Critical Thinking

Decisions, we make them every day, all day. Most people would be very surprised at the number of decisions they make every single day. Routine, habitual mundane decisions that may not even cross our mind as decisions to the decisions that appear to have no answers to the hard or obvious, decisions are a major part of each of our daily lives. Some are easy, some are hard, but how do we make these decisions and what is our thought process while making these decisions. Do we have a thought process while making decisions? Most people do not think that there is a process to their decision making; however to make the best, most effective decisions we must use a process to question, analyze and critique our thought process at arriving at decisions. Critical thinking is a tool we all can use to enhance our decision making.

Critical thinking is that mode of thinking--about any subject, content, or problem--in which the thinker improves the quality of his or her thinking by skillfully analyzing, assessing, and reconstructing it (Paul and Elder, 2006). We all think, all the time. If you are not thinking, you brain is dead. But do we think about what we are thinking about. Creative thinking is reevaluating our thought process to help us make the best decisions. To create, we change the old into the new. We do not create out of nothing. Creating is taking the old and mixing it, moving it, breaking it, or building it into newness (Kirby and Good Pastor, 2007).

Critical thinking involves critiquing our existing thought process. Throughout our lives we pick up and learn certain cultural beliefs and assumptions that we believe to be truths or facts. We make generalizations, see the world from only our point of view, and are influenced by our individual cultural stereotypes. Naturally we become defensive when questioned on our pre-conceived notions which affect our thought process. Feeling and emotions often affect our decisions, "The heart wants what is wants." Perception becomes our reality. Part of critical thinking is questioning these "facts" and "truths" that influence our everyday thought process in making decisions. Critical thinking demands that while making decisions, we question and evaluate these factors that influence our thought process (Robbins,2004).

Critical thinking is not something that happens overnight, it takes a concerted effort and practice to change our habits. As with learning any new task or skill, we must be willing to practice and change our behavior to become effective. While learning a new task, we often have a set pattern or structure we use to learn the new task. When we are not successful, we don't just give up on the new task; we re-evaluate what we are doing and we strive to improve, reworking our process until we achieve our goal. Critical thinking also involves setting a new pattern or process for our thought process. As you use the new pattern and process conscientiously, the new pattern and process becomes a habit improving your thinking and decision making process even in the everyday mundane decisions. At first the redefining of our thought process may seem very difficult. It is difficult to be objective without a concrete or tangible process that we can put our hands on and it is also very difficult to be objective and critical of ourselves. When critiquing our thought process, you may seem to go in circles as you try to determine how or what can be evaluated and improved or questioned in your individual thought process. However, even when we appear to be thinking in a rut or thinking in circles, if we carefully reflect on the patterns of our thought, we will probably discover that they do not repeat exactly Kirby and Goodpastor, 2007).

Creative