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⌈ Secret Post #2454 ⌋

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Partially I think due to growing up in a very controlling household where I was always told what to do and think, I really struggle to think critically and it bothers me a lot. Is there any way to improve this, like any specific exercises or anything like that?

You'll get a lot of hits if you google "improving critical thinking", but the first few I checked out just looked weird. There is this from a teaching-related page--

How can we help our students learn and/or improve their critical thinking skills? First, they must engage in the activity itself. Some suggested activities include:

Reading: Assign persuasive essays, articles, and other readings that force students to evaluate various forms of material.
Writing: Assign written responses to assigned reading material in which questions must be answered, logical reasoning and analytical understanding demonstrated, and reasonable conclusions drawn.
Discussion: Provide a subject-oriented debate forum for students wherein they may openly discuss and recognize various arguments, judge the credibility of source material, point out the logical fallacies, and talk about how to transfer the information to other situations.
Engaging in Science: Critical thinking is scientific thinking—exploring a subject scientifically provides a way in which to apply reasoning to questions and problems encountered in virtually every academic discipline.
Give feedback on student reading, writing, discussions, and their ability to engage in science. If one of your over-arching learning-outcome goals is to improve higher-order thinking skills, then your accurate, timely feedback is critical.
And finally, know that acquiring critical thinking skills takes time. Developing them takes practice, and not just in one, but in multiple settings. It is never too late to assist students on the life-long journey of critical thinking.

I think the short version is: you practice.

Thanks for replying. I suppose I just wasn't really sure where to start but I guess I can just set myself some essays from the internet or something.

By critical thinking, I'm meaning 1) problem solving, 2) connecting facts in some logical way, and 3) applying 1 & 2.

Maybe book reviews? Searching for symbolism, or relating things to historical context or the author's life. Ex: JK Rowling based dementors on her own experiences with depression. Give specific examples of how she turned emotional/mental problems into this creature. If you created dementors, how would they be different? Thing like that.

I find skills a lot easier to learn if I relate them to something I enjoy.

Or, maybe try finding a small problem and thing of a solution. Then, think of three consequences, then a consequence for each of those. Then, repeat with a different solution. I.e.:

Problem: I need to get my Grandma a present.
Solution 1: Something small and inexpensive. A keychain with her birthstone!
- C 1: She'll appreciate that she can take it with her.
-- C sub1: She'll think of me whenever she grabs her keys.
- C 2: She'll think I'm cheap, and didn't prepare.
-- C sub2: She might be disappointed.
- C 3: It will match the earrings my sister got her.
-- C sub3: She'll think we're both thoughtful and it'll be the best birthday ever!

tl;dr? I guess, try to think of English (or grammar and lit. from wherever you're from) assignments. That's where it's usually taught in school.

Edited 2013-09-22 01:30 (UTC)

I second this

also: read

by goodness READ A LOT

read things from many different authors from very different backgrounds

newspaper opinion pieces, books, blog posts, forums, whatever, analyses of your favorite media, whatever

get a taste for how other people think and your brain will start picking up pieces from here and there until your own critical thinking starts forming itself and refining with experience

and become a good listener. listen to what people think about this or that topic, and compare their points of view with one another

also, consider the source of each opinion: is a certain opinion coming from a bitter person? an inexperience person? a rich person? a poor person? someone who has faced discrimination? someone who has received everything they wanted in life? someone happy? someone angry?

Question everything. That's the first step.

Whenever you read something that you agree with, question it. Look up opinions that oppose it. That's hugely important and most people never do this. They let their opinions get carried away because they only read whatever agrees with them. It makes you think harder when you see an opposite view.

Also check sources! Always check sources. If something is suggested, check to see if they've got legitimate reasons.

Another good tips are to think everything through logically. Does A imply B? If not, then if someone says "Because of A, therefore B", their argument is weak.

[ SECRET POST #2454 ]

Critical thinking

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