At the start of the chapter, we introduced the concepts of slow and fast thinking. While fast thinking has its place, improving your slower and more logical thinking abilities will allow you to become a better learner. But you might notice that some people seem to do no real thinking at all, or at least no thinking of their own.
People who do not develop their thinking skills often make spur-of-the-moment decisions based on what seems easiest, results in the least conflict, or conforms to preconceived notions. You probably know a lot of people like that—who do not think critically, depend on others to think for them, and assume that what they believe is true simply because they wish, hope, or feel that it is true. You might also know people who like things just because they are popular, and still others whose beliefs may be based on what they heard growing up, without ever examining the underlying assumptions that support those beliefs. As you might have noticed, the followers, the wishful believers, and the rigid thinkers tend not to have much control over their lives or to have any real power in business or society.
The slow thinkers, those who use critical-thinking skills, are different. They examine problems, ask questions, suggest new answers that challenge the existing situation, discover new information, question authorities and traditional beliefs, make independent judgments, and develop creative solutions. Being a good critical thinker does not mean that you are “critical” or negative in your dealings with others. Rather, the term refers to thoughtful consideration of the information, ideas, and arguments that you encounter. When employers say they want workers who can find reliable information, analyze it, organize it, draw conclusions from it, and present it convincingly to others, that means they want employees who are good critical thinkers.
Whatever else you do in college, make it a point to develop and sharpen your critical-thinking skills. You won’t become a great critical thinker overnight. With practice, however, you can learn how to tell if information is truthful and accurate. Thinking critically—mastering slow thinking—will help you make better decisions, come up with fresh solutions to difficult problems, and communicate your ideas effectively.
Make Good Choices
If You Had a “Do-Over”
Think about a past problem or difficult situation you were unsuccessful in solving. If you could go back in time, how would you choose to solve the problem to get the outcome you desire? What would you do differently? What different choices would you make? Could you more deliberately use slow thinking in approaching the situation?
It will be interesting to see how your critical-thinking skills change over the next few weeks and months. Given where you are currently, rate yourself as a “critical” thinker. At the end of the term, return to this table, and see how much you’ve changed.
Circle the number that best fits you in each of the critical situations described below.
| Critical Situations | Never | Sometimes | Always |
| In class, I ask lots of questions when I don’t understand. | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 | ||
| If I don’t agree with what the group decides is the correct answer, I challenge the group opinion. | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 | ||
| I believe there are many solutions to a problem. | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 | ||
| I admire those people in history who challenged what was believed at the time, such as “the earth is flat.” | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 | ||
| I make an effort to listen to both sides of an argument before deciding which way I will go. | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 | ||
| I ask lots of people’s opinions about a political candidate before making up my mind. | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 | ||
| I am not afraid to change my belief system if I learn something new. | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 | ||
| Authority figures do not intimidate me. | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 | ||
The more 7–10 scores you have circled, the more likely it is that you use your critical-thinking skills often. The lower scores indicate that you may not use critical-thinking skills very often, or that you use them only during certain activities.