Why are some people better than others at solving problems and making decisions? The answer seems obvious:Some people are smarter than others. But being smart isn’t enough. People who follow broad rules like “We can’t ignore anything” are playing it too safe. We should ignore some things because they are improbable. It is unreasonable to do a bomb search on the advice of a psychic tip because there is no evidence that psychic tips are any more reliable than flipping a coin or throwing darts at a board. What if the psychic said that her parrot told her—telepathically—that there was a bomb on the plane? Would you do a search on such evidence? If you would,you are not thinking very critically. Had you detained the psychic, you might have interrogated her while having her investigated. Has she made these kinds of claims before? What about her claim to have solved crimes using only her psychic powers? Do you think that Larry King or Montel Williams had her claims investigated?
Why are some people better than others at supporting their beliefs and actions with good reasons? Again, the answer seems obvious: Some people have more knowledge or are more eloquent than others. Still, two equally intelligent people can be equally articulate and knowledgeable, but not be equally good thinkers. If only one of
them is thinking critically, that one will be better at analyzing and evaluating facts and opinions, sources and claims, options and alternatives. The critical thinker will be a better problem-solver and better decision-maker.
When we’re thinking critically, we’re using our knowledge and intelligence effectively to arrive at the most reasonable and justifiable position possible. When we’re thinking uncritically--no matter how intelligent or knowledgeable we are--we’ll make unreasonable decisions and arrive at unreasonable beliefs or take unjustifiable actions, unless we are lucky and end up making the right choice for the wrong reasons!
I really do not see any notion of critical thinking being practiced in Pakistan. In history we have had great poets, writers, journalists but we never actually heard of a great critical thinker that our country has ever produced. It’s just because the term critical thinking has never been coined in our country. Although the need and importance of critical is as important as thinking especially in a country like Pakistan where all the proceeding and decisions are randomly taken without comprehending the consequences .if we go like two years back when major wheat crisis smacked our economy not only locally but internationally pushed back our economy, it was all due to wrong decisions and lack of strategic and planned thinking that we had to import wheat on much higher rates, because of a bunch of people thought we have had bumper crop and to earn more foreign exchange and personal profits they should export it. These unplanned decisions blowed our economy so badly that we had to import wheat even after having one of the bumper crops in the history in order to meet local needs. Had there been a notion of critical thinking or thinking of thinking this would not have knocked us and our economy that badly
ReplyDeleteIf thinking critical is being smart then i believe our politicians are idiots because they don't even try to act smart !
ReplyDelete