Becoming an Outstanding Critical Thinker

Posted on July 2, 2008 in: IQ Matrix Maps, Life Success

As we go about our days, we tend to perceive, decipher and understand the problems, events and
circumstances of our lives somewhat differently than others. In fact we believe that our
understanding of reality is built upon the foundations of our perceptions – what we take in
through our sensory organs including the eyes, ears, nose, skin, and tongue. This is [...]

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Introduction
As we go about our days, we tend to perceive, decipher and understand the problems, events and
circumstances of our lives somewhat differently than others. In fact we believe that our
understanding of reality is built upon the foundations of our perceptions – what we take in
through our sensory organs including the eyes, ears, nose, skin, and tongue. This is however only
one half of the picture. Our perception of reality is actually built upon the foundations of our
filtering mechanisms, which break down how we perceive the problems, events and
circumstances of our lives as they relate to our thoughts, beliefs, habitual behaviors, emotions
and actions. These filters determine the decisions we make on a daily basis and the perceptions
of reality we bring forth into the world.
Becoming an Outstanding Critical Thinker has more to do with a state of mind rather than the
specific set of tools, techniques or strategies you utilize on a daily basis. It is this state of mind
that will help you to overcome the obstacles and challenges you face on a daily basis. Moreover,
it is exactly this state of mind that will assist you in effectively piercing through the veil of filters
coloring your understanding of the world around you. As a result you will be better prepared to
deal with the problems, challenges and obstacles that are impeding your progress towards your
goals and objectives.

This IQ Matrix delves into the mind of an Outstanding Critical Thinker. The first branch of the
IQ Matrix breaks down the essential traits of critical thinking including it’s advantages, the
characteristics, vocabulary and mindset that is required for outstanding objective thinking. The
second branch of the IQ Matrix delves into the critical thinking process and analyzes the
different types of perspectives that critical thinkers adopt into their everyday thinking patterns.
The final branch of the IQ Matrix expands on a number of effective questions that are essential
to a critical thinker’s habitual thought process as they work their way through the problems
confronting their everyday reality.

This article post is part of an Effective Thinking Series of IQ Matrix Mind Maps that are
designed to help you successfully deal with the problems and challenges confronting your daily
life reality. Topics within this series include:

• Part 1: Strategic Life Questioning Tactics

• Part 2: Unlocking Your Creative Genius Potential
• Part 3: Awaken Your Problem Solver from Within
• Part 4: Becoming an Outstanding Critical Thinker
• Part 5: 6 Thinking Hats: Solving Life’s Complex Problems

A Critical Thinker’s Indispensable Traits

Becoming an Outstanding Critical Thinker requires the adoption of a number of key
characteristics, mindset shifts and traits that will help instill certain habitual thoughts and
patterns of behavior, which are essential to helping you overcome the obstacles and challenges in
your life. This branch of the IQ Matrix delves into these psychological components that are
required for critical thought.

Definition of Critical Thinking

It is the process of critically judging the validity of information through the utilization of an
effective set of criteria that help you to better understand your outcomes, thusly enabling you to
make better and more educated decisions about the problems confronting your reality. The more
effective you become at thinking critically about each and every circumstance in your life, the
more effective your decisions will become, and the more likely you are to achieve your goals and
objectives successfully.

Advantages of Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is an essential habitual thought process that we must regularly learn to cultivate
and grow within the recesses of our minds. Without it we will struggle to make sense of reality.
However, with it we will open new doors of understanding about the events and circumstances of
our lives. Here is a break down of the advantages of critical thought:
Expands Perspective & Possibilities

Critical thinking allows us to see things from unique perspectives that – under normal
circumstances – would not have been evident. By learning to ask the right kinds of questions and
effectively breaking down each angle and avenue for new answers, we expand the possibilities of
the reality we find ourselves in. With this unique outlook we are therefore better able to reach
new solutions and find the answers that will help us to overcome our problems in the most
proficient manner.

Identifies Hidden Facts & Assumptions

Many events and circumstances of our lives are riddled with hidden facts that lead us to make
rushed assumptions about our predicament. By learning to ask the right kinds of critical
questions, you will effectively unveil that which is hidden from view. You will therefore have a
greater array of information to work with in order to reach effective conclusions about the
obstacles that are confronting your present reality.

Builds Confidence, Knowledge & Understanding

Asking the right kinds of critical questions helps us to gain new knowledge, perspective and
understanding about the state of our current life circumstances. As a result of acquiring this
knowledge, we effectively gain the confidence we need in order to overcome the problems and
obstacles in our life successfully.

Helps with Problem Solving & Creativity

Effective critical thinking goes hand-in-hand with problem solving and creativity. When you
think critically about a problem in your life, you essentially open the floodgates to new insights,
encouraging deeper and more creative thought about your circumstances and predicament. Each
of these three methods will help you to gain perspective about your life, and will thusly lead you
to the answers you have been searching for all along.

Mindset of a Critical Thinker

An Outstanding Critical Thinker’s mindset may seem complex at first, and somewhat difficult to
understand. Yet, their habitual thought process essentially works on simple patterns of thinking
that piece information together from a detached and unemotional perspective. They perceive
everything as only being part of a greater and wider canvas that needs to be completely
understood in its entirety before all the answers can be revealed. It is these insights that allow
them to reach effective decisions that further help them overcome seemingly insurmountable
obstacles and challenges confronting their reality.

Ability to Distinguish Between Pieces of Information

An Outstanding Critical Thinker has the ability to distinguish between different chunks or pieces
of information that appear to be very similar on the surface. They fully realize and understand
that if they make quick judgments or assumptions about this information, that they will
effectively misinterpret their circumstances including the foundations of their reality. As a result
they always attempt to separate distinguishing fragments of conflicting pieces of information in
order to gain the widest and most thorough perspective of the events and circumstances they find
themselves in. They consciously and consistently distinguish facts from opinions, causes from
effects, and ideas from assumptions. These distinguishing characteristics allow them to better
understand the world from a completely unbiased and reflective perspective.

Ability to Identify Patterns & Connections

When we take information in through our senses, we naturally tend to categorize and segregate it
within our minds accordingly in a way that will promote a greater sense of understanding and
awareness. We effectively try and make sense of this information based on our understanding of
the patterns evident within it. An Outstanding Critical Thinker will naturally tend to relate with,
and identify a greater array of patterns within a piece of information when compared to the rest
of the population. As a result they are better able to make the necessary connections and
associations with existing memories, thusly leading them to reach insights and conclusions –
about the events and circumstances presented within their reality – that are simply not available
to the rest of us. This is in fact a primary trait that separates the genius thinkers from everybody
else.

Ability to Analyze Information

An Outstanding Critical Thinker always thinks about information from an analytic perspective.
Constantly questioning, ordering, and comparing different aspects of information, they
effectively trigger new insights and understandings that help them to find suitable answers to the
most difficult life challenges.

Characteristics of a Critical Thinker

An Outstanding Critical Thinker has a set of characteristic traits that are essential to effective and
efficient thought. These traits help them to think more proficiently about the problems within
their life. As a result they are able to gather unexpected insights and understandings that help
improve their decision making abilities.

Open Minded

An Outstanding Critical Thinker is always open minded to all possibilities, interpretations and
perspectives. They understand that unless they keep an open mind at all times, that they may
essentially miss important cues and pieces of information that will provide them with new
insights and understandings to successfully overcome the problems confronting their reality.

Has Flexibility of Thought

An Outstanding Critical Thinker completely understands that a flexible and fluid thought process
is required at all times in order to successfully gain new insights and perspectives about the
events and circumstances confronting their reality. They are fully aware that there are always a
variety of ways of looking at a situation, and that there are an endless amount of possibilities and
perspectives available to them at any one moment in time. They therefore maintain their flexible
nature and change course in their thinking, decision making and actions whenever an opportunity
presents itself to move them forward in a more proficient manner.

Vocabulary of a Critical Thinker

An Outstanding Critical Thinker’s vocabulary focuses on breaking down the problems and
circumstances present within their life from a multitude of angles and perspectives. Their words
help bring clarity and understanding to situations that at first may seem foggy and misdirected.
The following is a list of words that Outstanding Critical Thinkers utilize to formulate questions
to the problems confronting their reality: “Meaning, Reasons, Example, Prejudice, Evidence,
Reliability, Viewpoint, Credibility, Explanation, Consequences, Assumptions, and
Relevance”. Each of these words can effectively be formulated into insightful and thought
provoking questions that will help you to break down any problem or situation from a critical
perspective.

Critical Thinking Process for Problem Solving

The critical thinking process for problem solving will help you to gain a wider perspective into
the events and circumstances of your life. These insights will stimulate new ideas and
understandings that will help you to reach solutions and answers that would not have been
possible through standard patterns of thinking. As you progress through this branch of the IQ
Matrix you will discover a simple step-by-step process of critical thought that will improve your
chances of overcoming the obstacles and challenges confronting your reality in the most efficient
and effective manner. You will also be presented with some key insights and perspectives of
critical thought that will become indispensable to your growth as a critical thinker.

Steps for Effective Critical Thinking

The following is one of several methods of critical thought that will help you to break down your
problems in the most proficient manner. As you follow these steps one at a time, it is important
to reflect back on the first branch of the IQ Matrix and cultivate the “Critical Thinking traits”.
This is relevant, because without these traits you will struggle to establish the pattern of thinking
that is required to work through this process effectively.

Knowledge

Your first step to effective critical thought is to tune into your past memories, knowledge and
understanding of this problem or a similar challenge you experienced in the past. Recall how you
dealt with this circumstance identifying the effectiveness and efficiency of your approach. You
are essentially trying to bring forth useful insights and experiences from your past into the
present. Here are some questions to get you started:

What past experiences could be useful in assisting me here?

What could I utilize from my past that would effectively help me here?

How is this relevant to my current circumstances and problem?

Why did these tactics work for me in the past?

Who helped me in the past, and how can they assist me in the present?

Why is all this important? And how can I best utilize it?

Comprehension

Your goal here is to demonstrate your understanding of your current problem or predicament.
You must essentially gather thorough objective insights about the events and circumstances that
are manifesting within your reality. This is best achieved through a process of organizing,
comparing, translating and possibly interpreting your predicament from a variety of angles
and perspectives. This is where the Outstanding Critical Thinker distinguishes between facts and
opinions, between causes and effects, and between ideas and assumptions. Here are some
questions to get you started:

What is really going on here?

How could I look at this problem from a variety of different angles and perspectives?

How does this problem compare with my past experience and understanding?

Application

Your goal here is to take a look at hypothetical solutions to your problem. This is best achieved
through the process of applying your acquired knowledge, facts, and the insights you gained
from the previous two steps in a unique way. We discussed many of these strategies throughout
the Creative Thinking and Problem Solving IQ Matrixes. If you haven’t done so already, than
have a read through them to further your understanding about this step. However, before
proceeding to the questions, it is important to clarify that the key here is to only flex your
understanding about the potential solutions that may be possible. It’s all about possibilities
here, and not so much about probabilities. Hence, keep a flexible approach and gain as clear of a
perspective about your circumstances as is possible. Here are some questions to get you started:

What if…?

How would I best utilize…?

What examples, techniques, objects and tools can I find that could further assist me here?

What approach could I use that would expand the possibilities here?

What would result if I did…?

Analysis

Now that you have loosened your mind through the process of formulating hypothetical
solutions, you are now free to enter the Examination Stage, where you break the information and
knowledge you have gathered into chunks, that will help you to reach effective explanations for
the motives or causes of this problem. By fully understanding the causes, you will be better
prepared to critically examine the concrete solutions within the Synthesis Stage. This is also the
moment where the Outstanding Critical Thinker analyses all the information they have collected
through comparing, ordering and intensive questioning tactics. Here are some questions to get
you started:

How is this related to…?

What is the relationship between…?

What distinctions can I make between…?

What are the possible causes that triggered this problem in the first place?

What possible conclusions can be drawn from this?

What evidence can I find to backup these conclusions?

What other ideas can justify this?

What new possibilities of understanding does this bring to mind?

Synthesis

Now that you have a rough idea of the potential solutions and have pinpointed the causes that led
to the formation of this problem, you are finally ready to synthesize and compile all this
information in a way that will help you gain unique insights into the potential solutions to your
problem. This is where the Outstanding Critical Thinker begins their search for patterns and
connections between pieces of information, helping them to reach new insights and answers that
may not have been evident before. Here are some questions to get you started:

What possible changes could I make to solve this effectively?

How would I potentially improve…?

What would happen if…?

How could I potentially change…?

What could be done to minimize this problem most effectively?

Suppose I could… What would I do?

What could I construct that would change…?

What is the best potential solution for this problem?

How would I test the potential consequences of these outcomes?

Evaluation

Within the final stage of this critical thinking process you must be prepared to defend and test the
validity of the solutions you brought forward throughout the Synthesis Stage. You must
effectively develop a set of criteria that you will utilize to evaluate the potential solutions to your
problem. Without this “set of criteria” you will struggle to find the answers you are after. Here
are some questions to get you started:

How could I prove or disprove the advantages of choosing this method to overcome my
problem?

How could I evaluate this more thoroughly? What new insights could I gain?

How could I be certain of the potential outcomes?

How can I justify that this is the ideal and correct solution? How could I argue against this
justification?

What solution would I choose if…?

Critical Thinking Perspectives

An Outstanding Critical Thinker perceives the world from a vastly different perspective than the
average person. They naturally see things that others don’t because they are not afraid to ask the
difficult questions that will help to open their mind and expand their habitual processes of
thinking. As a result, they reach better insights, understandings, and therefore are able to reach
more effective decisions to help them overcome the challenges and obstacles in their life. The
following is a list of methods that Critical Thinkers use to analyze the problems within their life.
Each step of this analysis process allows them to dig deeper into the underlying factors of a
problem, and thusly enables them to gain a wider perspective of the events and circumstances.

Facts vs. Opinion Analysis

An Outstanding Critical Thinker understands and immediately picks up on the differences

between facts and opinions. They realize that opinions are based on feelings, suggestions and
future predictions. On the other hand, facts are built upon evidence, past events and upon
variables that can easily be proven and measured. They fully realize that the best way to work
through their problems is to base their understanding upon concrete facts that will help them
reach effective solutions to their circumstances.

Fact Based Words – “Has… Was… Is…”

Opinion Based Words – “Could… Should… Might… Possibly… Potentially…”

Definitive vs. Indefinitive Analysis

An Outstanding Critical Thinker takes time to analyze each and every circumstance from a
definitive and indefinite perspective. They understand that they must be very careful not to jump
to any rushed conclusions or make unnecessary assumptions about the events and circumstances
they are experiencing. Yet at the same time, they fully realize the importance of bringing forth all
the possible assumptions that could be made when dealing with this particular problem. This
“Conscious Assumption Awareness” will essentially lead them to the answers they are searching
for. Here are some questions that will help you to break through the assumptions that may be
hindering your understanding about your problems:

What can I directly observe?

What could potentially be misinterpreted here?

What is another explanation for this?

Reliable vs. Unreliable Analysis

An Outstanding Critical Thinker takes time to judge whether or not a certain perspective or piece
of information is reliable or unreliable. They fully understand that if they are unable to identify
the reliability of something, that this could essentially throw them off the beaten track, which
will make it ever more so difficult to overcome the problems confronting their reality. Here are
some questions that will help you break down the reliability of the perspectives you have taken:

Can this perspective be justified?

Where is the evidence for this?

What is it about this that doesn’t quite compute?

Relevant vs. Irrelevant Analysis

An Outstanding Critical Thinker does not waste their time on irrelevant perspectives and pieces
of information. They fully know that focusing on irrelevant information and perspectives will
lead them to a dead-end that could essentially exacerbate their problems even further. As a result
they Zero-In on the most relevant information, perspectives and solutions that will help them to
successfully overcome the obstacles and challenges standing in their way. Here are some
questions that will help you to identify the relevance and irrelevance of the perspectives you
have taken:

Is this really relevant to the outcome I seek to attain?

Is this really relevant to the solutions I hope to realize?

What is most relevant to my outcome, and what should I be focusing my attention on?

What is not relevant to my outcome at all?

Critical Thinker’s Questioning Tactics

Outstanding critical thinking effectively rests upon the quality of questions we regularly ask
ourselves to help us overcome the challenges in life. Our problems have an amazing and all
encompassing power when we fail to control and understand their fickle ways. However, through
the process of asking effective critical questions we gain new insights that open the doors to a
greater sense of control, helping us reach better solutions to our problematic circumstances. This
branch of the IQ Matrix focuses on a simple questioning process that will force you to think
more critically about the problems and circumstances in your life.

Seek Clarification

Whenever first confronted by a problem it is paramount that you immediately seek to clarify
what exactly is going on from a variety of different angles and perspectives. Your goal is to
immediately question yourself and others about the problem, identifying the potential causes,
reasons, meanings and possible solutions that need to be pieced together. Here are some
questions you should ask yourself or others about the problem:

What do you mean when you say…?

Why do you say that?

Could you give me an example of why this is the case?

Can you provide reasons for your perspective and the stance you have taken?

Could you explain that further?

What other possible factors could have triggered this problem?

What else could this mean?

Why is this important?

Can you restate that another way?

Break Down Assumptions

Once you have thoroughly clarified the problem, your next step is to break down all the possible
assumptions that may be coloring your perception of reality. This is achieved through
questioning possible misunderstandings or misleading conclusions that have been made. Here are
some questions you should ask yourself or others about the problem:

Could this potentially be a simple overlooked assumption?

How can you justify this statement?

Why do you think your assumptions hold here?

Why can’t you conclude that?

How can you break this down another way?

Probe Different Points of View

Once you have identified and broken down the possible assumptions that you or others might be
making, you are now ready to probe for different points of view or perspectives that will help
you to understand the problem from a variety of unique angles. Here are some questions you
should ask yourself or others about the problem:

What would someone who disagrees with you say?

Does anyone see this another way? How exactly?

Why have you approached the issue from this perspective?

Have you considered the opposite point of view?

What are some other points of view?

How are other points of view justified?

Probe for Evidence

Having obtained a variety of perspectives and points of view, your next step is to begin
questioning the validity of these perspectives. A few Words of Warning: If you do not validate
these perspectives accurately, they may essentially lead you down the wrong path, and you will
therefore fail to find an effective solution to your problem. Here are some questions you should
ask yourself or others about the problem:

What are your reasons for saying that?

Could you explain your reasons further?

How do you know that’s true?

How does that apply here in this particular situation?

Why did you say that?

Are these reasons adequate?

Probe for Potential Consequences

The final step of this critical questioning process is to question the possible solutions, effects and
implications of the outcomes and perspectives you have reached. Here are some questions you
should ask yourself or others about this problem:

When you say… are you implying that…?

What effect will that have in the short and long-term?

If this is the case, than what else must follow?

What are the possible consequences of this decision?

Is this the only solution that is available, or is there another alternative?

Final Thoughts
Critical thinking is more than just a way of processing, organizing and validating chunks of
information, it is in fact a lifestyle that we must cultivate and adopt into our habitual patterns of
thought and behavior in order to breakthrough the obstacles confronting our everyday reality.
However, many of us may very well ignore this process and continue to go about our daily lives
accepting reality as it appears to be from our limited external perspective. We accept that
problems exist, we accept that circumstances will not go our way, and we accept that
disappointment awaits us around the corner. This act of acceptance breeds lazy habitual patterns
of thinking, acting and decision making, that lock us away into a never changing inflexible
world. We struggle to find answers because we lack the necessary habits of thought that will
allow us to expand our understanding and perspective about our circumstances. As a result we
fail to find the solutions that will awaken our critical thinker from within.

The solution is to begin transforming our perspective through the meticulous process of asking
effective sets of questions that will help us to expand our understanding and awareness about our
reality. Cultivate these critical thinking questions, practice them, work through them, and bring
them forth into your daily patterns of thinking and acting, and you will progressively Become an
Outstanding Critical Thinker.

I hope you enjoyed this post. If you have utilized any of these critical thinking tactics, or would
like to share some of your own, than please feel free to comment below.