Thinking Critically about Critical Thinking

I have heard many different definitions of what it means to "think critically". Some definitions focus on the mechanics of critical thinking as it applies to evaluating an essay in a purely academic context. I like to take a more general stance on critical thinking. To me, critical thinking means to make a careful analysis of something before placing judgment. From my experience, that approach would apply to any field of study, work and even daily lives in general.

All of us make judgments about what we see, hear and read everyday. When it comes to reading, however, I have found it much easier to withhold initial judgment upon first glace. I like to read the entire piece first, take notes, and make an informed judgment about the piece only after some thought. Perhaps it is because reading printed words requires a deeper level of analysis than the spoken word? Or perhaps we are condition to think more "critically" of written words thanks to years of English courses? What I find most interesting, however, is that when it comes to spoken words or visual representation of ideas (such as advertising), most of us draw immediate conclusions. We often give little attention to what we hear or see, or what the intention of the message really is. Why is that the case?

I believe that we would be better off if we put the same effort in to critical thought about what we hear and see as we do in the written word. Do we really understand what are our politicians saying to us, for example? If each of us more critically analyzed the information we are presented with in the media, would we so quickly accept what we hear as "truth" or "matter of fact"? Perhaps critical thinking should be taught in a broader context so that one could apply it to life outside of the classroom? Let me give that idea some more critical thought...

To be honest, I am rather excited about the opportunity to hone my critical thinking skills this semester. It's been too long since I had well-structured critical thinking exercises. And I don't just mean critical thinking in an academic sense, but in application to everyday information that we are all bombarded with all the time. I’m sure most of us would agree that as our world "shrinks" in a virtual sense, the amount of information we expected to make sense of increases exponentially. I believe a greater effort on critical thinking about our laws, our values and even our own expression of ideas through writing will make us better citizens - not to mention less gullible! The ability to hold off judgment until all the facts are considered is something I hope to never lose, and always improve.

I sincerely believe that critical thinking has far reaching importance in all of our lives. And more importantly, as I prepare to enter medical school this Fall 2010, my ability to think critically about what I see, or read or hear could actually affect the lives of my patients in profound ways. I can think of no better reason to start honing my critical thinking skills sooner than later.