In today’s rapidly changing environment everyone’s been talking about critical thinking. It’s been a topic of focus in business for some years now. Employers are making it a requirement, a trait that must be developed in its employees and highly valued in candidates.
It’s had its opportunities to become the latest buzz phrase. Thankfully, it has not, at least not so much. Still it seems everyone is slowly recognizing just how important it is, even if they’re not quite clear on what it is or what it really means at a given level of interaction and engagement.
People driving projects, and employees working on those projects, as well as candidates seeking to be part of the team have come to realize the importance of critical thinking skills and are trying to figure out how to increase their ability to utilize this trait. They recognize the urgency and want to know how to satisfy the need.
However, what is the urgency of critical thinking?
We can answer this question by actually utilizing critical thinking skills. Let’s start with what is critical thinking? Critical thinking is simply the act of evaluating and using rational judgment. This is a bare bones simple definition that most appropriately satisfies the first critical question, what is critical thinking. Understand, by nature we don’t consistently evaluate things using rational judgment. It’s at the core of what makes us human.
Who does critical thinking apply to and who uses it? Well, to put it quite frankly it applies to every living person on the planet. Consider my perspective, we should think about our interactions with others, the relationships we develop, the perspectives of others who are thinking about things just as earnestly and passionately. In this sense it applies to all of us by degrees. If we could learn to cultivate it as a skill it would definitely improve those interactions, those relationships, the manner in which every living person on the planet is connected.
Who uses it? Those who have made critical thinking a way of life, in addition to those who must use it in their given field of study. However, what must be made clear, as stated before, is that all of us must endeavor to develop critical thinking as a skill.
When must we apply critical thinking? In my humble opinion there is no situation when critical thinking should not be applied. However, as we are emotional beings who find great value and pleasure in just vegetating, being lackadaisical, just sitting, we must accept the fact that we are not robots. We need downtime. However, the skill must be applied in degrees, and when it comes to problem solving on the job or at home it is an absolute must.
There are men who act like boys, women who act like girls, officials who act like playground bullies and petulant malcontents, professionals who act like amateurs, people who simply don’t know what to do, when to do it, why they are doing it, how it can be accomplished, who is affected, and where if applied it will be most effective. And unfortunately, too many people are the people I just described, be it in the realms of politics, religion, the home, or on the job.
With this understanding, we see why critical thinking is so urgent, so incredibly important. Common sense has seemingly become a forgotten art form, respect is missing, accountability is gone. And as these factors have vanished, with the rise in the urgency of critical thinking we find many people claiming to be critical thinkers, claiming to apply common sense, outright lying about accountability and making a show of responsibility, leaving us wondering, who can we trust?
Yes, we can see why there is an incredible urgency, a real and true need for the rise of critical thinking skills.
To round out the previous critical question it is clear that after we know what critical thinking is, who uses it and who needs it, as well as when we must apply it, we can plainly see that it must be applied everywhere. Everywhere is where we need it.
The how of its use requires the sincere increase of critical cognition as a contagion, a metaphorical meme virus of accountability, deep thinking, and perspective, a continuous exercising of the mind, just as much as we exercise our bodies. The why of this urgent need is simple and plain.
However, to be true and sincere I tell you now that we are well below the threshold of true critical thinking in this nation, or rather the entire planet. We may recognize the urgent need, but only when we truly begin to embrace critical cognition and exercise the mind free of restraint but still bound by morality and abiding passion will we truly begin to think critically.
And as sure as my name is the name of my mother and father and my bond is my handshake and the integrity of my word, I tell you now you will know another critical thinker when you see in them the hallmark.
And what is the hallmark of the true Critical Thinker? It is the sincere ability to seek to internalize and understand the perspective of others, most especially when that perspective is diametrically or even violently opposed to your own.
Experiencing this and seeing it in another clarifies who we can trust, builds on urgency, prompts us to act with a diversity of thought, an intention of inclusiveness, a drive in positive conflict, a means to close the divide and the power of passionate purpose. Consider all this critically.
The Aspiring Critical Thinker, Writer, Innovator, D.S. Brown