Critical Thinking: One of 21st Century Skill That You Must Have

Nowadays, people around the world can easily get information from everywhere and every time, especially on the internet. They also pay much attention in using social media. Many of them quickly believed the information that had been shared in the social media or internet. These are quite problematic because there is a lot of information which also has many different points of view and not necessarily true. If this happens, many people can be affected by the hoaxes or fake news because without thinking critically, you don't know that any of this information is accurate or not. Therefore, you need a skill called ‘Critical Thinking’. In this blog I will try to provide you with some information about critical thinking skills and what you should do to improve it. So, please enjoy reading, friends!

So, WHAT IS CRITICAL THINKING?

John Dewey, a philosopher and psychologist, said critical thinking is an active, persistent, and careful consideration of any belief or supposed form of knowledge in the light of the grounds that support it, and the further conclusions to which it ends. (Dewey, J. 1933). Simply, critical thinking is an ability to analyze information objectively, logically, and systematically. The critical thinking person can determine what they should do and make a reasoned judgment of the information they get. According to latilogika.com, critical thinkers have some characteristics such as just believing and looking for the actual and reliable sources, open-minded, and always weigh the pros and cons.

There are no special conditions that people should have and not only a smart person who can be a critical thinker. We as an ordinary person can be a critical thinker by doing some exercises to improve our critical thinking skill. By doing practice every day you will get used to thinking critically because practice makes perfect.

HOW TO IMPROVE CRITICAL THINKING?

There are some ways to improve our critical thinking skill. Here are the steps you can try when you face every problem or issue that makes you decide or do something with deep consideration.

Step 1.   Try to Question It

When you first hear an information, try to question it so you can decide what to do next. You can ask where they get the information, can it be believed? You also have to understand the meaning or the purpose of the information. You can find the keyword that may help you to find the informant's intent. However, please beware of the ambiguity word!

Step 2.    Assess and Build Some Arguments

You should know that opinions are totally different with arguments. Opinions usually come from an individual's reaction and personal experience. On the other hand, arguments are kind of persuasive sentences which aim to change other people's point of view of something. Arguments need premises to draw the conclusions. The deductive reasoning and inductive reasoning are two kinds of processes in drawing conclusions.

Step 3.    Understand the Generalization

Generalization is the reasoning process by drawing conclusions about a group of things through some facts or information from some members. This cannot be stated as true because the information is just taken from the partial part of the group and personal observation only. You can trust the generalization if: they use more than one of the examples, use many representative samples, and there are contradictory statements that confirm the generalization. Still, you must be aware of the hidden meaning of the generalization statement.

Step 4.   Check and Try to Make an Analogy

A comparison of two things to show their similarities is called an analogy. Analogy belongs to inductive reasoning. By using analogy, you can explain something by saying it is like something else to understand easier. You can make a general example to deliver the analogy. However, the example must be factual and has many similarities with the topic that you try to explain.

Step 5.    Critical in Using the Expert Quotes

In quoting from the expert, you also have to check it carefully. Make sure that the experts are in the appropriate field with the topic you discuss. Although research conducted by experts is not necessarily wrong, you also have to know what is behind it. It is feared that the experts are on one side. Then, if you want to quote a statement; the more experts who agree with that, the more reliable it is. Also, do not believe it right away if you see a quote from the internet. Please check the source, the purpose of making the article and the author qualification. It will save you from a misinformation problem.

Moreover, by getting used to critical thinking you will get many advantages. You can be a creative person and have many options to decide something. If you have a problem, you are not just fixated on one solution you will have many options and many creative ideas. You also easily understand other people from different points of view. Last but not least, critical thinkers can save time. You will be used to deciding carefully whether things will be your priority. You will already know which information is actual and relevant.

In conclusion, critical thinking is an essential skill that you must have in this 21st century. Don't have to be smart to think critically, you just need to practice and get used to it. Therefore, you will find many benefits in critical thinking.

If you have any thoughts on this topic, please share yours on the comment section. This writing is also intended to complete the assignment of the Critical Reading course. Thank you and have a nice day! 😊

Best Regards,

Dias Fatatin B (195110507111013) / C class

References:

Latih Logika. (August 31, 2018). Retrieved from <https://latihlogika.com/>

Dewey, J. (1933). Experience and education. New York: Macmillan, 1933.

Regan, Kadie. (August 5, 2015). 6 Benefits of Critical Thinking. Filtered. Retrieved from <https://learn.filtered.com/>