WGU: Critical Thinking

An inference is something we presuppose

False - An inference is a mental step by which one concludes that something is true based on something else being true or appearing to be so. An assumption is something we presuppose.

Intellectual Humility definition

Openness to the possibility that one's beliefs are mistaken and a willingness to reevaluate them in the face of new evidence or persuasive counterarguments.

Characteristics of Critical Thinking

Self-directed Self-disciplined Self-monitored Self-corrective

Relevance Statement: "The company doesn't permit telecommuting because not all of its employees are able to telecommute"

The reasoning is not relevant to the conclusion it informs. Whether or not to permit telecommuting should hinge on its relative advantages/disadvantages for the employer and its workers. By extension of its reasoning, should the company not permit driving to work because its employees don't all have cars?

The following correctly reflects the relationship between the standards of thinking, the elements of thinking and intellectual traits?

The standards must be applied to the elements as the critical thinker learns to develop intellectual traits. This accurately represents the relationship between the standards, elements, and intellectual traits involved in thinking.

Clarity Statement: "The movie was interesting"

The statement could mean almost anything and therefore conveys nothing. What made the movie interesting? Is "Interesting" good, bad, or neutral? A clearer statement would be: "The movie was interesting because it explored a set of complex characters in a riveting story with multiple plot twists."

Precision Statement: "The crime rate increased significantly"

The statement indicates nothing specific about the magnitude of the increase. A precise statement would be: "The number of crimes in community A increased from 120 in 2008 to 360 in 2009, an increase of 300%"

Accuracy Statement: "There are 12 main standards of critical thinking"

The statement is clear and precise. But it is not accurate. There are 9 main standards.

Minds performs three basic functions

Thinking Feeling Wanting

Weak-Sense critical thinking

Thinking that does not consider counter viewpoints, that lacks fair-mindedness and that uses critical thinking skills simply to defend current beliefs.

Thinking through Implications

Three kinds of implications may be involved in any situation: Possible Every time you ride your bike, one possible implication is that you could suffer a fall. Probable If you don't slow down when riding your bike on a winding downhill road, one probable implication is that you will suffer a fall. Necessary If you ride your bike "no hands" while accelerating on a winding downhill road, one inevitable implication is that you will suffer a fall. Often we don't sufficiently think through the implications of a situation, problem, or decision. And when we don't, negative consequences usually ensue. A consequence is what in fact happens in some situation. When we are able to make sound inferences about possible, probable, and necessary implications in any given situation, we can maximize positive consequences and minimize negative ones.

Accuracy

To be accurate is to represent something as it actually is We think accurately when our reasoning expresses how things actually are Common barriers to accurate reasoning: Presuming one's own thoughts are automatically accurate Presuming others' thoughts are inaccurate when they disagree with us Failing to question statements that validate what we already believe Questions it implies: How can we determine if that is true? How can we verify the accuracy of that?

Intellectual unfairness

is the opposite of fair-mindedness - Feels no responsibility to represent viewpoints with which they disagree fairly and accurately. To be intellectually unfair is to always see yourself as right and just. And unfairness nearly always involves an element of self-deception.

fair-mindedness

is to bring an unbiased and unprejudiced perspective to all viewpoints relevant to a situation- is to consider all relevant opinions equally without regard to one's own sentiments or selfish interests. Also to do so without reference to the sentiments or selfish interests of one's friends, community or nation. - Involves adherence to intellectual standards (e.g. accuracy, sound logic, clarity and depth of thought), uninfluenced by whatever advantage one or one's social group enjoys.

Egocentrism

the tendency to view everything in relationship to oneself

Stereotype

A fixed or oversimplified conception of a person, group or idea

Distinguishing between inferences and assumptions

A key skill to master in critical thinking is that of distinguishing inferences from assumptions. These crucially related elements frequently get confused. To review their basic meanings:•An inference is a mental step by which one concludes that something is true based on something else being true or appearing to be so. For example, if you spot a campaign bumper sticker on someone's car, you infer that that person will vote for the candidate named on the bumper sticker. An inference can be accurate, logical, or justified. Conversely, it can be inaccurate, illogical, or unjustified. •An assumption is something we presuppose. We take its truth for granted. Because we do, we don't question it. Assumptions are part of our beliefs, which we use to interpret the world around us. People routinely use their beliefs as assumptions and make inferences based on those assumptions. We rely on assumptions and inferences because we cannot make sense of our world—we cannot judge, interpret, or conclude—without them. The conclusions we draw in many situations are based on assumptions that operate at an unconscious versus conscious level. Critical thinking strives to bring what is subconscious in our thinking to conscious realization. To the extent it succeeds, it makes us more aware of how we shape our experiences through our inferences. Skilled critical thinkers learn to distinguish their experience from their interpretation of that experience (i.e., inferences they make about it). They realize that whatever inferences they draw are influenced heavily by their point of view and the assumptions they have made. People often make different inferences because they approach situations from different points of view. Awareness of the inferences we make and the assumptions on which they are based allows us to begin to take command of our thinking. We make countless assumptions without thinking about it. Most are sound and justifiable. Some are not. Our assumptions—good or bad—are the basis for our inferences. The goal for the critical thinker is to be able to distinguish the warranted assumptions from the unwarranted ones.

Question

All reasoning is directed at some question. In any reasoning context, the critical thinker should ask... •What question needs to be answered? or •What problem needs to be solved? or •What issue needs to be resolved? As an aspiring critical thinker, you need to learn how to clearly frame the question, problem, or issue at which your reasoning is directed.

Thinking to Some Purpose

All thinking pursues a purpose or is directed to some end. When we think, we have something we are trying to achieve. To understand anyone's thinking (including our own), we must understand the direction in which it is moving and the ends it seeks. But the very nature of thinking may complicate our capacity to grasp its purpose. For example: •We don't always realize what we're aiming for when we think. It's not obvious to us. So while there's always a purpose in thinking, the thinker is not always mindful of it. A key to critical thinking is to consciously realize the goals of thinking. •The stated goal of our thinking might not be our real goal. For example, we might think that pure benevolence drives our charitable giving when our actual purposes are to reap a tax write-off and receive public recognition for our generosity. As a critical thinker, never assume that: a.your purposes are consistent with one another; or b.your announced purposes are your actual purposes

To Think Critically

Analyze Assess Reconstruct

Second Order Thinking definition

Another term for critical thinking. It is first-order thinking (or ordinary thinking) that is consciously realized (i.e. analyzed, assessed and improved.)

Deal with your ego

Be conscious of how your behavior is driven by egocentric thinking. To sharpen your observation of your own ego in action, consider daily questions like the following: •Did I behave irrationally in order to get my way? •Did I try to impose my will on others? •Did small things make me irritable? The first step is to identify egocentric thinking in action. Once you do, you can strive to replace it with more rational thinking. The path from egocentricity to rationality is systematic self-reflection.

Practice intellectual strategies

Choose a strategy from among those outlined in Chapter 17 (on strategic thinking) of Critical Thinking: Tools for Taking Charge of Your Learning and Your Life. Apply it. As you do, record your observations on what you learn about yourself and how you can use the strategy to better your thinking.

Standards of Critical Thinking

Clarity Accuracy Precision Relevance Depth Breadth Logic Significance Fairness

Nine Standards of Critical Thinking

Clarity Accuracy Relevance Logic Breadth Precision Significance Fairness Depth

Intellectual Humility

Commitment to discovering the extent of one's own ignorance on any issue Recognition that one does not—and cannot—know everything Consciousness of one's biases and prejudices Aware of the limitations of one's viewpoint Recognition that one should claim only what one actually knows Awareness that egocentrism is often self-deceiving (i.e., convinces the mind that it knows more than it does)

Keep an intellectual journal

Compose a certain number of journal entries weekly. Use the following entry format: •Describe only events or situations you care deeply about •Describe one event or situation at a time •Describe your behavior with respect to the event or situation (What did you say and/or do? How did you react?) •Analyze exactly what was occurring in the event or situation. Your analysis should plumb beneath the surface. •Assess the implications of your analysis. (What did you learn? What would you do differently if you could relive the event or situation?)

Intellectual Courage

Confronting ideas, viewpoints, or beliefs with fairness, even when doing so is painful Examining fairly beliefs which one has strong negative feelings and toward which one has previously been dismissive Challenging popular belief Leads us to recognize that ideas which society deems dangerous or absurd may hold some truth or justification Fortifies us to confront false or distorted ideas embraced by social groups to which we belong

Analyze group influences on your life

Contemplate the impact on how you act of social groups to which you belong. Analyze what behavior is encouraged and discouraged, respectively. What does any given group expect, or even require, you to believe? What are you proscribed from doing? Recognizing how one's social memberships influence what one thinks and how one behaves is vital to one's development as a critical thinker.

Second Order Thinking

Critical Thinking First-order thinking that is consciously realized (i.e. analyzed, assessed and reconstructed)

Intellectual Courage to Fair-mindedness

Critical thinkers don't link their self-identities to their beliefs. They define themselves according to how they arrive at their beliefs (i.e., the intellectual process) Refusing to connect one's identity with one's beliefs fosters greater intellectual courage and fair-mindedness

Handle one problem per day

Each day, choose one problem in your life to think through systematically. Identify its elements in order to figure out the logic of the problem. Ask yourself, what exactly is the problem and how can it be formulated as a question?

Internalize intellectual standards

Every week, incorporate one of the following universal intellectual standards into your thinking: •clarity •accuracy •precision •relevance •depth •breadth •logic •significance •fairness For example, say you focus on precision for the week. Try to notice whenever you are imprecise in communicating with others. Be alert to when your position in an argument lacks specifics. When you read, be conscious of the absence of details offered by the author to support a point.

Confidence in Reason to Fair-mindedness

Fair-mindedness is impossible if one does not appreciate the importance of reason One cannot be fair-minded if one won't seriously consider sound reasoning with which one disagrees

Intellectual Autonomy to Fair-mindedness

Fair-mindedness isn't possible without intellectual autonomy because reasoning things out from others' vantage points requires independent thinking

Intellectual Empathy to Fair-mindedness

Fair-mindedness requires a sincere attempt to inhabit the perspectives of other people in order to fathom their thinking One can't be fair to the reasoning of others if one has not genuinely tried to understand it

Intellectual Humility to Fair-mindedness

Fair-mindedness requires us to first recognize the ignorance and flaws in our own thinking and to comport ourselves accordingly. It requires self-awareness and a willingness to examine the limitations of one's own point of view. Being a fair-minded thinker means habitually applying the standards of reasoning to one's own thinking in an effort to improve it.

Intellectual Integrity to Fair-mindedness

Fair-mindedness requires us to think and act in compatible ways Those blind to contradictions and inconsistencies in their own thinking and behavior can't reason well through ethical issues involving themselves

Acknowledging different sources of point of view is an argument for intellectual relativism?

False - Acknowledging that different sources shape point of view is not an argument for intellectual relativity, i.e., the claim that nothing is provable because everything is relative. Observing things from a particular point of view does not render one unable to distinguish accurate from inaccurate statements.

Feeling

Feeling monitors the meanings created by thinking. It evaluates the degree to which life's events are either positive or negative, given the meaning we assign to them. This function continually informs us how we should respond emotionally to what is happening in our lives. Tells us how we are doing •happy •sad •depressed •anxious •stressed •calm •worried •excited

Fallacies definition

Flaws or errors in reasoning which, when found in the premise of an argument, invalidated its conclusion

Intellectual Integrity

Holding oneself to the same rigorous intellectual standards that one expects others to meet Practicing daily what we preach to others Admitting flaws and inconsistencies in our own thinking Identifying weaknesses in our own thinking Basic measure: extent to which one's beliefs and actions are consistent (i.e., one doesn't say one thing and do another)

Redefine the way you see things

How one defines a situation — the meaning one ascribes to it — drives how one feels about it and acts in it. Be mindful that nearly any situation can be defined in more than one way. This fact presents you a prime opportunity to make your life more constructive and fulfilling. Many situations in our lives that we define negatively could be redefined positively. When we transform a "con" into a "pro," we gain rather than lose. So practice redefining the way you see things. Convert negatives into positives, mistakes into learning opportunities, and dead-ends into new directions.

Weak-sense Critical Thinking

Ignore the flaws in their own thinking Often seek to win an argument through intellectual trickery or deceit Lacks key higher-level skills and values of critical thinking Makes no good faith effort to consider alternative viewpoints Lacks fair-mindedness Employ lower-level rhetorical skills (making unreasonable thinking appear reasonable, and reasonable thinking appear unreasonable) Employ emotionalism and intellectual trickery Hide or distort evidence

Inferences

In reasoning, we sometimes begin with something we know (or at least, which we believe we know) and figure out something else based on it. When we do so, we make inferences. For example, if one drives by a store and sees no cars in the parking lot or lights in the window, one infers that the store is closed. To make inferences is to come to conclusions. We continually make inferences about people, events, and things in our everyday lives.

Which of the following is an element of critical thinking?

Inferences - Inferences are elements of critical thinking.

Intellectual Empathy

Inhabiting the perspectives of others in order to genuinely understand them Requirements •Ability to reconstruct other people's viewpoints and reasoning •Ability to reason from premises, assumptions, and ideas not one's own •Motivation to concede when one was wrong in the past despite a strong conviction of being right at the time •Ability to imagine being similarly mistaken in a current situation

Intellectual Traits

Intellectual Humility Intellectual Autonomy Intellectual Integrity Intellectual Courage Intellectual Perseverance Confidence in Reason Intellectual Empathy Fair-mindedness

Defining Traits

Intellectual Humility Intellectual Courage Intellectual Empathy Intellectual Integrity Intellectual Perseverance Confidence in Reason Intellectual Autonomy

Intellectual Humility Opposite

Intellectual arrogance •Overestimation of how much one knows •No insight into self-deception or into the limitations of one's viewpoint

Intellectual Autonomy Opposite

Intellectual conformity •Intellectual dependence •Society rewards conformity of thought, which perpetuates the status quo (political, economic, or intellectual), while providing scant incentive for true intellectual autonomy

Intellectual Courage Opposite

Intellectual cowardice •Fear of ideas that do not conform to one's own •Deters serious consideration of ideas, beliefs, or viewpoints perceived as dangerous •Threatened by ideas when they conflict with our self-identity (e.g., conservative or liberal, believer or nonbeliever, etc.)

Intellectual Integrity Opposite

Intellectual dishonesty •Marked by contradictions and inconsistencies of which the perpetrator is unconscious •Hiding our hypocrisy from ourselves (due to naturally egocentric mind) •Regarding ourselves as fair even when we expect others to follow much more rigorous standards than those we impose on ourselves

Confidence in Reason Opposite

Intellectual distrust of reason •Lack of confidence in reason •Inclines us to assert the truth of our own beliefs, flawed though they might be

Intellectual Perseverance Opposite

Intellectual laziness •Giving up quickly when confronted with a tough intellectual challenge •Reflects a low tolerance for mental struggle or frustration

Intellectual Empathy Opposite

Intellectual self-centeredness •Thinking centered on self •Renders us unable to understand others' thoughts, feelings, and emotions •Won't permit us to consider problems or issues from a vantage point other than our own

Intellectual Perseverance to Fair-mindedness

Lack of intellectual perseverance impedes fair-mindedness We can't understand others' (complex) viewpoints unless we're willing to undertake the hard intellectual work of reasoning through them

First Order Thinking

Ordinary Thinking Spontaneous and non-reflective Contains insight, prejudice, good and bad reasoning Indiscriminately combined

Breadth

Our reasoning is broad when it considers the issue at hand from every relevant viewpoint Breadth directs us to look around us, at alternative or opposing perspectives Failure to duly consider points of view pertinent to an issue is to think narrow-mindedly Questions it implies: Do we need to consider another point of view? and/or Do we need to look at this in other ways?

Depth

Our reasoning is deep when it: Plumbs beneath the surface of an issue or problem to identify the underlying complexities; and addresses those complexities in an intellectually responsible way Depth directs us to delve deeper into an issue Questions it implies: What are some of the complexities of the question? and/or How do you take into account the problems in the question?

Significance

Our reasoning should concentrate on the most important information relevant to the issue at hand Our thinking falters when we fail to recognize that not all information which happens to be pertinent to an issue is equally important Questions it Implies: Which of these ideas is most important and/or Is this the central idea to focus on?

Clarity (Clearness)

Our thinking is clear when it is easily understood; We must be clear in our own mind about what we mean We must express what we mean clearly so others understand us Clarity of thought enables us to see where our thinking is leading us We can't determine either the accuracy or relevance of a statement if it is unclear Questions it implies: Could you elaborate on that point? or Could you give me an example?

Fairness

Our thinking is fair when it is justified To be Justified is to think fairly in context Thinking that satisfies all other fundamental intellectual standards satisfies the standard of justifiability Examples of unfairness in reasoning: refusing to consider relevant information that would lead us to change our view using concepts unjustifiably to manipulate people making unjustified assumptions (unsupported by facts) that lead to flawed inferences Questions it Implies: Are my assumptions justified? and/or Am I taking full account of the thinking of others?

Eight Elements of Reasoning

Parts of Thinking or Fundamental structures of thought Purposes Questions Assumptions Implications Information Concepts Inferences Points of View

Thinking Across Points of View

Point of view is among the most challenging elements to master. Most of us lack a clear sense of how to identify point of view—whether it be someone else's or our own. One's dominant point of view is some composite of these sources. Most people lack awareness of how much these factors shape their point of view. One typically thinks: This is how things are. rather than This is how I see things from the point of view of [time/culture/gender, etc.] As a result, it's easy to lose sense of our partiality in how we view things. Acknowledging that different sources mould point of view, Paul and Elder observe, is not an argument for intellectual relativity, i.e., the claim that nothing is provable because everything is relative. Observing things from a particular point of view does not render one unable to distinguish accurate from inaccurate statements.

Confidence in Reason

Proceeds from the belief that both the individual's and society's higher interests are best served by unfettered reason Encourages people to arrive at their own conclusions through their own powers of rational thinking Faith that we can learn to: •think for ourselves •reach well-informed viewpoints •draw reasonable conclusions •think clearly, accurately, relevantly, and logically •persuade one another through sound reasoning and evidence •be reasonable despite fundamental barriers to reasonableness in human nature and social life

Purpose

Purpose is the goal or objective of reasoning. It describes the desired outcome or intent (e.g., winning an argument, grasping a complex concept, justifying one's behavior). We can identify purpose in anything that entails reasoning. The critical thinker always asks what function reasoning serves and in what direction it is moving.

Universal Elements of Reasoning

Purposes Questions Assumptions Implications Information Concepts Inferences Points of View

A well-cultivated thinker:

Raises vital questions Gathers and assesses relevant information Reaches well-reasoned conclusions and solutions Thinks open-mindedly Communicates effectively with others

Points of View

Reasoning always takes place within some point of view. It has some comprehensive focus or orientation. The same issue considered from different points of view may appear not at all the same. Each of us is at the center of our own point of view. We see from our vantage point. The critical thinker must be able to identify within which point of view reasoning occurs. From what perspective or angle (e.g., conservative or liberal, religious or secular, political or cultural) is an issue being looked at or characterized?

Implications and consequences

Reasoning delivers us to a position or viewpoint about something. The implications of our reasoning are what extend beyond the position we reach. They form the answer to the question, "What follows from our reasoning?" Suppose we reason to the conclusion that tobacco should be banned by law because tobacco is a grave public health hazard. One implication of our reasoning might be that a ban should also be considered on the sale of high-fat foods, which are implicated in epidemics of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Assumptions

Reasoning has to begin somewhere. It begins with our assumptions. These encompass everything we take for granted as true in order to figure out something else. For example, suppose you're the new general manager of a pro baseball team that just finished in last place. As you undertake to improve the team, you might assume that... •Its won-lost record reflects its talent level •You need better players •You must spend more money to upgrade your roster Assumptions are always present in any form of reasoning. They lie at the heart of arguments. But people usually don't openly express their core assumptions when they reason. Being able to identify assumptions (others' and our own) is essential to critical thinking.

Precision

Reasoning is precise when it is specific, exact, and sufficiently detailed Precision is related to clarity but distinct from it. Something may be clear but not precise. For example: I am going to the party soon (clear but imprecise) I am going to the party at eight o'clock (clear and precise) Questions it implies: Could you provide more details? or Could you be more specific?

Assessing Information

Reasoning requires some information as part of one's thinking. As critical thinkers, we must: •Seek trustworthy information sources •Be vigilant about information sources we use •Be alert to the use we make of our own experience, which could be biased, distorted, or self-deluded. (As Paul and Elder point out, biased experience supports bias, distorted experience supports distortion, and self-deluded experience supports self-delusion)

Concepts

Reasoning takes form in concepts. These are general categories or ideas by which we interpret or classify information used in our thinking. When we think about anything (for example, a new law), we reason based on some concept of that thing (for example, its fairness or unfairness). The concept, not the thing itself, is what we hold in our mind as our understanding of it. Most of us take our concepts for granted. Critical thinking requires us to be aware of the concepts we hold and consider how they drive our reasoning.

Reshape your character

Select one intellectual trait (e.g., intellectual humility, courage, empathy, etc.) each month to aspire toward. Focus on what you can do to cultivate that trait in yourself.

Relevance

Something is relevant when it pertains to the problem we seek to solve Thinking is relevant when it focuses on what is important--on what matters--in understanding or deciding the issue at hand Irrelevant thinking dwells on what properly should be set aside or disregarded Questions it implies: How does this idea relate to the issue? and/or How does your claim bear on the question?

Strong-Sense Summarized

Strong-Sense critical thinkers strive to be ethical and empathize with others' viewpoints. They will entertain arguments with which they do not agree and change their views when confronted with superior reasoning.

Strong-sense Critical Thinking

Strong-sense critical thinking is defined by a consistent pursuit or what is intellectually fair and just. Strive to be ethical Strive to empathize with others' viewpoints Will entertain arguments with which they do not agree Change their views when confronted with superior reasoning Employ their thinking reasonably rather than manipulatively Strong-sense critical thinking requires fair-mindedness combined with learning basic critical thinking skills. Consider all thinking by the same standards Expect good reasoning from supporters as well as opponents Apply the same critical criteria to our own logic as to others' reasoning Recognize the actual strengths and weaknesses of any reasoning we assess

The Standards must be applied to

The Elements as the critical thinker learns to develop Intellectual traits

Sophistry

The ability to win an argument regardless of flaws in its reasoning

Intellectual empathy definition

The act of routinely inhabiting the perspectives of others in order to genuinely understand them

Intellectual Perseverance definition

The act of working one's way through intellectual complexities despite frustrations inherent in doing so

Sociocentrism definition

The assumption that one's own social group is inherently superior to all others

Fair-mindedness

The commitment to consider all relevant opinions equally without regard to one's own sentiments or selfish interests.

Egocentrism definition

The tendency to view everything in relationship to oneself and to regard one's own opinions, values or interests as most important

Taking Command of Concepts

Thinking about a thing becomes possible only when one has conceptualized it in some way. The individual must create that conceptualization and then fit it into a larger network of concepts. We "decode" things in our experience through the power of our mind to create concepts of them and make inferences based on such conceptualization. This happens so routinely and automatically that we don't typically recognize ourselves doing so. The skilled critical thinker embraces the mind's power to create concepts through which the world is seen and experienced. To take command of your thinking, you must: a.become master of your own conceptualizations; and b.not become trapped in one set of concepts One must also achieve a true command of the use of words, of the distinctions between words and turns of phrase (e.g., needing vs. wanting, stubbornness vs. courage of one's convictions), before one can properly conceptualize things.

Thinking

Thinking creates meaning. It sorts events in our lives into categories. It finds patterns in the world around us. Thinking informs us what is going on. Makes sense of the world •judging •perceiving •analyzing •clarifying •determining •comparing •synthesizing

Intellectual Autonomy

Thinking for oneself while adhering to standards of rationality Hallmarks •Reasoning through issues on one's own rather than uncritically accept others' viewpoints •Relying on one's own reasoning when deciding what to or what not to believe •Accepting others' views only so far as they are reasonable in light of the evidence

Logic

Thinking is logical when thoughts and the order in which they are organized are mutually supportive and make sense in combination Thinking that is internally contradictory or includes conflicting ideas is not logical Questions it Implies: Does all this make sense together? and/or How does that follow from the evidence?

Strong-Sense Critical Thinking definition

Thinking that uses critical thinking skills to evaluate all beliefs, especially one's own, and that pursues what is intellectually fair and just.

Relationship among the Elements

Thinking to Some Purpose Taking Command of Concepts Assessing Information Distinguishing between inferences and assumptions Thinking through Implications Thinking Across Point of Views

aspiring critical thinkers lay a foundation for improving their thinking.

Use "wasted" time Handle one problem per day Internalize intellectual standards Keep an intellectual journal Practice intellectual strategies Reshape your character Deal with your ego Redefine the way you see things Get in touch with your emotions Analyze group influences on your life

Wanting/Motivation

Wanting allocates energy into action. It does so consistent with how we define what is desirable and possible. Wanting continually tells us what is (or is not) worth seeking or getting. Drives us to act as we do •goals •desires •purposes •agendas •values •motives

Use "wasted" time

We all waste at least some time in the course of our daily lives. We don't always manage it well or use it productively. Why not capitalize on the time you routinely squander by using it to practice thinking about your thinking? For example, say you regularly get stuck in traffic on your commute home from work or school. Instead of stewing behind the wheel while distractedly listening to the radio, you could use the time to mentally review your day, evaluating your thinking for its strengths and weaknesses.

Information

We use information whenever we reason. Information takes many forms: statistical data, our observations, others' testimony, etc. In thinking critically about an issue, we must determine what information is relevant to it. We rely on information to direct us to a supportable conclusion. Reasoning often follows from bad or incomplete information. Therefore, the critical thinker must be able to skillfully evaluate information for accuracy and completeness. We need to recognize when we don't have sufficient information to draw a reasonable conclusion

Weak-Sense Summarized

Weak-sense critical thinkers ignore the flaws in their own thinking and often seek to win an argument through intellectual trickery or deceit

Get in touch with your emotions

Work to identify the causes of negative emotion in your personal experience. Ask yourself a couple of questions: •What, exactly, is the thinking that leads to this emotion? •How might this thinking be flawed?

Intellectual Perseverance

Working one's way through intellectual complexities despite frustrations inherent in doing so Not giving up when confronted by complicated problems that don't lend themselves to easy solutions Hallmarks •Reasoning through complex issues carefully and methodically •Following rational principles rather than trusting initial impressions and simplistic answers •Realizing that true understanding or insight comes only when one grapples with confusion and unsettled questions over time

Sociocentrism

the assumption that one's own social group is inherently superior to all others