Critical Thinking part two. In the previous module, we began to examine characteristics of critical thinkers. In this module, we will continue to look at more characteristics to help us improve our critical thinking capabilities. four additional topics are presented in this module, they are seeing the big picture, objectivity, using your emotions, being self aware. Seeing the big picture, one of the main functions of thinking is to make connections. Our own ideas came significance when we can relate or connect them to other ideas.
We start to gain insight when we see the similarities between ideas, the way we structure our ideas can be based on how they connect in one of two ways, causal or conceptual relationships. Since many problems arise due to causal changes. We will focus on this aspect. steps in discovering causal relationships include laying out the account determining a hierarchy interpreting convergences and divergences, convergences are ideas, things that reinforce supplements or compliment events. divergences are points that do not reinforce events. objectivity, objectivity is defined as in tennis on objects external to the mind.
In critical thinking, we want to have a keen sense of objectivity. This is a heuristic or rules strategy for problem solving. objectivity helps us to engage more thoughtfully and deliberately in the critical thinking process. However, we should not completely exclude our emotion or subjective feelings in the decision making or problem solving process. The most important thing to remember is that evaluating information objectively helps us to be more deliberate or thorough Using your emotions, as mentioned in the previous section, emotions should not be ignored altogether when thinking critically, emotions play a crucial role in the thinking process. For instance, professionals need empathy when working with others regardless of their occupation in order to vicariously experience what others feel, believe or wish.
The issue with emotions and decision making is to not allow emotions to cloud your judgment. Being self aware, self awareness is yet another characteristic of the critical thinker. This characteristic relates to acutely being aware of one's feelings, opinions and assumptions. Moreover, it is a starting point for thinking critically. Our assumptions are how the first impressions and strongest emotions are filtered when we evaluate information