“Are criticizing and thinking critically the same thing?” Criticize can sometimes mean “find fault with,” and you certainly do not have to be relentlessly negative when you think critically. Instead, critical thinking means, first and foremost, asking good questions—and not simply accepting what you see at face value. By asking not only what words and images mean, but also how meaning gets across, critical thinkers consider why an author makes a particular claim, what he or she may be leaving out or ignoring, and how to tell whether evidence is accurate and believable. If you’re asking and answering questions like these, then you’re thinking critically.