Critical Thinking: A Key to Success

Certain things distinguish exceptional people, one of which is critical thinking. Since all we do, feel, or want is influenced by our thought.  Best thinkers survive and are better off in difficult situations. In the past, there are instances we formed a wrong opinion or judged a situation wrongly.  This brings us to the importance of critical thinking. To think critically, the mind needs to know more, and the more information you have, the more capable you are of making decisions that help achieve the desired goal. We have access to information but do not know how to use it to our advantage.

The benefit of critical thinking is numerous and is noted to be crucial to many career paths. Doctors, Lawyers, Accountants, Engineers, and many others. All need critical thinking in their position. Research has shown that critical thinking is one of the most useful skills to have in a workplace, as it helps with innovative ideas to solve problems and with systematic planning. No doubts, critical thinkers make the best choice. Critical thinking helps to develop self-awareness and avoid limiting beliefs. It brings out the quality in you, helps you to believe in your ability, and to be a better person by focusing more on your strength. You are sure to make your own decisions. It also helps to have a well-formed opinion, that is, to ensure that our opinion is based on fact.  It is a skill needed to self-reflect and justifies our ways of life and opinion.

The social aspect of this is that it helps to improve relationships. A critical thinker better understands the perspective of others and helps to have an open mind toward other people’s views. Communication is key in a relationship and a clear expression of thought strengthens the relationship.  Critical thinking is often used as the skill to help formulate our thoughts and communicate clearly and concisely in a relationship; some people think it is maturity. Does critical thinking come with maturity?  The topic for another day.

Critical thinking should be seen as an activity of the mind and be practiced as often as possible. It helps exercise our minds, we become happier by knowing more about ourselves, people, and things around us.

Let us reiterate the steps to critical thinking:

• Clarify your thought by giving specific meaning. If you have several points, state one point at a time and elaborate on each point what you mean. Also, give examples that connect thoughts to life experiences.
• Stick to the point. Select what is important and relevant to your thought. When drifting, frequently ask questions that bring you back to your relevant points. for instance, at every level of your thought process, ask questions like, What truly makes a difference?
• Ask questions to get clarity to thoughts. Question the norm because things are often different from the way they are presented. Learn to become a critic.
• Be reasonable. Be willing to change your thinking when you discover better thinking.