Can Critical Thinking Skills Be Improved?

The short answer is yes. We are all different in a myriad of ways. Age, sex, IQ, genes, culture, beliefs, knowledge, life experiences, and education are just some factors that make us unique. We all learn at different rates and in different ways. Although these are important, so is the desire and willingness to learn and stretch past our comfort zone. For many, climbing out of one’s box and viewing the world with new eyes and ears can be scary. Explore new ways of doing things and trust yourself to be an independent thinker. Critical thinking can be engaging, exciting, and mind-expanding and can be used in any endeavor. Here is a story of a resourceful critical thinker who had a curious and open mind, was fearless, and revolutionized a sports event forever.

The Fosbury Flop - In the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, a high jumper named Dick Fosbury introduced the world to a unique jumping method. Instead of the standard straddle jump, the dominant high jump technique at the time, Fosbury cleared the bar with his back first, giving him a higher center of mass, making him more aerodynamic, and generating power and momentum. It was safer than the straddle jump. Although Dick Fosbury had been using his weird-looking jump since high school, it was the 1968 Olympics that brought him and his jumping style to international fame.

Fosbury won the gold medal in the high jump, and his strange style was coined “The Fosbury Flop.” His unique style became the dominant way of high jumping, which continues today for elite high jumpers. In short, the sport of high jumping was changed forever. Fosbury believed in himself, used strong critical thinking skills to create a new and better jumping method, and was rewarded for his efforts. He initially didn’t realize the massive impact his unique jumping technique would have.

“I adapted an antiquated style and modernized it to something that was efficient. I didn’t know anyone else in the world would be able to use it, and I never imagined it would revolutionize the event.” ~ Dick Fosbury

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Charles W. Clayton

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