Before you draw any conclusions about the validity of information or opinions, it’s important to consider more than one point of view. College reading assignments might deliberately expose you to conflicting arguments and theories about a subject, or you might encounter differences of opinion as you do research for a project. Your own belief system will influence how you interpret information, just as others’ belief systems and points of view might influence how they present information. For example, consider your own ideas about the issue of K–12 education in the United States. American citizens, politicians, and others often voice opinions on options such as charter, private, and public schools. What kind of pre-college education do you think is best, and why do you hold this viewpoint?

The more ideas you consider, the more sophisticated your thinking will become. Ultimately, you will discover not only that it is okay to change your mind but also that a willingness to do so is the mark of a reasonable, educated person. Considering multiple points of view means synthesizing material, evaluating information and resources that might contradict each other or offer multiple points of view on a topic, and then honoring those differences. After considering multiple viewpoints and drawing conclusions, the next step is to develop your own viewpoint based on credible evidence and facts, while staying true to your values and beliefs. Critical thinking is the process you go through in deciding how to align your experience and value system with your viewpoint.

This process isn’t necessarily a matter of figuring out the right idea. Depending on the goals of the activity, the “right” idea might simply be the one that you think is the most fun or the most practical, or it might be a new idea of your own creation.

Drawing conclusions based on your consideration of many opinions and other types of evidence involves looking at the outcome of your inquiry in a more demanding, critical way. If you are looking for solutions to a problem, which ones seem most promising after you have conducted an exhaustive search for materials? If you have found new evidence, what does that new evidence show? Do your original beliefs hold up in the face of new evidence? Do they need to be modified? Which notions should be abandoned? Most important, consider what you would need to do or say to persuade someone else that your ideas are valid. Thoughtful conclusions are the most useful when you can share them with others.