social media overuse.

The Effect of Social Media on Teenager s’ Mental Health

Are teens and social media platforms a good mix, or does social media use lower teen well-being? Why is social media bad? This has become one of the more controversial questions regarding social media’s effects on teens, with studies showing varied results.

Positive Effects of Social Media on Teenagers

According to a report released by Common Sense Media on social media’s effects on teens, about half of the 1,500 young people surveyed said social media experiences are very important for them in order to get support and advice, feel less alone, and express their creative side, as well as for staying in touch with friends and family members. And 43 percent said that using social media makes them feel better when they are depressed, stressed, or anxious. Among LGBTQ youth, 52 percent said social media helps them feel better when they are experiencing these difficult emotions.

Negative Effects of Social Media on Teens

On the other hand, the report also showed a strong association between social media and teens feeling depressed. Youth with moderate to severe depressive symptoms were nearly twice as likely to say they used social media almost constantly: One-third of teens with depression reported constant social media use, as compared to 18 percent of young people who did not have depressive symptoms.

Furthermore, the more severe their symptoms were, the more anxious, lonely and depressed they felt after using social media. And another study found that teens who spend more than three hours or more on social media daily have an increased risk of self-harm . Clearly, social media does not help teens who are already feeling depressed and seems to contribute to their negative outlook.

Why Social Media Can Be Bad for Mental Health

Is social media part of the reason that teen depression has drastically increased over the last decade? Surveys of US adolescents show that teen depressive symptoms and suicide rates  showed marked increases between 2010 and 2015 , especially among females.

Some researchers theorize that the increase in social media and overall screen use between those years could account for these changes. The adolescents surveyed who spent more time on social media sites were more likely to report mental health issues. Those who spent more time on real-life activities, such as in-person social interaction, sports, exercise, homework, and print media, were less likely to report these issues.

Research on Social Media and Teen Depression

Over the last decade, this theory has been borne out by a large body of  research  linking teenagers’ use of social media with increased  teen depression . These studies show that the frequency of a teen’s use of social media has a clear correlation to their mental health.

For example, in a  20 18 study , 14- to 17-year-olds whose social media usage exceeded seven hours per day were more than twice as likely to have been diagnosed with depression, treated by a mental health professional, or taken medication for a psychological or behavioral issue during the last year. This was compared to teen users who were on screens only about an hour a day.

Many experts believe that the constant overstimulation of social networking shifts the nervous system into fight-or-flight mode. As a result, this makes disorders such as ADHD, teen depression, oppositional defiant disorder, and  teen anxiety  worse. However, some research on social media and teen depression shows that the causality goes the other way—i.e., when teens are depressed, they look at social media more often. In one  study  of 600 young people, researchers found that social media use did not predict depressive symptoms, but greater depressive symptoms predicted more social media use over time.

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The Top 3 Psychological Effects of Social Media on Youth

A study by researchers at University College London tracked three years of social media use by 13,000 teenagers, starting when they were 13. The teens also self-reported about their social media experiences and their mood and well-being.

After compiling the data, the study authors concluded that the social media effect on today’s youth is driven by three primary factors:

• Inadequate sleep —teens stayed up late to continue scrolling through their social media feeds
• Exposure to  cyberbullying —having harmful, false, or private content about them posted on social media
• Lack of physical activity —scrolling social media on their phones or other devices meant that teens sat for longer periods of time and had less time for exercise. As a result, they missed out on the  beneficial impact of exercise on mental health .

According to the study, which was  published in the journal  Lancet , 27 percent of the teens who frequently used social media reported high psychological stress. For teens who used social media less frequently, only 17 percent reported high  psychological stress .

“Some experts argue that young people’s use of social media is adding to their depression; others that their depression leaves them so uninterested in other activities that they turn to social media by default. [Our] research suggests a third possibility: that many young people who are experiencing depression— whatever the cause—are purposely and proactively using social media and other digital tools to protect and promote their own well-being.” — Common Sense Media report

The Impact of Social Media on Youth Social Comparison

One way in which social media impacts teen mental health is through negative social comparison—what media psychologist Don Grant, PhD, Newport Director of Outpatient Services, calls “compare and despair.” Teenagers on social media spend much of their time observing the lives and images of their peers. This leads to constant comparisons, which can damage self-esteem and body image,  exacerbating depression  and anxiety among adolescents.

As with other types of social comparison, teens report lower self-esteem and self-evaluation and peer pressure to look a certain way when looking at their friends on social media apps. For example, this includes looking at profiles on which peers post curated images about their significant others, social events, or accomplishments. And young people felt better about themselves when they make so-called “downward comparisons” —looking at profiles of peers with fewer friends and achievements. According to  a Pew Research Center report  on the negative effects of social media on teenagers, 26 percent of teens say these sites make them feel worse about their own life.

Read “Teen Mental Health and the Theory of Social Comparison.”

The Negative Psychological Effects of Social Media on Teen Body Image

Body image is one primary area in which teen social comparison leads to negative emotions—not only for teen girls, but for all genders. When teens compare themselves to curated and filtered photographs of their peers and of celebrities, they often feel inferior. This can lead to lower self-esteem and negative body image. In addition, social media use has also been linked to  a higher risk of eating disorders and disordered eating behaviors in both girls and boys.

According to a survey by Common Sense Media:

• 35 percent of teenagers on social media worry about being tagging in unattractive photos
• 27 percent are stressed out about how they look when they post pictures
• 22 percent feel bad about themselves when nobody comments on or “likes” their photos.

Social Media Effects on Teens: Health Hazard or Healthy Inspiration?

During the teenage years, young people are particularly susceptible to the influence of peers. Therefore, they are more vulnerable to negative influences on social media. Unfortunately, along with providing ways to seek help and support, social media also provides forums in which teens can encourage each other in unhealthy and dangerous behaviors.

For example, teens with eating disorders or those who self-harm can connect with others to talk about their self-destructive routines. In these online forums, obsessive calorie counting, fasting, or over-exercising are accepted and encouraged. As a result, young people may learn ways to hide or intensify the behavior, putting them at greater risk. And while the majority of parents believe they know what their child is posting on social media, according to a Pew Research poll, a survey of teens found that  70 percent  of them are hiding their online behavior from their parents.

On the flip side, a teen social network can inspire teenagers to develop healthy habits. Thus, seeing peers eating nutritious food, doing something creative, or getting outside in nature can encourage other teens to do the same. Social networks can create peer motivation, inspiring young people to try something new, follow their dreams, and speak up about things that matter to them. Teens can also find  positive role models  online. Hence, the effect of social media on teenagers might actually result in more unplugged time and increased self-care behaviors.

The Negative Effects of Social Media on Teens’ Identity Formation

The impact of social media on youth extends to an important part of adolescent development: the formation of one’s unique identity. Hence, social media provides a forum for teens to practice skills related to identity development. These include self-presentation and self-disclosure—sharing their opinions, beliefs, and preferences.

In a longitudinal survey of 219 freshmen at a state university, researchers found that teens who expressed their opinions on social media experienced increased well-being. In addition, another study found that adolescents who communicated more online had greater “self-concept clarity”—a clearer idea of who they were. This self-awareness supports mental health. Furthermore, a  research article on teens and social media  concluded that social media gives teens the “autonomy to explore and experiment with their identities in a space of their own, where they have control over what, how, and with whom they share information.”

Friendships, Teens, and Social Media

Friendship and social skills are additional areas in which the impact of social media on youth can be positive  and negative. In the Pew Research Center report, 81 percent of teens in the survey said social media makes them feel more connected to what’s going on in their friends’ lives. In addition, two-thirds of teens said these platforms make them feel as if they have people who will support them through tough times.

During the pandemic, of course, social media became one of the most frequent—and sometimes the only—way in which teens could stay connected with peers. But there’s a difference between teens’ social media friends vs. their real friends: The Pew survey found that 60 percent of teens say they spend time with their friends online on a daily or nearly daily basis, but only 24 percent spent time with their friends that often in person. These stats highlight how online connections may not translate into IRL relationships.

In addition, the more time teens spend plugged in and on social media platforms, the more  cyberbullying  increases. A 2020 report by the organization L1ght found a  70 percent uptick  in hate speech among kids and teens across communication channels on social media and popular chat forums. More time on social media provides enhanced access to both the beneficial and detrimental aspects, further driving the negative effects of social media on teenagers.

The Addictive Quality of Social Media for Teens

Scientists have found that teen social media overuse creates a stimulation pattern similar to the pattern created by other addictive behaviors . Hence, the brain responds to social media the same way it responds to other “rewards”— with a release of dopamine. These dopamine rushes are catalyzed when a teen posts something online and is met with likes, shares, and positive comments from their peers.

According to the American Psychological Association, the teen brain is wired to be “especially invested in behaviors that will help them get personalized feedback, praise, or attention from peers … Youth are especially sensitive to both positive social feedback and rejection from others.” They’re also less capable of controlling the impulse to keep scrolling, because the areas of the teen brain that control self-regulation are still immature.

Don Grant, PhD, Newport’s National Advisor of Healthy Device Management, says social media use targets our limbic system through its susceptibility to intermittent variable rewards. It’s the same basic idea behind slot machine design—looking for “likes” gets us “hooked” and coming back from more. Our brains keep seeking the dopamine hit that comes with the next post we see on our feed or the next reaction to something we’ve posted. Research also suggests that these rituals may prime the brain for other future unhealthy dependencies or addictions, Dr. Grant says.

Treatment for Teen Social Media Addiction and Its Root Causes

As the research shows, teen social media overuse is often linked with underlying issues, such as depression, chronic stress, anxiety, or low self-esteem. Hence, treatment at Newport Academy includes addressing these root causes while unplugging from phones and social media.

After just a few days, teens begin to reawaken to their IRL environment. During treatment with us, they form strong friendships, explore their inner life through journaling and meditation, spend time in nature, and experience creative offline activities. Our treatment outcomes show that this approach supports healing and reconnection with self, others, and their real-life environment. Newport’s clinical team specializes in helping teens gain the skills and self-knowledge to heal from the maladaptive behaviors, underlying causes, and negative consequences associated with teens and social media.  Contact us  today to learn more about our teen treatment programs and our approach to  healthy device management .

Frequently Asked Questions

How does social media affect teenagers.

Social media has both negative and positive effects on teen well-being and mental health. While social media platforms can help teens feel connected and stay in touch with friends and family, they can also contribute to depression, anxiety, loneliness, and FOMO (fear of missing out).

What are five negative things social media does?

Five ways in which social media negatively impacts teenagers are: 1. Cyberbullying, when teens demean or exclude others 2. Comparing oneself to others and feeling inferior 3. Lack of sleep due to staying up late on social media 4. Reduced time doing physical activities and being outside 5. Engaging in forums in which teens encourage each other in unhealthy and dangerous behaviors, such as disordered eating and self-harm.

What impact does social media have on teenagers’ self-esteem?

Comparing themselves to their peers’ curated images can undermine teen self-esteem and body image. In addition, teens also suffer from feeling left out when they see posts about events and get-togethers they weren’t invited to. It is another method to succumb to peer pressure digitally.

Does social media cause depression, or does depression increase social media use?

The answer may be yes to both questions. Research shows that young people’s use of social media is adding to their depression. However, it’s also possible that depressed teens are uninterested in other activities and consequently overuse social media.

What are the dangers of social media for youth?

Scientists have found that teen social media overuse creates a stimulation pattern similar to the pattern created by other addictive behaviors. The brain releases dopamine when a teen posts something online and is met with likes, shares, and positive comments from their peers. This can prime the teen brain for other addictions. In addition, cyberbullying and comparing themselves to others can trigger teen depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem.

What are the positive and negative effects of social media on youth?

Teens can get support and advice, feel less alone, and express their creative side on social media, as well as stay in touch with friends and family members. The negative effects of social media for teens include unfavorably comparing themselves to others, cyberbullying, feelings of loneliness and being left out, and less time doing real-world activities. Research shows a link between depression and social media use.

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