The Thinking Man: How to Develop the Power of Critical Thinking
“Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny.”
-Lao Tzu
What sets humans apart from the rest of the animal kingdom is our innate ability to engage in complex thoughts. Like a never-ending choose-your-own-adventure novel, we engage our brains all day, every day, to navigate our way through life, trying to make it to a desired destination while avoiding pitfalls.
Good decision-making relies on our ability to carefully decode each situation, map out possible outcomes and then select the option we believe will best serve us. This process is called critical thinking.
Critical thinking is a skill that comes naturally to some, and with a little work, can be developed in others. Being able to think critically about any situation is a huge asset that will help you build stronger relationships, achieve career goals and give you a greater feeling of control in your life.
In this article, we're going to explore what critical thinking is, how thoughts form and how they influence our experiences, and what kinds of thoughts block your ability to think critically. Finally, we'll dive into concrete techniques designed to help you enhance your critical thinking skills.
WHAT IS THE PRACTICE OF CRITICAL THINKING AND WHEN DO WE USE IT?
You use critical thinking skills all day long in both planning and problem solving, from simple tasks like choosing what you’re going to wear each day or picking which brand of toothpaste to buy, to complex situations like settling a disagreement with your spouse or planning the next sales campaign at work.
Different from simply reacting to a situation, good critical thinking involves gathering and analyzing information in an unbiased way, deciphering what is true and untrue and then formulating a sound thought, opinion or decision with the objective to influence a positive outcome for yourself and others.
In theory, critical thinking might not sound difficult to accomplish, but in reality, there are some very real barriers that prevent people from developing this skill. The problem lies in the way we develop our thoughts and beliefs.
Most of us believe our thoughts are based on facts and hard-won knowledge gathered through our experiences, but the truth is, each of us is outfitted with a unique filter that colors our experiences and creates fault lines in our thinking.
Unless we examine our thoughts and how they form, and question our preconceived beliefs, we limit ourselves to cyclical, and potentially small-minded thinking, rather than critical thinking.
WHY IS THINKING ABOUT THINKING VALUABLE?
We all learn and process information in different ways and the term metacognition refers to our ability to examine our thoughts, to understand how we process information, and finally, to realize how our thoughts influence our actions and emotions. Essentially, metacognition is a term that means “thinking about thinking”.
Why is this important in the process of critical thinking? When we become skilled at examining our thought processes from a more objective standpoint, we have the power to question our preconceived assumptions, be more understanding of others and to become more open to alternate views. The effects of authentic self-examination can greatly improve our lives as we expand what we believe to be possible.
Don’t believe everything you think!
Our lives are guided by our minds and the nature of our thoughts. It’s easy to take for granted the power of thought, but what we think creates the reality in which we live.
Cognitive theory is a well-researched concept that states our emotions and behaviors are dictated by our thoughts. Rather than simply reacting to stimuli in predictable ways, our emotions and behaviors stem from the complex network of beliefs, values and assumptions developed through our unique individual experiences.
WHAT ACTUALLY SHAPES OUR EXPERIENCES?
Before we can effectively explore how to critically examine and potential challenge our thoughts, we need to understand how our thoughts are shaped.
From the moment we’re born, we try to make sense of our experiences by assigning meaning to the things that happen in our lives. By making inferences and assumptions and drawing conclusions based upon our experiences, we establish a foundation of knowledge from which we operate. Through this process of making meaning, we formulate a system of beliefs and opinions that influence how we continue making meaning of each new experience.
From this perspective, it’s easy to see how reality becomes a subjective concept, dependent upon each individual’s unique set of experiences and their interpretation of those events.
We make meaning all day long…
Imagine, for example, a mother repeatedly reminds both of her boys to put a coat on before going outside in the cold. One child might interpret this as his mother being thoughtful and worried about his wellbeing, while the other child might think his mother is trying to control him and thinks he isn’t smart enough to make good decisions on his own. One event - two very different interpretations.
If someone cuts you off in traffic, you might think what a jerk or maybe you think wow, that person must be running late.
If you don’t get the raise you expected, you might think I guess I’m never going to get ahead at this company, or you might tell yourself perhaps I should be more direct and talk to my boss about the position I want.
Our thoughts do not condense in our minds as though they were formed in an airtight vacuum. How and what we think is strongly influenced by our families, friends, teachers and the culture in which we live. Each of these influences molds our beliefs, values, assumptions, guiding rules and principles.
Beliefs are explanations we tell ourselves to make sense of the world around us. These thoughts are deeply ingrained into who we are, feeling almost concrete, and play a large role in the choices we make and how we perceive the world, other people and what we think is possible. Many of our beliefs are formed at an early age and from the most significant experiences that happen throughout our lives.
Values are thoughts that guide our sense right and wrong. These beliefs are general tenets we follow that can impact all aspects of life such as our spiritual beliefs, the careers we choose and the way we construct our personal identities. Though many people have shared values, no two people value exactly the same things.
Principles are the non-negotiable laws or rules that guide our lives. Much like gravity, our principles are thoughts that guide our actions because we believe them to be true no matter what.
Rules are social constructs designed to govern our behaviors but are up to each individual to employ. We also have our own personal rules or limitations we place upon ourselves because we believe that following these rules will create a positive outcome in our lives.
Assumptions are strongly held beliefs that are not based in fact but are more similar to making a hypothesis that guides our actions. Unfortunately, assumptions are often irrational and based in bias, but because we believe them to be true, it can be difficult to catch ourselves in the act of making assumptions.
Now that we’ve examined some different types of thoughts and how they are developed, you might wonder how you can ever know that something is true.
If so much of what we think we know is based on the shifting sands or our individual filters of reality, how do we learn to trust ourselves to think critically and make good decisions!
Being aware of the way external influences and your internal interpretations of those experiences shape the way you think is the first step to dismantling any blocks you may have on your path to thinking critically.
The next step is to take conscious actions that hone your critical thinking skills. These steps may feel a little clunky at first, but over time, you will discover they come more naturally. And as you become an expert critical thinker, you’ll discover a life where you feel like you have more control over your actions, reactions and the outcomes those create.
HOW TO YOU DEVELOP YOUR CRITICAL THINKING ABILITIES:
Tactic 1 – Adopt Open-Mindedness
Critical thinking is only possible if we examine our own thoughts and pre-conceived ideas and make room for new ideas. We also have to maintain a certain amount of flexibility in our beliefs and be willing to shift our perspectives.
Our minds are sponges that soak up the information we surround ourselves with. What we read and listen to, the shows we watch on T.V. and the people we hang out with influence our thoughts.
If you saturate your brain with negative images or messages, your thoughts will gravitate to be negative too. Likewise, if you only listen to messages from one media outlet or only hang out with people who share your belief system, you miss out on the opportunity to expand your perspective and open your mind.
Instead, fill your life with diverse people and experiences. Read information from different outlets and engage in conversations with people who have views that differ from your own. Try stepping into their shoes to see life from their perspective. Ask a lot of questions with the intent of understanding.
World travel is also an excellent way to crack open your mind and expand what you think is possible for your life. Seeing, first hand, the way different cultures live and relate to one another is an incredible way to develop an open mind.
Tactic 2 – Identify What Might Get in the Way of Critical Thinking
A bit of a catch-22, it’s hard to know what you don’t know. How can we identify our blocks if we believe those thoughts are concrete facts or just the way things are? If we are to think critically, we have to become aware of our own biases and get clear on why we think what we think.
Self-examination happens in layers, but a good place to start is by writing down what you believe to be true about a situation. Then, through the process of Socratic questioning, you can pull back each layer of that belief to uncover any misconceptions blocking your ability to think critically.
Then ask yourself the following:
1 - How do I know this is true?
2 - Is it always true in every situation?
3 - Where did this belief come from?
4 - What do you gain from this thought being true?
5 - What else might be possible that you have overlooked?
Tactic 3 – Clarify and Challenge Your Thinking
When you are practicing critical thinking, systematically go step-by-step to gather and organize information and analyze its validity before coming to a conclusion.
Consider these questions:
1 - What happened/is happening? Only report the facts without attaching any story or meaning to them.
2 - Why do you care? Does this event feel like it is threatening you or offending you in some way? If so, ask yourself why you feel this way. Why does it matter?
3 - Play the “devil’s advocate” and try to see the situation from a different perspective. Ask yourself if there is something you might be missing or have forgotten to consider.
4 - How do you know what you know? Are you still operating on a belief you adopted earlier in your life that might be false or limiting your growth in some way?
5 - Consider the source of your information. Use your discernment to evaluate whether or not the information you are receiving is coming from a pure source or if they stand to gain by misleading you.
6 - Brainstorm alternative possibilities and solutions until you are able to construct an outcome that feels right to you right now. *Remember, as a critical thinker your goal is to come up with the best possible conclusion, but know that it might change in the future as events and your understanding about those events continue to evolve.
When you develop your critical thinking skills you might be surprised how much your life transforms for the better. Instead of feeling beholden to your instant emotional reactions or guided by outdated beliefs that no longer serve you, you’ll feel more empowered to form conclusions based upon consciously examined thoughts.
Knowing why you think what you think helps you articulate your thoughts, communicate better in relationships and produce more positive outcomes in all areas of your life.
Debrief & Digest
Reality is a subjective concept, dependent upon each individual’s unique set of experiences and their interpretation of those events.
By making inferences and assumptions and drawing conclusions based upon our experiences, we establish a foundation of knowledge from which we operate.
Critical thinking is only possible if we examine our own thoughts and pre-conceived ideas and make room for new ideas. We also have to maintain a certain amount of flexibility in our beliefs and be willing to shift our perspectives.
If you would like to learn how to develop your ability to critically think for the purpose of improving your wellbeing, quality of live and relationships, then it may be time to kick off a conversation. Contact me to schedule a free 20 minute phone consultation below.
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Cheers
Simon G. Niblock, MA, LMFT, is a licensed psychotherapist, specializing in men’s mental health and wellness. He provides tailored psychotherapy services and online programs for men and is the author of the Anxiety Workbook for Men, Evidence-based Exercises to Manage Anxiety, Depression, and Worry.
Important Notice: The content in this article is for informational purposes only. It does not replace direct professional mental health, medical treatment, or professional care in any way. Seek the support of a physician or other qualified healthcare provider to diagnose and treat any mental health concern directly. Contact 911 or your local emergency services number if you are experiencing a mental health emergency.
