How to Learn Critical Thinking. Learning How to Think Critically Makes You Smart.
Some readers may think you have to be smart to think critically. But a corollary is that learning how to think critically makes you smart. The assumption is that one can learn to think critically (that is, be smart). The assumption is correct. Here, I hope to show you how you can become smarter by learning critical thinking skills. Require Yourself to Think Critically When you read or listening to others talk, force yourself to become more attentive and engaged with the information. Asking questions assures engagement. Learn and Look for Common Thinking Errors Unfortunately, most adults are not taught formal logic, even in college. College logic courses are electives and are made confusing by obtuse premises, propositions, and equations. But c ommon-sense logic can suffice. I have posted a list of common thinking errors elsewhere (1). Here are some of the more serious thinking errors: APPEAL TO AUTHORITY OR CONSENSUS: attempting to justify the conclusion by quoting an ...