Critical Thinking in everyday life

Often, we fail to reach our maximum potential due to our limited capabilities. Although we possess a tremendous capacity, it mostly remains undiscovered and unexplored. Similar to refining skills in various fields like basketball, ballet, or playing the saxophone, honing our thinking abilities necessitates a dedicated commitment to continuous learning. If we believe that our thinking is satisfactory, we won’t invest the required effort to enhance it.

Building critical thinking skills is a gradual process that demands both education and perseverance. Merely relying on sheer determination is insufficient. Modifying our thinking patterns requires a substantial amount of time, often spanning years rather than mere weeks or months. Cultivating the fundamental characteristics of a critical thinker calls for an extended period of personal growth. Consequently, we must address the following inquiries: How can we promote the advancement of critical thinking abilities? How can we motivate ourselves and our students to continually engage in more effective thinking in our everyday routines?

1. First, we must understand that there are stages required for development as a critical thinker:
2. Stage One: The Unreflective Thinker (we are unaware of significant problems in our thinking)
3. Stage Two: The Challenged Thinker (we become aware of problems in our thinking)
4. Stage Three: The Beginning Thinker (we try to improve but without regular practice)
5. Stage Four: The Practicing Thinker (we recognize the necessity of regular practice)
6. Stage Five: The Advanced Thinker (we advance in accordance with our practice)
7. Stage Six: The Master Thinker (skilled & insightful thinking become second nature to us)

In order to develop as a thinker, it is important to acknowledge the presence of significant issues in our thinking and embrace the challenge it presents. Regular practice is also necessary for growth. This article aims to provide 9 strategies that can be utilized by anyone who is motivated to enhance their thinking abilities. As we outline each strategy, we will address the reader directly. Additional information may be included for those who are unfamiliar with critical thinking. Here are the 9 strategies:

1. Use “Wasted” Time.
2. A Problem A Day.
3. Internalize Intellectual Standards.
4. Keep An Intellectual Journal.
5. Reshape Your Character.
6. Deal with Your Ego.
7. Redefine the Way You See Things.
8. Get in touch with your emotions.
9. Analyze group influences on your life.

Although our ideas are not magical or essential, they do provide plausible methods to regularly improve thinking. While it may not be feasible to implement all of these ideas at once, we encourage experimenting with each of them over an extended period.

First Strategy: Use “Wasted” Time

Human beings often waste time, whether it be due to unproductive or unenjoyable activities, becoming frustrated over things outside of their control, poor planning resulting in negative consequences, or engaging in unproductive worrying.

Sometimes, we spend time reflecting on the past or simply daydreaming. However, it is crucial to acknowledge that this time is ultimately wasted. Even if we had deliberately pondered it and evaluated our options, we would not have purposefully utilized our time in a similar manner. Hence, why not maximize your typically squandered time by employing it for critical thinking practice?

Instead of mindlessly flipping through TV channels at the end of the day, take that time to reflect on your strengths and weaknesses. Evaluate your day by asking yourself questions like: When was my least productive thinking today? When did I excel? What were my thoughts today? Did I realize anything important? Did unnecessary negativity affect me? If I could relive today, what would I do differently and why? Did I make any progress towards my long-term goals? Did my actions align with my values? If I approached every day this way for ten years, would it be worthwhile?

Remember to allocate time for each question and consider documenting your observations for specific details. Over time, you’ll start noticing patterns in your thought process.

Second Strategy: A Problem A Day

Each day, start by selecting a problem to focus on during free moments, such as when commuting to work or school. Analyze the problem by identifying its elements and understanding its logic. This involves thinking through key questions: What is the problem specifically? How can it be formulated as a question? How does it align with my goals, purposes, and needs?

When confronted with issues, the best strategy is to handle them one by one. Clearly and precisely express the problem, then examine it to determine its type or category. Identify the specific actions needed for resolving it. Distinguish between problems that you have the ability to influence and those that are out of your control. Ignore the latter and concentrate your efforts on solving the former.

Begin by finding and actively seeking the required information. Then, analyze and interpret the gathered data to reach logical conclusions. Next, identify potential actions to take – those that can be acted upon immediately as well as those that can be pursued later on. Moreover, differentiate between matters within your control and those outside of it. Additionally, recognize any limitations you may have in terms of finances, time restrictions, and authority.

When making decisions in your current situation, it is crucial to carefully consider the advantages and disadvantages. It is recommended to adopt a strategic approach and remain dedicated to it. This may include taking immediate action or adopting a more cautious stance by waiting for additional developments.

When you engage in action, it is important to closely monitor the unfolding consequences and be prepared to adapt your strategy if necessary. Stay flexible and open to changing your approach, analysis, or problem statement as you gather more information about the problem.

Third Strategy: Internalize Intellectual Standards

Every week, increase your awareness of one of the universal intellectual standards (clarity, precision, accuracy, relevance, depth, breadth, logicalness, significance). Dedicate a week to clarify, another to accuracy, and so on. For instance, during the clarity week, pay attention to instances where you are unclear in your communication. Identify unclear statements made by others. When reading, assess your understanding of the text. And when verbalizing or writing your opinions, question whether you are clear about your intended message.

When clarifying your ideas, there are four techniques to focus on: explicitly stating your points with precise choice of words, elaborating on your meaning using different words, providing personal examples to illustrate your points, and using analogies, metaphors, pictures, or diagrams. Essentially, you will frequently state, elaborate, illustrate, and exemplify your points while also encouraging others to do the same. Additionally, it is beneficial to maintain an intellectual journal. Each week, write a specific number of entries using the following format (keeping each numbered stage separate):

1. Situation. Describe a situation that is, or was, emotionally significant
   
   to you (that is, that you deeply care about). Focus on one situation at a time.
2. Your Response. Describe what you did in response to that situation. Be specific and exact.
3. Analysis. Then analyze, in the light of what you have written, what precisely was going on in the situation. Dig beneath the surface.
4. Assessment. Assess the implications of your analysis. What did you learn about yourself? What would you do differently if you could re-live the situation?

Strategy Five: Reshape Your Character

Each month, choose one intellectual trait such as intellectual perseverance, autonomy, empathy, courage, humility, etc., and focus on how you can develop that trait within yourself. Take intellectual humility, for instance; start by acknowledging when you are wrong. Pay attention to instances where you refuse to admit your mistakes, even when faced with undeniable evidence. Take note of when you become defensive when someone points out a flaw in your work or thinking. Recognize moments when your intellectual arrogance hinders your learning, such as believing you already possess all the necessary knowledge on a subject.

Or, “I possess the same amount of knowledge as he does. Who does he believe he is by imposing his viewpoints on me?” By acknowledging your “lack of knowledge,” you can initiate the process of addressing it. Strategy Six: Address Your Egocentrism. Egocentric thinking is present in the tendency of human nature to unconsciously favor oneself with biased thinking.

One can daily observe their egocentric thinking in action by reflecting on questions such as when they think with a bias in favor of themselves, become irritable over trivial matters, act “irrationally” to achieve goals, try to impose their will on others, and withhold true thoughts only to later feel resentment.

When egocentric thinking arises, it presents a chance to substitute it with logical thinking. This can be accomplished by contemplating how a rational individual would think and act in specific situations. Compare this with your own thoughts and actions. If you consistently discover that a rational person would behave similarly to you, you might be deceiving yourself.

Strategy Seven: Redefine the Way You See Things

In our personal and social world, every situation carries a specific meaning that impacts our emotions, actions, and implications. Nevertheless, each situation can be interpreted in multiple ways, which presents great potential for improvement. It is possible for us to enhance our happiness and fulfillment by altering the negative definitions we assign to our life situations. By doing so, we can find joy in what would have initially caused sadness and fulfillment in what would have brought frustration.

The strategy involves redefining our perspective on things, transforming negatives into positives, and turning dead-ends into new opportunities. We also learn from our mistakes. To put this strategy into practice, we can set specific guidelines for ourselves. One approach is to create a list of five to ten situations where we often feel frustrated, angry, unhappy, or worried. Then, we can pinpoint the core definition that triggers these negative emotions. Afterward, we can select a more plausible alternative definition for each situation and plan our new responses and emotions accordingly.

One example of overthinking is worrying about all problems, whether they are solvable or not. A nursery rhyme emphasizes the idea that there is either a solution or none for every problem, urging us to keep thinking until we find one. Another example is not defining our worth based on the response of someone of the opposite sex.

Alternatively, you can determine it based on the definition of “let me test to see if this person is initially drawn to me — given how they perceive me.” If we consider the first definition, feeling personally offended would occur if the person is not “interested” in you. However, with the second definition, you acknowledge that people react not to who a stranger actually is, but how they appear to them subjectively. Therefore, if someone does not show interest in you, you do not interpret it as a flaw in yourself.

Strategy Eight: Get in touch with your emotions

Whenever you experience negative emotions, take the time to analyze the underlying thoughts causing them. If you find yourself feeling angry, identify the specific thoughts fueling your anger. Consider alternative perspectives or ways to view the situation. Can you find humor or pity in it? By focusing on these alternative thoughts, your emotions will gradually align with them.

Strategy Nine: Analyze group influences on your life

Reflect on the conformity that is expected and discouraged within your groups. Each group has its own beliefs and rules that everyone must follow. It is mandatory to conform in all groups, which means individuals must conform to how others see things. Consider the influences you are giving in to and decide if you should resist them.

Conclusion

When formulating strategies, it is crucial to keep in mind that you are essentially conducting a personal experiment. You are testing ideas within your everyday life and incorporating and expanding upon them based on your real-life experiences. If, for example, you find the strategy “Redefine the Way You See Things” to resonate with you naturally, you can begin implementing it. Over time, you will start noticing the societal definitions that dictate numerous situations in your life. This heightened awareness will shed light on how these definitions shape and control your actions:

1. “I’m giving a party,” (Everyone therefore knows to act in a “partying” way)
2. “The funeral is Tuesday,” (There are specific social behaviors expected at a funeral)
3. “Jack is an acquaintance, not really a friend.” (We behave very differently in the two cases)

You start realizing the significance and prevalence of social definitions. You start altering the way you perceive situations, going against commonly accepted definitions. In doing so, you also realize how this redefinition of situations (and relationships) allows you to connect with your emotions. You understand that your thoughts (or definitions) determine the emotions you feel. For instance, if you perceive a situation as threatening, you will experience fear.

If you label a situation as a “failure,” it can lead to feelings of depression, but if you view it as a “lesson or opportunity to learn,” it empowers you to gain knowledge. By acknowledging your ability to exercise control, these two strategies can work in harmony and reinforce each other. Additionally, contemplate how strategy #9 (“Analyze group influences on your life”) can be incorporated into your daily routine.

Groups exert control over individuals by shaping the acceptable definitions that can be used. This is evident in how certain things are designated as “cool” while others are considered “dumb.” Consequently, group members actively seek to align themselves with the label of being “cool” and avoid being perceived as “dumb.” In a professional environment, employees comprehend that when their superior states, “That makes a lot of sense,” it would be inappropriate to challenge it by responding, “No, it is absurd.” The leader’s position grants them the power to establish interpretations and dynamics.

Now, you have three intertwined strategies: “Redefine the Way You See Things,” “Get in touch with your emotions,” and “Analyze group influences on your life.” These three strategies are now merged into one. You can now explore and try out other strategies, while seeking chances to incorporate them into your thoughts and your life.

If you adopt a similar plan as described above, you are progressing as a thinker and becoming a “Practicing” Thinker. This practice will lead to growth and the development of skilled and insightful thinking, which will become increasingly natural to you.

Reference

1. Paul, R. & Elder, L. (2001). Modified from the book by Paul, R. & Elder, L. (2001). Critical Thinking: Tools for Taking Charge of Your Learning and Your Life. Go to top