This article is published in the December issue of the Meliorist.

It was submitted to the editor

Drew Dennis on November 5, 2015. Ironically, this issue has a theme. There are a majority of
the articles which relate to the brain and cognitive functions. Furthermore, an article which
appear later in the issue, you think too much, somewhat contradicts the thoughts which my
article presents. Regardless, the Meliorist this month is well worth the time to read through.
Wirzba, B., (2015) Critical Thinking: A Life Skill, The Meliorist, Vol. 8 Issue no.3, 10-11.

Critical Thinking: A Life Skill

By: Brayden Wirzba
Written: November 5, 2015
In a world full of illusions, problems, and diverse beliefs, your mind is the most powerful
tool you have to bring a sense of stability to your life. However, your mind is only as potent as
your thought processes. Consider for yourself the following question. When was the last time
you were in an argument, disagreement, or fight with someone else? Now ask yourself, was
your argument grounded in impulsive retaliations, hasty judgements, and biased opinions? For
many of us we can answer yes to the latter question. Therefore, we should be asking the
question, is my thinking sound?

When I argue about something I disagree with, do I

immediately go on the offensive and try and attack what the other person is thinking? It is easier
today more than any other time in history to attack someone without doing it right to their face.
As a result, this has impacted how people today think. Having sound, critical thinking skills is
desirable by managers, professors, family, and friends. It is likewise a first-rate skill to have as a
leader, citizen, friend, and family member. Generally speaking, good thinking pays off in every
situation in life. Yet, your brain is not hard wired to think critically. It is a skill which needs to
be practiced in order to be fully understood. In this article, I will explain what exactly critical
thinking is, how to become a critical thinker, and why you should develop this skill.
It is important to begin by setting up a working definition of what critical thinking is.
This is not as easy as you may think, because critical thinking has a wide range of accepted
definitions. However, there are many things which these definitions have in common. Critical

thinking can be defined as a process which begins with a good question, followed by one making
objective evaluations which results in the thinker making judgements on the information they
have evaluated. In order to make any evaluations and judgements you need to start with a
question or issue to think about. This can be anything from how can I best study for my final
exam? to should Justin Trudeau legalize marijuana?

Both of these questions are not

straightforward questions which everyone would answer the same and for the same reasons.
This is what makes up a good critical thinking question or issue. Furthermore, regardless of the
simplicity or complexity of the question, it is absolutely pivotal to move forward with an open
mind and with the intent of coming to the best possible stance on the issue. This is why critical
thinking is a skill, because it is unnatural to be open-minded about things we disagree with or
have a preconceived stance on. People must cultivate the skill of open-mindedness because it is
the fundamental skill of critical thinking. It is central to critical thinking that you consider
multiple approaches to evaluate. Otherwise, your argument would essentially be with yourself.
This would simply result in you having no additional knowledge or perspective than when you
initially began. Nevertheless, once you are able to entertain arguments you can move onto
making reasoned judgements and conclude the argument. Through the process you will find that
your thinking is becoming sound and less emotion driven. This is the heart and soul of critical
thinking.
Critical thinking is not the end-all and be-all type of thinking. There are many other
different categories of thinking such as innovative, conceptual, and intuitive thinking. Each type
has its own niche where it is most effective. For example, you do not need to think critically
about the degree of enjoyment you had the last time you ate at your favorite restaurant. It simply
does not make much sense to think this way. The interesting thing about critical thinking is that
it often incorporates many of the other types of thinking. This is because critical thinking casts a
wide net in order to incorporate as much information as possible pertaining to the issue or
question. This is what makes critical thinking such a powerful and effective skill.
You may now wonder how and why developing a critical thinking lifestyle can benefit
your life (otherwise why would you try and develop one). As I have already said, critical
thinking is a life skill which can be applied to your personal, social, academic, and work life. I
have also alluded to the fact that our mind is often prone to conditioned thinking, biases,

prejudices, and illogical arguments.

It is not just our minds either.

Everyone has these

tendencies and that is one of the main reasons why arguments happen. It is because we have two
opposing sides who bring different life experiences and knowledge to the table. This is where I
find critical thinking is most useful. Someone who has practiced the skill of critical thinking is
not rash, defensive, and unyielding. These types of thinkers wonder what the strengths of your
argument are. They reasons out the problem to find what the best answer is. When we think of
the notion that we are what we think, would you not want companies who make your favorite
automobile to think critically about how to make a functioning car? Or do you think it is
perfectly fine if they spent 90 percent of the time thinking about what material to upholster the
seats or about how many wheels to put on the vehicle, and 10 percent of the time thinking about
how to arrange the components of the engine. Personally, I do not really want to drive a car with
seven wheels and checkerboard velvet seats. I do not mean to say that the number of wheels and
upholstery should not be critically thought about, but that critical thinking should remain focused
on the issue or question (i.e. how to build a functioning car). Therefore, I think we could agree
that we want the makers of vehicle (and everything else we consume or buy) to give time to the
important aspects which would have an impact on us. Just as we expect this type of thinking
from others, should we not do what we can to obtain this skill ourselves?
In summary, critical thinking is an applicable skill in your everyday life. Although we
are not born with the skill, it can be cultivated and refined over time. Once you have a grasp of
what critical thinking is, you should begin to do it. Then others will experience what critical
thinking is and its power. Hopefully they will follow your example and become critical thinkers
themselves. It will inevitably result in a better world for those around you and yourself.