How to Practice Critical Thinking for Intellectual Health
People have been debating how to practice the art of critical thinking for centuries. I'm sure you've heard of people like Plato, Aristotle, and even Albert Einstein. Still, you don't have to be a genius or a philosopher to practice good critical thinking for your intellectual health. Impact, there are three main ways that you can go about intentionally using critical thinking skills on a day-to-day basis. Keep reading to find out exactly what you need to do to enhance your critical thinking skills which will in turn maximize your intellectual health.
Critical Thinking Practice #1: Ask Questions
The first thing that you want to do if you're trying to practice critical thinking is to ask more questions. A lot of times, we get caught up in the mindset that we shouldn't ask too many questions for fear of appearing illiterate, uneducated, or just downright dumb. You want to know something; this really grinds my gears because how are you going to learn more if you don't ask questions to know more? In short, you can't; therefore, you need to get in the habit of asking questions so that you can gain a better understanding of why something is the way that it is.
Critical Thinking Practice #2: Think Outside the Box
The next thing that you want to practice more of when upping your critical thinking skills is to think outside of the box. We've heard this a lot whenever we were kids, and then once we became adults, we forgot to do that. We see the world as black and white when the reality is that the world is made up of several different colors beyond even gray. Therefore, don't try to take something at face value whenever it's presented to you. There are always multiple angles to look at a situation. Think outside of the box and continue to ask those questions so that you can look at whatever it is from a higher level.
Critical Thinking Practice #3: Use More Logic To Address Questions
But there's no way for you to practice your critical thinking skills is to use more logic when addressing your questions. Many times, people depend heavily on their emotions to answer questions when that is only a small part of the big picture. If you only rely on your emotions to answer questions, then you are forgetting to use your intellect. Knowledge is power, and having knowledge does not mean anything if you're not able to draw upon the knowledge that you've acquired throughout your lifetime. Therefore, when attempting to answer a question or trying to understand something, use logic and rationality in addition to your feelings and emotions. To be honest, whenever you address things from a more logical standpoint, the outcome is much better rounded and unbiased. In other words, it's coming from a place that goes beyond how you're feeling about the situation in the given moment. Instead, your answer is coming from a place of deep thought and consideration.
Now that you've discovered the three elements needed to improve your critical thinking skills, it’s time to put it into action. Let me know in the comments below which of these three were the most useful for you. Also, don’t forget to pick up a copy of Flamingos Who Lost Their Pink to learn more about critical thinking and intellectual health.
