Skill that sharpens your Brain

There is a word buzzing around in modern days that you must be aware of, but how many know the meaning of that word, even if we know the meaning of that word how many of us practice that, forgot about practicing how many of us know the ways of doing it? Do we just believe that we know that, let's break the suspense here and reveal the word that we talking about that is "Critical Thinking".

Before explaining the meaning of it let me be clear that

Critical thinking ≠ Criticizing.

What actually critical thinking is :

it’s a skill to evaluate not only the facts which are presented in B&W (isn't CT but knowing the grey is), but also the arguments and conclusions that challenge ours believes we hold on.

the assumption we made by ourselves of the world, gathered by consuming info from the sources that we are not sure that they are reliable or not. the belief we made is just picked up by the external world without questioning it. Not knowing that the belief we hold why we believe.

Critical thinking can be developed by questioning so that we know the belief we have is having its roots or not, is it stable, and will not harm you in the future. (because beliefs are deadlier than information.

A critical thinker uses their logic and reasoning to evaluate that. they want to update their existing one with what you have shared and trying to persuade with this information.

There are two approaches for how we consume the information

1. The sponge: what sponge do? They absorb, right? Yes, they absorb everything that comes their way.
2. Spanning for gold: having the filters that you only consume the golden information out of this gravel

I'm not drawing the line on the rock that this method is better than the other, But both the approaches kind of complement each other, how? To evaluate the golden fact we should have something in our Pan, the initial knowledge should be there.

Critical thinking is a skill; which can be mastered and the best part of it is a mental skill, you are thinking oh it's easy there is no mental effort but wait, you need to practice a lot to develop this kind of muscle memory in your brain.

So it’s a skill and ability to challenge our assumption that we hold by evaluating the input given by others, and framing the right belief without getting attached to it.

Lets us deep dive into how to do it

For doing it you have to know the core values of a critical thinker to be one of them

1. Curiosity: it means you have to be open-minded; it means you should welcome the premises by others to allow their arguments to be part of your belief system. if they are true, but here you have to play optimally so that you don’t end up sponging what they say and eventually your brain fell down.
2. Humility: no you don’t need to humiliate anyone, this value refers to the point I made in the above lines about challenging your beliefs. Remember? That I said you should be ready to accept that you are wrong if you are encountered by more convincing evidence.
3.  Skepticism: it refers to that you have to keep asking the question to make the logic and reasoning satisfied by employing a healthy questioning approach. 

Now that you are aware of the values of critical thinkers, you are ready to be exposed to the three dimensions of the critical thinking

So we have to take care of the values and three dimensions of critical Thinking while doing practice CT.

Okay start doing the critical thinking, remember the fact that this is an evaluative skill, and what we have to evaluate, it’s the argument and the conclusions.

Here the

Conclusion ≠ Summary

Conclusion = Stance or Position

We have to ask a question that is there any relationship between A&C, is there any missing link. Is that argument logical?

For doing CT understanding the argument is very important

An argument is proposed to address a problem, by taking a position or stance and giving the compelling reason for that position and stance. And it always tries to persuade you to accept their stance.

And our role is to evaluate that here critical thinking comes into play.

Let me break down an argument for better understanding.

1. A premise
2. The conclusion
3. Application of reason and logic
4. Relationship b/w premise and conclusion

A Premise is a statement that gives reason or support for the conclusion or stance.

Conclusion or a stance is supported by one or many premises

As critical thinkers, our role is to apply or logic and reasoning to evaluate the argument.

You also have to know that the Argument is of two type:

• Deductive argument and 
• Inductive argument

Deductive arguments are always true and there is no chance of the alternative conclusion to happen

They have the probability of 100% of happening

Inductive arguments are those that are not cent % probable there is always a chance for the alternative argument to be true.

 let us practice critical thinking together after knowing all the know-how

Case:

You are an owner of a very costly sports car you parked your car in the parking opposite to your university.

You started attending your classes, after classes you found that your car is missing.

Your friend called you and said that when you were waking to the way of your college gate one guy was taking a selfie with your fabulous car.

Here is this case your friend initiated an argument, the guy must be the person who stole your car because he was taking selfies with your car.

(here in the friend's argument the premise is "the guy who was taking a selfie with your car" and the conclusion is the guy has stolen your car)

Is the argument deductive? Definitely not, it's an inductive sentence as it has a low probability that selfie takin guy stole the car.

Is the argument strong?

Not really, It's too quick to accuse that person who stolen your car.

Think of the other things that could have happened…..maybe that guy was only taking a selfie. after him someone else has stolen your car, Maybe the area is very unsafe, maybe the robbery is regular there.

Is there any logic?

No. it's illogical to say a selfie taker is a robber

Ans : so the argument presented by your friend is so weak you should not make your decision based on this argument.