We have meet many people, perhaps we might think that all of them think but how many have you meet that are critical thinkers?
In this paper I will use someone who is very close to me as an example of a critical thinker and I will show why I think this person is a critical thinker. This person to whom Im referring to is my mother. You might think that of all the famous critical thinkers why I chose her. The answer is very clear, because she fits the definition of a critical thinker, and its someone who I can describe very well.
A good critical thinker is someone who approaches a problem with an open mind. Someone who looks at the problem from different angles, analyzing all possible answers and asking questions, and looks for new insights. Critical thinkers are also honest with themselves and know that they dont know all the answers to all the questions. They also base judgment on evidence rather than personal preferences and change their judgment when ever new evidence reveals error. They are also interested in other peoples ideas and are willing to listen and read about them, even when they tend to disagree with them. This is why I think that my mother is a good example of a critical thinker, as you will read with the examples that I provide.
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A very good example of why my mother is a good critical thinker is that when she has a problem at work, she doesnt jump to conclusions. Instead she analyses the possibilities and tries to come up with the best solution based on the evidence she has. One time she needed to put together a team for an advertising project and was asked to choose the members. She could have chosen some of her friends but instead she guided her selection by the contributions of each member to the team and overall project. She looked at the strengths of each member and how it would help the team. She didnt jump into conclusions and base her judgment on her first gut reaction but instead took the time to analyze the facts and make an intelligent decision.
Another example is that she doesnt pretend to know everything. Sometimes when an issue comes up and she isnt too familiar with it shell admit it and try to educate herself more one the subject. She doesnt get offended by unknown issues but instead tries to learn more about them and takes them as good challenges. Sometimes Im on the computer working and she looks over my shoulder to see what Im doing. Shell often ask me what Im doing and if she sees something that I do and she doesnt know what it is then shell ask me to explain it to her. Then shell ask me why I do it this way and maybe if there is another way to do it. She doesnt really have to know what Im doing but she makes an effort to learn something new and understand it.
As I mentioned before, a good critical thinker will also take interest in other peoples ideas and views. I sometimes think differently than my mother but shell hear me out and try to understand my point of view. When there is an argument in the family, shell listen to both sides and counter weight the evidence before making decisions. She also avoids taking sides and seeks a balanced view. Shell try to make both parties come to an agreement and compromise based on the evidence. She could easily take sides based on what she believes and not bother to analyze the evidence but instead will think critically and come up with a good solution.
Critical thinking is a skill we have to exercise in order to get better at it. Its really easy to be lazy and not think critically. We are used to having everything handed to us and not thinking on our own. Now a days with computers practically doing everything for us its hard not to fall into the habit of not thinking but just learning what we have to do and letting it become a routine. Even when we are asked to think on our own, we are sometimes lazy and fall into the commodity of letting our gut instinct guide us in the decisions we make by not considering evidence or other point of view.
When I was thinking about who to choose as an example of a critical thinker I was tempted to use other different celebrities but then I realized that someone very close to me fitted the definition of a critical thinker. I didnt hesitate to use my mother since she is very close to me and I could easily provide the examples needed. And what better person to describe than your own mother.
