When you solve problems, do you come to specific results? Do you use reasoning, reflection, and evaluation to come to your conclusions? Do you always come to a reasonable and practical solution to your problems? If you do, then you are critically thinking.
One critical thinking definition is being able to use your cognitive skills effectively to reach a specific outcome.
In other words, critical thinking does not waste a lot of time, but rather focuses in on the necessary aspects of a problem to come to an actual solution quickly and efficiently.
Examples of Critical Thinking A driver must use critical thinking when they are on the road.
After asking a question such as "What is the best route to my destination?" the critical thinking process begins.
First, the driver must reflect on the question and decide which route will get them to their destination the fastest.
Then, the driver must come to a specific solution (route) to the issues at hand.
Lastly, the result of their critical thinking will be a solid plan to follow through with.
Deciding whether to go on another date with someone also involves thinking critically.
First, you have to decide whether another date will benefit you or not.
You may think about the different outcomes that could occur, and evaluate the risks versus the gains.
Eventually, a decision will be made from your judgements, and a definite outcome will follow.
What Skills Are Involved in Critical Thinking? Five distinct skills are used when thinking critically.
Following are all five of them with a definition and example.
1.
Examination This is when a person will start to break down the question that they are asking.
For example, deciding which route to take will cause a person to examine how fast they want to get there, how much traffic they want to encounter, and how much gas they have in their car.
2.
Judging This is when a person will look to find answers to the questions produced from the examination step.
For example, they will look at their gas gauge and determine how much gas they have available for the trip.
3.
Deduction This is when a person will make conclusions based around their findings from their judgements.
For example, they may figure out that they only have enough gas to drive for another 30 miles, so they are going to have to find a route that is less than 30 miles.
4.
Creation This is when the person will create an answer based on their examination, judgement, and deduction.
For example, they may decide that they have to take the next left turn, drive five miles, turn right, drive five more miles, and then turn left.
In other words, they will come to a specific decision.
5.
Improvement This is when self-reflection comes in, and the person quickly goes through all the information in the head to make sure that they have made the best decision.
If there are any improvements to be made, then this is the time that it happens, and a concrete decision is formed afterwards.
For example, the driver may decide that turning left, then making the next right turn is the best route to take, and quickly pick this as the best answer to their problem.
In conclusion, the true critical thinking definition is quite simple, it is when you have a problem and work towards actively solving that problem.
Every time you come to a specific result or answer, you have thought critically first.