Everyone thinks; it is our nature to do so.

But much of our thinking, left to itself, is biased, distorted, partial, uninformed or down-right prejudiced. Yet the quality of our life and that of what we produce, make, or build depends precisely on the quality of our thought. Shoddy thinking is costly, both in money and in quality of life. Excellence in thought, however, must be systematically cultivated. Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action. In its exemplary form, it is based on universal intellectual values that transcend subject matter divisions: clarity, accuracy, precision, consistency, relevance, sound evidence, good reasons, depth, breadth, and fairness. A basic summary of the critical thinking processes can be condensed down into four steps. First, Information gathering. Research the subject you're engaging with the basic questions of "who" are the parties involved in the issue? "What" is the main focus of the subject at hand? "When" did the issue take place? "Where" did all pertinent events occur? Finally, "how" did the events unfold to affect the parties involved? These questions will serve as a guideline for compiling relevant information from which to start further analyzing the issue. From these broader guidelines, you can easily focus on more specific facts to clarify what your main focus should be. Second, Fact analysis. This portion of critical thinking and writing is more akin to "cutting the fat" of an issue, or downsizing the amount of information so that only the most relevant facts are used to move further in the process. Erroneous dates or people can be excluded from the bulk of data so that what remains are the crucial points of the issue. Unsubstantiated facts can hinder your perception of an issue and cloud your judgment moving forward towards drawing a conclusion. Third, Drawing the most logical conclusion. Once the evidence has been weighed and thoroughly pored over, the next step is drawing a well thought-out conclusion. The key to a solid conclusion is minimizing any fallacious statements that could weaken your argument. Identify and eliminate any flaws in the logic of your conclusion, preserving its validity and effectiveness. Once the conclusion is safeguarded from logical scrutiny, it is ready to be presented and evaluated. Fourth, Reflection. This activity in critical thinking and writing is often the most challenging, as it can be difficult to avoid making a bias evaluation of your own work. Consider how reasonable your claims are in relation to the extensive analysis you've performed in drawing the conclusion. Note that your conclusion should be fair and non-exclusive from other valid points of view, but maintains integrity in its statements. Determine whether or not your conclusion addresses the necessary points of the issue in a concise manner. There are two distinct methods for kick starting critical thinking, they are the sponge and panning for gold approaches. The sponge approach emphasizes knowledge acquisition; the panning- or-gold approach stresses active interaction with knowledge as it is being acquired. Although the sponge and panning for gold method / techniques are separate and distinct from one another and are able to be used independently, It is my belief that superior results in ones outcomes regarding critical thinking might be achieved by blending these individual styles of thought. If utilized efficiently one should be able to in my mind absorb copious volumes of available data with a "sponge " approach, and then swap mind frames over to the "panning for gold " mechanism thusly making the best use of both available information and cognitive abilities. Critical thinking can occur whenever one judges, decides, or solves a problem; in general, whenever one must figure out what to believe or what to do, and do so in a reasonable and reflective way. Reading, writing, speaking, and listening can all be done critically or uncritically. Critical thinking is crucial to becoming a close reader and an effective decision maker. If perspective is reality then a paramount goal of the individual should be fashioning an effeciant mechanism to gather and process the glut of information available to obtain a more percise picture of their past, present and possiblly their future circumstances. Expressed in most general terms, critical thinking

is "a way of taking up the problems of life".

M. Neil, B., & Stuart M., K. (2012). Asking the right questions a guide to critical thinking. (10 ed.). Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Ennis, Robert (20 June 2002). "A Super-Streamlined Conception of Critical Thinking". faculty.education.illinois.edu. Retrieved March 12, 2013. Sumner, William (1906). Folkways: A Study of the Sociological Importance of Usages, Manners, Customs, Mores, and Morals. New York: Ginn and Co.. p. 633.