At first, it was quite unclear what the phrase thinking about one’s thinking implies. It sounded like one of those complex phrases we use to show how eloquent we were during the SUG campaign back in the University. Fortunately, I am a good thinker, right? So, I paused to think about what it means to think about thinking. Believe me, I thought of it for a long while and I was almost lost in my thought. Now, how do I get out of my thoughts to think of what I am thinking? I guess I got it all wrong.
After the first Analysis of Business Problems (ABP) class, I understood the context of the phrase, that is thinking in view of solving a problem. Most times, we immerse ourselves in deep meditation on how to solve a problem without a systematic approach to making the right decision. Of course, it will result in poor judgement, ineffective decisions and sometimes health disorders, because this type of thinking increases emotions, anxiety, and stress.
I believe humans think before making any decision, no matter how big or small. If this is the reason we think, then there is a great need to improve on this art by being critical.
Our thoughts are not critical because most of the time we are ruled by our emotions or prior knowledge. To think about what we think is to think critically. Critical thinking is about asking the right questions to help access the meaning and significance of arguments and claims. When we build this skill and make it part of our life, it makes it easier to access evidence, evaluate arguments and adapt our thinking to any situation. Thinking about thinking entails stepping back from the situation to enable you to see all angles and put a lot of options and opinions into perspective before making a judgement and making a good decision. It means identifying the key points, analyzing the source of the information you have and weighing different types of arguments. Hence, critical thinking goes way beyond finding faults in other people’s claims.
If one needs to be critical in thinking, creativity is very important, it plays out different dimensions to tackle the issue at hand. Reflection is another quality of a good thinker, thinking deeply about issues and carefully considering evidence and alternatives to know if one has enough information to decide. Why not practice a little patience and avoid being spontaneous? Finally, adapting the practice of critical thinking to any scenario.
This was the first topic thought in the ABP class. I see the application of this principle not just in making good business decisions alone. It can help us in our daily decision making in other areas of life.
So, when you are in the top gear of your thoughts to solve a problem, maybe you take a break and analyze your thinking process. Are you asking the right question? have you analyzed the information and evidence you have? Do this and you will easily filter what is written from wrong.
#MMBA 3
We must pass oooooo