What is Critical Thinking?

My daughter-in-law passed me some of her old books from her Journalism courses. There are so many captivating segments to read. I have to come up for air and check my surroundings every once in a while.

I found one spot where the challenge of critical thinking was introduced.  What is critical thinking? It is defined as thinking about thinking. Being aware of what you are thinking.

You need to develop the ability to process contemplation and deliberation. Lynn Quitman Troyka mentions in her book Quick Access that the steps, although they intertwine and reverse or go sideways and back again, can still follow a guideline. The acronym SASE is used here.

S= Summarize – use only the information you see. Add nothing.

A= Analyze – Examine by breaking the material into segments. Consider the line of reasoning and the logic used. What is implied? Read between the lines. How does the writing style and choice of words set the tone.

S= Synthesize – Now pool what you have summarized and analyzed together, by applying it to your own experiences.

E= Evaluate – Now that you have completed the previous three steps, judge the quality of the material. Resist the urge to evaluate before you go through the steps.

I find that I speed read or half- listen too much. It has made a few people go – huh? – when I reply to a question asked whether written or spoken. I have to stop this and go back to using critical thinking skills. We were given a brain to use and need to keep it working to keep it healthy. Let’s put it to task everyday! Have you done any critical thinking today?

Sidebar: This is for women going through post menopausal times. I don’t know about you, but I sure find that it is getting harder to focus for any length of time.  Pushing through this is one of the challenges that I face, so I am thankful for the stimulation provided by the fellow bloggers and people in the groups that I visit.