5 tips to improve your critical thinking - Samantha Agoos

Every day, a sea of decisions stretches before us, and it’s impossible to make a perfect choice every time. But there are many ways to improve our chances — and one particularly effective technique is critical thinking. Samantha Agoos describes a 5-step process that may help you with any number of problems.

Lesson by Samantha Agoos, animation by Nick Hilditch.

[untitlednewuser]

Critical thinking is not a "technique". It is rather a state of mind.
"I don't want to believe, I want to know."

[arabtrooper]

Here's a tip; be skeptical of people you disagree with, but even more skeptical with people you agree with.

[anniekaune]

This should be on everyone's recommended list during this time.

[vitorabreu]

This is the stuff our schols should teach. Its important that we have classes about History, Geography, etc. But its also important that the kids learn soft skills and things that will help further on their life. For example: Reading Faster, critical thinking, creativitie, teamwork, learn how to learn, citizen participation... Our Schools need to have a reformulation for what really matters

[TheCakeIsNotaVlog]

The problem isn't that people don't think critically, it's that people don't want to. It takes too long and requires accepting responsibility for your own decisions. A rare trait at the best of times

[BeanUasal]

1. Formulate your question
2. Gather your information
3. Apply the information
4. Consider the implications
5. Explore other points of view

[hunainzaidi]

Critical thinking helps us with:
- Analysis
- Problem Solving
- Decision Making
- Proving a Point
- Conflict Management

[benforrest]

Waiter: are you ready to order sir?

Me: stares off in to space for two hours while weighing the pros and cons of each item on the menu and the possible second order consequences of each choice.

[Sander_Datema]

If you belive something, always try to disprove yourself...

[amberallen]

I over analyze everything. To the point I have anxiety.

[monntelle]

sometimes critical thinking leads to overthinking, here comes anxiety and depression.

[arushigupta]

It's like how you write an experiment in science. Aim(formulate the question), Apparatus, theory, (gather information), Procedure(apply information), Observations(consider the implications), precautions/sources of error(explore other points of view).

[TurntBucket]

3 step program:

1) Be skeptical of everything that you have time to look into or is worth looking into
2) Seek the truth, not an answer
3) Enjoy and be proud of figuring/finding new things out

[ryuuchan]

Funny how so many people here say stuff like "sad that we need to explain to people how to use their brains". Uhm, you get that humans are irrational and get manipulated a lot? Like, pretty much everyone? I found this pretty useful as it reminds me to be more critical, for instance I think that making up a question is very good. I assume that often people don't know what to looks for. Most importantly the last tip. How many people actually explore other's points of view? Sure not as many as there are people saying "oh it's all that easy".

[MatthewAGilbert]

0. Define Critical Thinking (0:37)
1. Formulate Your Question (1:21)
2. Gather Your Information (2:01)
3. Apply the Information (2:23)
4. Consider the Implications (2:54)
5. Explore Other Points of View (3:20)

[shutupntakemymoni]

I really needed this. My brain has been on auto-pilot since the age of dawn. Its giving me extreme anxiety whenever I encounter unknown situations because I only trained my brain to experience and adapt but did not train my brain to think.

[jr]

Seems like most people don't even consider #5 in my opinion.

[MythopoeicNavid]

As others are likely to have already pointed out -- this wonderful 5-step approach is slightly different from the Scientific Method (but shares a lot of important similarities). The scientific method, of course, is:

1. Make an observation

2. Formulate a question

3. Narrow the question to a testable hypothesis

4. Do your research (either through experimentation or gathering information)

5. Analyse the data and come to a conclusion (while being critical of alternative approaches).

Honestly, everyone benefits from such a systemic approach to understanding information. We're today at a point in civilisation where intelligence is no longer defined by how much we know, but by how much information we can process. Critical thinking is today more essential than ever before.

[GauravSinghOfficial]

1. Formulate ur questions
2. Gather info
3. Apply the info
4. Understand the implication
5. Explore other's point of view
6. Determine the success of above exercise and use it as a feedback loop for your future decisions

[Rod.Machado]

applies the 4 step process*

friend: just buy the damn burger meal with large fries.