How to develop critical thinking skills. Developing critical thinking skills

The ability to think outside the box is competitive advantage any freelancer. Critical thinking is a way to get ahead and create something truly new. Of course, in many cases you can get by with template solutions by simply following fashion trends, but sometimes that's not enough. In the world information technologies everything changes so quickly that sometimes there are simply no templates to complete a task, and then you have to “turn on” your brain. The fourth is raging around us industrial revolution, but many people, including freelancers, do not feel this; they are simply carried along in a stormy information flow along with everyone else.

Meanwhile, last year at the World Economic Forum a very interesting report, focusing on the skills that will be in demand in the coming years. In the first place of the most important skills was the ability to decide complex problems. Critical thinking skill took fourth place in the ranking. But that was last year. According to experts, by 2020 critical thinking will become the second most important skill for professionals working in the field of information technology. And this is already serious.

What is critical thinking? The Department of Philosophy of the University of Hong Kong defines it as follows: a person with critical thinking should have the following skills, abilities or abilities:

See logical connections between different ideas
Be able to evaluate and systematize arguments
Find inconsistencies and common errors in reasoning
Determine the importance and relevance of ideas
Correctly evaluate your own views and beliefs

These six points clearly show how important critical thinking is. These skills help in solving complex problems, promote communication, force you to think logically and increase Creative skills. And this is exactly what a successful freelancer needs.

Information Management

We live in an information world and are constantly exposed to new ideas, data or opinions. Constant access to the Internet, a huge number of information flows and the continuous generation of new ideas mean only one thing: you have a large amount of information to analyze, and you need to do something to make sense of it all. This is where critical thinking comes in handy.

Perhaps critical thinking should be seen not as a set of useful skills, but as a way of life. The idea is not new. Siddhartha Gautama, better known as Buddha, spoke about this:

“Don't trust what you've heard; do not trust traditions, as they have been passed on from generation to generation; do not trust anything if it is rumor or majority opinion; do not trust if it is only a record of the saying of some old sage; don't trust guesses; do not trust what you consider to be true, what you are accustomed to; do not trust only the naked authority of your teachers and elders. After observation and analysis, when it agrees with reason and promotes the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live according to it.”

At its core, critical thinking is the path to truth. Following this path, you will have to solve complex problems, come up with unusual ideas and build new connections between different concepts. Critical thinking is a part of our lives, but this skill can be developed and strengthened to become a true expert in our field.

Ask: "Why?"

In critical thinking main question sounds like this: “Why?” And this question is not as simple as it seems at first glance. Many people tend to accept different opinions, especially if they are supported by at least some authority, as immutable facts. However, a critical thinker does not rely on faith. He is asking. Why, for example, is this presidential candidate better than his opponent? Why is this view mainstream? Where did this information come from? Why is it believed that a certain interpretation of events is correct? On what grounds can such a conclusion be made? Questions, questions and more questions. "Why?" can take the most different shapes, so don’t deny yourself the pleasure of asking. Sometimes even the most innocent question can completely change the picture of the world, which is certainly useful, especially for creative people.

Everyone had questions about why in childhood, but an adult should not ask this question with the same naivety. However, when communicating with other people or simply in a mental debate, you cannot do without correctly posed questions. This helps in conducting your own research, which is how you can gain a deeper understanding of the issues being discussed. They may not look very complicated when first approached.

Let's take games for example. As a child, everyone played games. But today everyone plays, from young to old. Of course, this is no longer hide and seek, but various video games, if we talk about adults. But the question is: why do people start playing? And not only on the computer, because right now it’s happening right before our eyes. fast growth popularity of board games. The history of many board games dates back centuries, so what do people find in them? Similar questions make you see various aspects problems and help find the most effective solutions. You just need to not be afraid to think critically. Answer " Board games popular because it has always been so” is the wrong answer. This is formulaic thinking, not critical thinking.

Reading

One of the best ways development of critical thinking skills is knowledge about the life of other peoples, their areas of residence, their cultures and their history. It is quite possible to obtain this knowledge; all you need to do is start traveling around the world, but not everyone can afford it. But you can start reading. And the more, the better.

Today on the Internet you can find almost any information on any topic of interest. Not all content presented will be useful, so it is important to be able to work with facts and not trust their interpretation. You need to read a lot and not only what you like. We need to be familiar with other points of view, even if they contradict our philosophical, political or religious beliefs. And it doesn’t matter who said what, a philosopher or the most ordinary person, the truth always remains the truth.

How more people reads, the more he learns. And the larger the body of knowledge, the easier it is to develop critical thinking skills. There is no need to focus on scientific articles and similar content, fiction is also important: novels, stories, plays also help to understand how other people think and live.

But don't forget about critical thinking while reading. If someone has formalized his thoughts in the form of a book or a policy article on an Internet forum, this does not mean at all that everything that is said there is true.

Forget about multitasking

Modern culture and technology make it easy to multitask. Conventional wisdom says that multitasking allows us to get more done, but science has proven this to be true over and over again. Multitasking distracts a person from the main thing and prevents him from thinking truly seriously. This complete opposite what is needed for critical thinking.

In order to solve some complex problem, you need to fully concentrate on it, which cannot be achieved by multitasking. Reading, creativity, collaboration, discussion various issues- all this requires maximum concentration attention, especially if we're talking about about achieving a real goal.

If you really need to think about a problem, it's best to get rid of anything that might enable multitasking. Don't check your email. Disable mobile phone. Close unnecessary tabs in the browser, especially if they are tabs social networks. All this makes it difficult to think. Not only does this prevent you from thinking critically, it prevents you from thinking at all productively.

Many freelancers may not agree with this point of view, well, perhaps someone can manage to think about a complex problem while doing several things at the same time. People are all different, this is quite real. But for most, juggling tasks and thoughtful thinking are incompatible.

Time to Observe

When faced with a problem or need to come up with new idea It’s better not to rush off the bat, but to take time to observe. Some things take time to process, especially if past beliefs and experiences conflict with some events or statements. Today, everything changes so quickly that it is easy to get confused by all the diversity of ideas and points of view.

Most people at such moments prefer to retreat “to previously occupied positions”; they do not want to part with in the usual way thoughts. But to learn to think critically, you need to be able to observe in order to correctly assess the situation. Sometimes it’s useful to follow the development of a discussion on Facebook for a few days in order to formulate own opinion on a question of interest. It is tempting to insist on your point of view, but observation can provide a clearer picture of what is happening.

The modern way of life greatly interferes with reflection. It even seems a little wild: how can you just think without doing anything else? However, focused thinking is one of the best ways to develop critical thinking. In order for your own voice to sound in your head, it is important to drown out all other voices. And this is difficult because there are so many distractions around.

Everyone has their own way of thinking. Some people go for a walk, while others find it easier to concentrate while working with pencil and paper. Any convenient solution will do. The main thing to remember is that for critical thinking it is important to establish connections between ideas. Decide on the direction of thought. Outline the range of issues and identify problems relevant to the task at hand.

This is especially difficult if you imagine that right at the same time thousands of people around the world are thinking about similar ideas. Information flows are seething and there is a desire to simply find on the Internet already ready-made solution. If you want to develop critical thinking skills, you will have to think for yourself. Yeah, that doesn't sound like a productive use of time at all. But this is the only way great ideas emerge. Some people are so lucky that they can generate amazing ideas while working hard on a project. However, many people need silence and solitude. And time. Just to think.

Instead of a conclusion

Everyone can think critically and live effectively. It is not difficult at all and does not require much intelligence at all. Critical thinking is simply a way of thinking with your own head, questioning everything, even the most interesting ideas. Of course, critical thinking won't solve all of a freelancer's problems, but it's a good habit to get into. And the more he thinks, the more effectively he will work, learn, communicate and generate creative ideas.

Comprehensively developed person it is impossible to imagine without critical thinking - an element that allows him to form his own view of things and not depend on the opinions of others. It promotes personal growth and pushes a person to develop. Analyzing a situation and choosing a solution is an individual’s ability, without which it is impossible to have an opinion. How to develop critical thinking?

To learn to think critically, you need to practice all the time. You can begin to develop at any age. By training thinking, a person is able to reach new level development and move closer to achieving goals.

Training your thinking and following the intended path is not as easy as it seems. But having determined life tasks and by developing a plan for their implementation with the help of critical thinking, a person is able to achieve success.

How to start developing your thinking

To train thinking, you need to allocate time that a person usually wastes. To do this, you need to analyze your daily routine. To develop thinking, time that was previously spent on:

watching TV;
computer games;
social media.

The first step to developing critical thinking is to conduct analysis every day. At the end of the day, it is necessary to weigh and study the achievements made during the day. The number of misses must also be taken into account. The analysis should consist of identifying actions during which errors were made. Having identified shortcomings over the past day, you should think about how they can be eliminated. In the end, it is necessary to conclude whether what happened brought you closer to your goal or furthered you from it. Based on these simple actions thinking will develop, which will subsequently develop into critical thinking. Records can be kept to identify repetitive activities.

You need to solve 1 problem per day. Hurrying to work, you need to mark some main problem and try to solve it during the day. A person should strive to obtain as much information as possible to help solve the relevant problem. To solve the problem you need to analyze various options and choose the best one. Once you have decided on your plan of action, you need to stick to the strategy. If circumstances change while solving a problem, it is necessary to promptly make changes to the plan. In the process of solving problems, one should develop intelligence, attentiveness, and logic.

Developing critical thinking skills

Thinking skills should be approached critically. It is worth reviewing them if they lead to undesirable consequences. You need to try to think positively and not allow negative thoughts. For, a person must learn:

When deciding to develop critical thinking, a person must draw a line between inference and observation. You can't speculate without checking the information. Only if you have accurate information can you draw conclusions. At the same time, during training you should ensure that your sense of humor does not disappear. The ability to make fun of yourself and see humor in situations helps you maintain a clear mind and subtly express your opinion about an issue. But caution should be exercised if laughter is used as a psychological defense.

Skills that promote self-improvement

To learn to think critically, a person must care about everything. There are many unexplored things in life. Curiosity develops the mind. Thanks to curiosity, discoveries happen and adventures happen. One who has developed the ability to be interested in what is happening will not only develop a critical mindset, but will also make his life richer and more varied.

Every inhabitant of the modern world must develop an objective perception of information. You cannot completely trust everything that is said in the media and television advertising. It is necessary to take a sober look at reality and verify information that causes mistrust. The truth is established through thinking, and not under the influence of public opinion. Not everything assumed is true. You need to learn to resist strong emotions. When they manifest themselves, a person’s mind may be clouded.

Development of a critical mind and modern society

A person living in modern society, constantly trying to impose someone else's opinion. You should be critical of information obtained from:

advertising;
the mouth of the agitators.

Information disseminated among people is not always true. You need to learn to distinguish truth from lies and not trust everything blindly.

A person must remember the prospects. Any situation must be assessed critically, and a plan of action must be thought out soberly. You should not overestimate or underestimate your self-esteem. You need to soberly understand your capabilities and act based on them. At the same time, you should engage in self-improvement. Reading books, playing sports, learning new information and learning skills can take a person to the next level. It happens that a person’s behavior is dictated by unspoken rules. Knowing them leads to making the right decisions and behavior. If you are in an unfamiliar situation or in a foreign culture, you need to be observant or ask those who are closer familiar with the situation. The unspoken rules of the modern world need to be studied.

Conversation is only integral part communication that occurs daily between people. There is an exchange of non-verbal signs. It is necessary to know and be able to apply this type of communication in practice. If a person smiles sweetly and behaves friendly, but at the same time seeks to cause pain to the interlocutor when shaking hands, one should question the sincerity this person. If the listener claims that he is interested in the story, but at the same time openly yawns and shows boredom with his entire appearance, the speaker has a good reason to doubt the words.

If a person is under pressure, then in order not to make a mistake in making a decision, you should stop and think, weighing all the pros and cons. Fast decision under someone else's pressure is not always true. By learning to analyze before trusting, a person will take a big step toward developing critical thinking.

Feelings and ability to think critically

To learn to think critically, a person must strive not to give in to feelings and public opinion. Labels and stereotypes can be confusing and lead to incorrect conclusions. Before making an important decision, you should learn as much as possible about all aspects of it.

Negativity is a feeling that can confuse anyone. Often a person is too critical of himself. We must try to replace the negative with the positive. This will not only have a beneficial effect on the decision, but will also increase self-esteem.

Having embarked on the path of self-development, one should not forget about universal human feelings. You cannot judge others without understanding the specific situation and actions of another person under certain conditions. With empathy, you can make the right decision. If you judge a person without understanding the situation, you may later regret it greatly. When deciding someone's fate, you should put yourself in his place. Trying to understand By understanding other people, you can learn to think and make decisions correctly.

Facts affecting decision, must be checked repeatedly. There should be many points for analysis. If there are insufficient facts, the decision may be made incorrectly. It is necessary to obtain as much information as possible from reliable sources.

An important skill is the ability to listen. Often a person asks a question, and another simply ignores his words. Preoccupation with thoughts does not allow you to concentrate and delve into important things. This simple skill is very difficult to develop. If you listen carefully, you can get more useful and important information.

Learning to think illogically

Philosophy books describe logical thinking and also give examples of its distortion. IN modern world Creativity and originality are valued. It is necessary to understand this and soberly evaluate life examples.

When developing a critical train of thought, the 6th sense can come to the rescue. Guesses about things, events, and actions also exist on a subconscious level. Intuition is not subject to logic, but it is valuable as an adjunct in decision making.

The benefits of being a critical thinker

It is believed that critical thinking is natural process, the usual train of thought. However, in life situations people deviate from this . To educate and develop thinking means to improve the quality of life, to accept right decisions and achieve success in life. The train of thought forms the correct view of the world and develops logic.

There are many benefits to developing your mindset. These include:

the ability to make correct conclusions;
ability to collect necessary information;
ability to reason and reason;
the ability to clearly know the problem;
ability to use ideas;
interaction with people;
ability to use alternative thinking.

Having developed a critical mindset, a person begins to think directionally, adjusting his conclusions. This kind of thinking differs from standards and allows you to solve complex problems.

At the age of one and a half years, children begin to develop visual-figurative thinking— with its help, problems with real objects are solved. Simply put, in order to answer this or that question, the child needs to hold the object itself in his hands, see it and feel it.

By the age of 4-5, when visual-figurative thinking has already been formed, children only need to imagine required item- remember his image. This ability to solve problems in the mind arises due to the fact that the images used by the child acquire a generalized character. That is, they do not display all the features of an object, but only those that are important for solving a specific problem or answering a question. Schemes and models already appear in the child’s mind; he is able to generalize and analyze the information he receives from outside world. This means it’s time to help him develop critical thinking.

Thinking is not simple, but critical

Why is it so important to develop in children not just “thinking”, but “critical thinking”? What is the difference? In modern psychology, several interpretations of this concept are considered. If we generalize them, then critical thinking is complex thinking process, which begins with the child receiving information and ends with making an informed decision and forming his own attitude.

We, adults, at this moment clearly see that children have demonstrated the ability to pose new questions, develop arguments in defense of their opinions and draw conclusions. They can no longer only interpret, but also analyze information. Critically thinking child, relying on logic and the opinion of the interlocutor, will always be able to explain why he agrees or disagrees with him.

Please don't think this is all too difficult for preschoolers. This may seem so only in theory, but in practice, parents can see manifestations of critical thinking in their child every day. Eternal children's question"Why?" - most shining example developing critical thinking. Kids always want to know the reasons for human actions, natural phenomena, and events that they witness. And if a child is driven by curiosity, under no circumstances should one brush aside his questions. After all, ignoring them, it is easy to discourage interest in knowledge. It is important to pay attention to the child’s desire to learn everything and about everything. It is adults who can help him objectively evaluate the facts, draw conclusions from the information received, and only after that form his attitude towards it.

Here you also need to remember that sometimes playing “why” is a way to attract the attention of parents. If in this way the child “gives a signal”: “I miss you!” - you need to think about it. Under no circumstances should such “signals” be ignored; this issue must be resolved in a timely manner.

Let's give another example from Everyday life. Children often disagree with their parents or with other children. In such a situation, parents need to ask the child the question: “Why don’t you agree?” If a child can justify his position, then he himself asks himself the question: “Why do I think so?” And this speaks of high level development of critical thinking. If a child does not understand why he made this or that conclusion and does not know how to prove that he is right, parents should help him. It is the closest people who will be able to build communication with the child in such a way that he learns to think critically on various topics.

Thinking or obedient?

The time has come when many teachers began to express concern about the poor development of critical thinking in preschoolers. Unfortunately, people started thinking about this only recently. Previously, there was such a stereotype: “An obedient child does not argue with elders.” In many families and educational systems the stereotype is still alive today. Children often hear: "Don't argue. Don't ask unnecessary questions. Just do what you're told." These principles are already very poorly consistent with modern reality.

Naturally, there is nothing wrong with respect for elders and polite communication with loved ones. On the contrary, it is a wonderful tradition that must be preserved in the family. But this does not mean at all that it is necessary to deprive the child of the desire to know the truth. The bad thing is that this desire may never arise if the child is not allowed to express and prove his point of view! It is important for us, adults, to learn to separate these things - a respectful attitude towards elders and a natural desire to understand and explain our childhood position to the wise life experience parents.

Now in most new curricula One of the most important requirements is the ability of children to think critically. For successful studies in the first grade it is no longer enough just to be able to read, write and count; you also need to solve simple logical problems and draw conclusions after reading short texts. Sometimes you even need to argue with the teacher and prove that you are right.

To ensure your child is truly ready for school, start developing his critical thinking as early as possible.

Here are some tips to help develop critical thinking in children:

There must be logic in statements. From the early age You need to teach your child to think logically. Try to reason more often in front of your child, justify your opinion, teach your child to construct phrases according to the model: “If..., then...”.
Let the child compare objects and find common features draws conclusions after reading fairy tales.
Don't accept the answer: "Because I want to!" or “Because I like it that way!” when it comes to arguing your opinion. Ask your child to think and name the real reason. Of course, you shouldn’t force your child to immediately voice arguments. Let him first learn to think about them. Help him by asking leading questions.
Give your child the benefit of the doubt. By this he expresses distrust of some facts. This means that he will try to prove that he is right and will want to know everything about the object of the dispute. This way he will learn and remember a lot of new and interesting things.
Does your child point out an error in your reasoning? Or does he ask a lot of clarifying questions? This is amazing. This means that he is attentive, ready to express his opinion and dreams of knowing everything. Encourage these conversations.
Try to use your own example and examples from life to show your child that you always need to get information about an event first. full information, and only then draw conclusions. Show that it is unreasonable to criticize something about which you know nothing; you should always try to judge objectively.

Article provided by the network of centers early development"Baby Club"

Discussion

A familiar story))) Now I understand why my dad always expressed his thoughts and reasoning out loud in front of me!

Comment on the article “Child and critical thinking: encourage “why”!”

All this requires the development of critical thinking in the child, the ability to analyze and evaluate media texts. Reading without passion, or Why doesn’t a child want to read? Why is it so important to develop in children not just “thinking”, but “critical thinking”?

Discussion

It will be a disaster if she becomes involved in education even as a minister. We need a Minister of Education and Science, not a teacher.

What does critical thinking mean?

By definition, critical thinking is a way of seeing truth in its most objective form. This is a purposeful, correctable, productive process that allows you not only to soberly evaluate an object, phenomenon, event, person, but also to see it further development, that is, draw appropriate conclusions, make some decisions.

Psychology of Critical Thinking

The integral features of critical thinking are the ability to analyze and synthesize, relying both on the amount of information coming from outside and on one’s own intellectual potential. A person with critical thinking skills will easily be able to correct positioning problem that gives impetus to its solution. He is able to interpret abstract ideas and project them onto the surrounding realities. A thinking person gets the opportunity to communicate productively with other people: if he doesn’t understand something himself, he is able to ask for help so that it turns out to be truly effective.

How to develop critical thinking?

The technology for developing critical thinking includes many components. Rudiments necessary knowledge we get it at school, but this, of course, is not enough. Critical thinking should be developed and improved at any age. The methodology includes such elements as challenging yourself, overcoming difficulties - the practical component, finding a solution, conclusions - understanding the result obtained.

The following techniques can be used to develop critical thinking:

daily introspection - understanding the events of the day;
acting on the contrary - thinking about “what would have happened if I had done this differently”;
many whys - constant production this issue in order to identify the true background of the phenomenon;
problem of the day - every day he sets himself a small task or goal in order to solve it by the evening;
keeping a self-analysis diary;
regular setting of creative and creative tasks.

How to develop leadership skills?

Everyone can cultivate leadership qualities, without which it is difficult to achieve success in life. But for this you will have to seriously work on your appearance and internal state by setting appropriate goals and striving to achieve them.

How to start changing?

For most of their lives, people exist “on a well-established rut”, without thinking about any changes. But sometimes an incident, a movie or a phrase heard by chance makes you think that you need to change for the better. You can learn how to do this from this article.

Personal growth and self-development

Personal growth and self-development presuppose that a person constantly develops spiritually and improves himself, works on himself and his mistakes. He strives to make his life happier and better, wants to get real pleasure from it.

Reading books is a recognized way of self-development. Various psychological literature today there are a lot, but not all books are really useful. Worth seeing Self-help books that women need to read are listed in this article.

Critical thinking is true art in-depth analysis of information and development opportunities mental abilities. Thinking critically does not mean thinking about more or more difficult things. First, we need to think “better, better.”

By respecting your critical thinking skills, you develop your intellectual curiosity. But it's not that simple. Critical thinking requires serious discipline. You must be completely objective and, very importantly, self-critical. You need to seek and recognize the truth, even when you are wrong.

measures

1 Improving your interviewer's skills

1 Completing the questionnaire. We talk a lot about everything.
Therefore, our brain processes certain data. This is the basis of our daily life. But what to do in a situation where our assumption was wrong or incorrect? After all, in this case the whole process will fail initially.
- What is the assumption about the problem? Thus, A. Einstein questioned the assumption that Newton's laws of motion could accurately describe the world.
  He opened up completely new boundaries that describe the world from scratch.
- You can ask similar questions - assumptions. For example: why do we eat in the morning without the possibility of hunger? Or how can you talk about defeat without even fighting?
- Can all the assumptions we take for granted be destroyed in detailed analysis?
2 Do not accept information as truth until you have studied the matter yourself. Instead of checking the accuracy of the data, we actually rely on the labels or some reliable source.
Don't try to save time and energy by double-checking information, even if it comes from a reliable source. It's not just about what magazines and newspapers write and what they say on television and radio.
- Learn to trust and use your instinct. Especially with the most controversial issues. If something seems questionable to you, find out about it and use different resources.
  Soon you will learn to distinguish useful information and filter them out unnecessarily.
3 Just like the question. Remember, how you ask a question depends on the quality of the information you receive. The ability to ask the right questions may be the essence of all critical thinking.
You don't know which questions to ask first and which questions to leave for the last part, you will never get desired result. Search ability the right questions is a basic principle of critical thinking.
- How does a round house work?
- How do fish fall from the sky right in the middle of Australia?
- What effective measures can you take to combat poverty around the world?
- How do you feel about destruction nuclear weapons in Europe and around the world?

2 Continue watching

1 Identify your bias. Human judgments are often subjective and sometimes even dishonest and offensive.
One of scientific research showed that the number of parents who are informed about safety and vaccination needs is much lower than the number of all children vaccinated.

Why is this so? The hypothesis is that most parents believe this information is correct. Think about your passion for information.
2 Consider other steps. No 1 or 2 steps, but more than chess players. Don't underestimate your opponent - it's not easy giant giant. You must enter it with a mental duel when you have calculated all possible combinations.
- One person who thought early about the benefits of thinking was Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos.
  He believed that everything he did had to count for many years. He meant his business. If a person is not ready to invest in a project that lasts 5 or 7 years, he will never survive in healthy competition. And only a few companies, in his opinion, can do this.
3 Read some great work. Nothing compares to the transformation in our thinking and perception that appears after reading another interesting book.
Whether it's Moby Dick or lyric poetry. We should not just read, but go into the book and ask questions.
4 Put it in other people's shoes. This helps develop critical thinking skills. Empathy will help you understand better human psychology, motivation and desires of people. Don't be ruthless because the ability to have compassion is necessary for every person.
5 Schedule 30 minutes a day to train your brain. There are dozens of ways to improve brain function.
How to develop critical thinking

Here are some of these ideas:
- Solve problems during the day. Take some time to figure out the problem and start solving it. It could be theoretical problem and personal crisis.
- Take your time and spend 30 minutes doing aerobic exercise. Fresh air is necessary to improve the brain part.
- Beware of proper nutrition.
  Avocado, blueberries, salmon, nuts and seeds and brown rice play important role in keeping your brain functioning.

3 All together

1 Define your goals. If you want to use critical thinking to philosophical thinking, sitting on a table is one option.
Plus, you can use them for self-discovery and get out of difficult situations. life situations, when it doesn't look like your assistant will become a critical thinker.
2 Don't be afraid to surround yourself with people who are smarter than you. Don't give in to complexes and we strive to be a big fish in a small pond.
Put your ego down. Surround yourself smart people who will teach you something and get something from you.
3 Go through any errors. Be afraid to lose. Rejection is a great way to reject bad options. There is a myth that famous people don't fail - that's not true.
They endure and do everything possible so that only their success is visible to others.

tips

Use web channels and libraries to learn more about the topic of your thoughts.
Incredible criticism is worse than ignorance.
Don't be too judgmental, but be brave enough to think critically.
Avoid saying “never” unless you are 100% sure. Be convincing in your arguments, work with facts. Speak slowly and confidently, there is no point in racing here.
There are inductive and deductive methods thinking. When the conversation moves from the specific to the general and from the general to the specific, you need.
Ask other people's opinions.
People from different age groups and social groups can give you absolutely A New Look on things.
Read other people's opinions in newspapers and magazines. Think about your mistakes and strengths to improve your style.
Pay attention to other critics' opinions of you.
Be diplomatic. Your goal is not the person himself, but the offer he offers.
Think hypothetically, deductively.
This means that depending on the specific situation, we use the relevant knowledge of principles and constraints and show them in an abstract, possible version.
Criticism will be much more effective if it is the object of your knowledge. For example, who would appreciate a painting better than the artist? And who, if not a writer, speaks better about a book or literary work?

Edit alerts

use the sandwich method: compliment, suggestion, wish.
Criticism will be better if you use this approach. You can also use your first and last name, an honest smile, face to face.
Never criticize an offensive move.
In this case, the person has a defensive position (in particular, if the subject of the dispute relates to him personally). So there is no need, for example, to talk to an abortionist to add fuel to the fire by saying that abortion is a crime.

In this situation, the person does not listen to arguments, and it will be even more difficult for him to convince him of otherwise. Finally, critics are good at giving praise.

Posted by: Anna Makarova. 2017-11-12 13:04:39

Gaining knowledge about objects, properties and relations of reality that are not directly discovered by man can be achieved by thinking about different types.

Critical thinking is a system of judgments that help analyze and form sound conclusions, create your own own assessment what is happening and interpret it.

We can say that critical thinking thinks at a high level, which gives insight into future information. It is also defined as “evaluative, reflective” or “mental thinking.”

To clarify the question of what critical thinking is, R.

Paul suggested dividing it into strong and weak. Weak is the thinking of an egoist who is busy with his own needs and does not use it forever. Strong thinking belongs to a person without an ego-oriented orientation.

Each mental activity does not fall under the definition of “critical thinking.” Does not include:

memorization;
understanding;
intuitive/creative thinking.

Critical thinking has many definitions in philosophy and psychological works, but all researchers agree on this To think critically you need the skill:

analyze and synthesize;
induction and deduction;
annotation;
interpret;
observe;
use of logic;
move from the abstract to the concrete.

It is also necessary to have a broad perspective, creative imagination, stable values.

To a certain extent, this is also emotionally included in the definition of this concept.

Critical thinking requires a quality that allows you to create the prerequisites for the civilized development of society.

Components

The ability to think abstractly is capable of restraining some of the properties of reality that are currently inadequate, while concomitantly distributing others that are important.

It is necessary to distinguish the process of abstraction and abstraction. The first is a series of operations that lead to a specific result - an abstraction. Under abstraction we can find different concepts and things (including ordinary ones - for example, a house, street, tree,

etc.). This process is inextricably linked with other concepts - analysis and synthesis.

Analysis is a process that allows you to decompose an object into parts.

A synthesis is a combination of parts that have been obtained by analysis into one.

The next skill included in critical criterion Critical thinking is the ability of inductive and deductive thinking. Induction is a solution that is formed in the process of thinking from “particular” to “general”,. Deduction is based on "general" to "specific" thinking.

The ascent from abstract to concrete is a transition of two steps.

The first involves the transition from a concrete definition to an abstract one. An object is divided into its components—properties and attributes. The second stage is growth from the abstract to the concrete. At this stage, the human mind tries to restore the original integrity of the exhibited object. The transition from the second stage is impossible without the previous one. Thus, it is a process that allows one to learn to rise from the concrete to the abstract and then vice versa.

A critical mind allows a person to constantly doubt, weighing all the advantages and disadvantages.

The main indicators of critical thinking are the ability to consider assumptions as possible hypotheses requiring proof. People with imaginative imaginations, “dreamers,” take risks in planning, so they need to pay attention to developing critical judgments and learn to think consciously.

Development of critical thinking

Why critical thinking in everyday life?

In order to:

promotes professional self-determination;
allows you to set priorities;
responsibility for choice;
allows you to create your own conclusions;
develops the ability to predict the consequences of one’s actions;
develops cultural dialogue skills.

How to develop critical thinking?

First we have to imagine how this happens sequentially. Its process consists of three stages:

a challenge that allows you to update and generalize already known knowledge about original problem and encourage a person to take active action;
understanding that allows you to receive new information, understand and connect with available data;
which intends to comprehensively comprehend and summarize the information received, compare it and show its own relationship with the object.

Possible independent ways of development

We describe basic strategies for increasing your critical mind.

Using time that is usually spent on “nothing works.” This time is suggested for introspection—for example, at the end of the day. Some questions need to be answered:

Today I used methods that develop the critical mind;
whether they were effective;
that I have achieved my goals.

It is best to answer these questions in writing, in the form of magazines.

Research of the problem. One day you need to give one problem. It must be formed and defined because it relates to living values and needs. It needs to be studied to understand whether it can be influenced and what measures should be taken to solve it.

A necessary condition is to determine its capabilities, which will ensure short-term and long term solution Problems. After that, you need to choose a solution strategy and stick with it.

How to develop critical thinking?

Development of intelligence.

Every few days you need to work on developing a critical mind, one of the aspects is logical thinking, analysis, conclusion, etc.

Don't trust authorities to effectively develop critical thinking.

The prism of someone else's perception often distorts information. This is why it is so important that you engage yourself and figure out the problem yourself.

Definition of success in magazines.

Every week, it is worth writing down emotionally important situations in your diary, describing their reactions and analyzing their source. The question worth answering is: what have I learned about myself through these situations? What can you do differently if you had to experience them?

It is necessary to understand that the development of a critical mind is a long process and that it cannot be stopped at all.

Therefore, critical thinking is defined in many ways, but this view allows you to draw your own conclusions based on the information you receive and use them to solve real-world problems.

In some cases, this thinking can develop independently.

The mind is in a state of eternal condemnation and denial of everything that is nearby

looks at the issue from different angles

When criticism is greater than love.

The mind that criticizes everything is obvious) This means that we do not accept religion, but we look for evidence.

A critical mind is essential if you are working on a science project.

Critical Skill Development

But this becomes an absolute obstacle when you try to achieve inner peace, subjectivity. This is quite appropriate in objective world, without him there would be no science; But apart from him there is no place for religiosity. This must be understood: when a person works with a goal, he must be able to use the critical mind; when a person acts with the subjective, he must be able to remove it.

The mind must remain an asset. It doesn't have to be a fix idea; you must use it or not use it. Unable to login inner world with a critical mind; Doubt about it becomes the same obstacle as confidence in science. A person of trust will not be far in science.

That is why, at a time when religion reigned in the world, the world remained unscientific. There was no opposition between the church and science randomly, it is very important. In fact, the church and science did not fight, but two aspects were opposed: objective and subjective. They are classified differently.

Every time he starts perfecting something, he always finds a mistake.

You look at the world critically, you want to change it for the better.))

Critical mentality is very useful quality scientist. The “critical mind” does not hesitate to ask unpleasant questions, including himself, is not afraid to ask “recognized” authoritative opinions.

“Critical minds” do not remain “honorable” scientists in science; their doubts turn into obstacles and are a “platform” for new knowledge.

In nurturing and developing intelligence, you need to know some characteristics of the mind. One of them is a critical mind.

Criticality of mind is the ability to rigorously evaluate the workings of your thought, carefully consider all the arguments for and against established hypotheses, and submit these hypotheses to a comprehensive test. Critical thinking person can consider his assumptions as hypotheses that require comprehensive testing.

And he is ready to give up those who could not support the test or did not fulfill the requirements of the task, even if they are very attractive, attractive... In short, the critical mind is a disciplined, uncompromising mind!

Don't trust authorities

Critical thinking is the ability to draw your own conclusions based on available facts. Encyclopedic articles call it a system of judgments, but it is rather a thinking technique that helps one independently come to well-founded conclusions, isolating from information flow true data as opposed to rumors, interpretations and interpretations. Critical thinking does not include processes such as memorizing and assimilation (understanding) of information, creative and intuitive thinking. Its core is analysis.

To understand the essence of critical thinking, you need to go from the opposite - to see its absence from the outside. And to discover this gaping vacuum we will have to go... to school.

Modern system school education based solely on the process of memorizing and using the acquired knowledge for operations with already known result. All germs of critical thinking in school are carefully uprooted, leaving room only for memorized rules and one-line algorithms. Often this practice is carried over to universities. In this way, generations are raised incapable of thinking.

Remember what you did when you were asked to write an essay or review on piece of art? In both cases, you found books with ready-made materials and selected pieces of suitable text from them. In “pre-computer” times, this process was reduced to rewriting, later to searching on the Internet and copying. Coursework and even theses students. Everyone is accustomed to the fact that a report, abstract or review looks like a compilation of other people’s thoughts. Teachers don't just turn a blind eye to this - they encourage it. We will not delve into thoughts about who benefits from this, and whether it benefits anyone at all, but the fact remains that most people are not accustomed to critical thinking. They do not know how to think for themselves, consuming already chewed and digested information through the catheter of the media, the Internet and television.

Fortunately, critical thinking is not an organ, so it does not atrophy from not being used for a long time. One awareness of its necessity and importance is already a starting point for the formation of one’s own critical thought. The benefit of this tool, I think, is obvious - it is more difficult to deceive a person who thinks for himself, to impose unfavorable working and living conditions on him, or to drag him into a fraudulent scam. In addition, developing your own opinion is easier and more enjoyable than adopting someone else’s.

How to develop critical thinking? To do this, you need to follow some rules when working with information.

Go to the original sources

“My friend’s friend told me” is the most common source of information; it is also called “word of mouth.” Of course, it is not bad for conveying gossip, which often turns out to be true, but it is hardly worth using it as an authoritative opinion. It’s one thing that “Lenka, it turns out, is already pregnant with her second”, and quite another thing - “Uncle Vasya said that a global default will happen soon, go change your currency urgently.” The first news, at a minimum, does not concern you in any way, but the second can significantly change the course of your life. Moreover, it is not guaranteed that good side. Uncle Vasya may be the best political commentator in the whole neighborhood, but who said that after today’s half-liter his forecasts will be crystal prescient?

I, and you too, have repeatedly seen a picture of general panic generated by rumors - they are buying up bags of salt, buckwheat, and household appliances. And all because “Uncle Vasya said.” No official news, no premises from which one could conclude that there will never be buckwheat in our country again or that money will be abolished, and from now on everyone will pay with irons.

Go to the original sources! They may be official statements from banks, governments or other organizations, laws issued that must be published in the press. To develop critical thinking, you must find the very first point of exit for information, not yet clogged with layers of interpretations, opinions, analytics and everything else - you must study the information in its original form and draw your own conclusions based on personal experience and knowledge.

Don't trust authorities

To understand the root causes, you need to learn to trust only what you see with your own eyes, without using the prism of someone else's perception. All people are stupid to one degree or another, there is not a single one hundred percent sage whose ideas will be true at all times. Something may become outdated, and something may be controversial from the very beginning. Of course, one must rely on the experience and knowledge of scientists and thinkers, but they should only be tools of knowledge, and not a replacement for one’s own opinion.

The development of critical thinking must begin with the understanding that a new idea can be developed only by analyzing pure information from primary sources, and not by joining the herds of admirers of certain trends. By the way, sometimes they are quite absurd.

Get the information right

The main method of assimilation of information that we were taught is mindless memorization. Much more effective method, which not only helps you remember data, but also teaches you how to analyze it - understanding. It is much easier to reproduce facts and concepts that a person has understood than just a set of words that do not have much meaning for him.

To do this, you can create the following operating algorithm. Arm yourself with a piece of paper and a pen. Read the text (watch the video). Write down the main points. Reproduce the information in your own words, based on existing abstracts.

This is the most common retelling that we were asked at school, and which is very difficult for children who are used to cramming everything - they try to reproduce the text word for word, instead of remembering its content.

Finally learn how to write essays, reviews and reports

You may not have been a student for a long time, but in order to develop critical thinking, you need to catch up on lost time Golden time independent writing skill scientific work. This will help you learn work effectively with information, structure it, filter out dubious data, draw conclusions - in other words, think critically.

How to do this correctly? If this is a review, you need to read the book. If it’s an abstract or report, read the encyclopedic articles, extracting from them the information you need.

Study the opinions of experts on this issue, but not in order to bury your own under them, but to find out the history of development human thought in relation to the object being studied. And write. Write what you think, describe the course of your thoughts. Structure your main ideas using subheadings, prepare an introduction at the beginning, and a conclusion at the end. Own. Write everything honestly, so that you like it yourself.

You can take any topic - the main thing is that you are interested in doing this report or essay. If nothing comes to mind, write a review of any book without turning to supporting literature.

In fact, this is the most effective technique development of critical thinking.

***
An opinion developed independently may surprise you with its surprise, or it may turn out to be generally accepted. You may find out that such conclusions belong to the followers of some school or that they have already been expressed by rebels of science opposing established dogmas. It doesn’t matter whether anyone else thought this way before you or not - the main thing is that these are your own conclusions that you can trust. They weren’t forced on you, they weren’t sold, they weren’t given as a gift. A critically thinking person is resistant to manipulation; he will not fall victim to stereotypes or the opinions of the crowd. This separate category people who are able to penetrate into the essence of things, find answers to questions that have tormented humanity, and generate new ideas.

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