Template:Critical thinking
Critical thinking
Critical thinking is defined as "disciplined thinking that is clear, rational, open-minded, and informed by evidence": Critical thinking, is supposed to be "the analysis of facts to form a judgment". Critical thinking is self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored, and self-corrective thinking. For critical thinking to produce a viable critical theory there must be an "objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgment." In order to produce an objective evaluation of an issue you need to have and objective evaluation of your self.
All critical thinking must be devoid of all prejudice, both positive and negative. Prejudice from Latin praejudicium (prae ‘in advance’ + judicium ‘judgement’) is based on the idea that something is preconceived without the observation of the present facts.
All judgment based on preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience and observable facts. Prejudice is an affective feeling towards a person based on their perceived group membership.
Characteristic of Critical thinking
Anyone who is capable of critical thinking would naturally cultivate the habit of curiosity about all things. They would by their nature be desiring to reserve judgment until all the facts were present, known and confirmed. Rushing to judgment of what is good or evil would seldom lead to right reason.
Compassion
A critical thinker would need a fundamental compassion about others, desiring to know the motivation and circumstances of events in an attempt to understand the thinking and motive of participants.
Awareness
Awareness of all observable information can only be realized in those who are not carried away or easily distracted by emotions. You must be willing to see the whole truth, not only about that which can be observed but about the observer.
Good Judgment
Good Judgment is of the result of hundreds of individual decisive choices in many areas made without the presence or influence of any bias. Many of those choices must be made on a wide range of facts and information not readily observable in the present situation but is the result of the accumulation of understanding about the nature of things and people.
Totally Honest
To arrive at a place where we are Honest we must have a history of moral integrity and ethical consideration in the actions in our own life. There should be no illusory superiority or pride which can only be avoided with the constant presence of humility in the examination of all things including ourselves.
Willingness
A critical thinker is always accepting of others, their customs, cultures and opinions with a willingness to be open minded and to hear people out with patience. That loving compassion only exists where there is humility that allows for a willingness to admit that their own knowledge base may be inadequate. This guards against the Dunning-Kruger Effect of cognitive bias.
Creative
Because the critical thinker is slow to judgment, patient, willing to honestly look at things from all points of view they also would be more flexible with an eagerness to learn more they are often more Creative.
Analytical
A proficient critical thinker can evaluate a multitude of facts which allows them to Think Analytically examining various forms of information and their relationships to each other.
Communicate
Critical thinkers communicate in a concise manner attentive listeners to the thoughts and expression of others to understand their reasoning and the thought process.
Forgiveness
Without a willingness to be honest about our own failings we cannot judge others rightly. Without humility and patience we will not be objectively able to analyze the facts to judge rightly. Without persistent compassion one cannot remain in the high ground of love and judge rightly. To use critical thinking and to seek to judge rightly is to seek the righteousness of God rather than the self righteousness of self.
You have to love your neighbor as yourself even he has made himself your enemy. You have to be as concerned about the one who victimizes another as you are about the one who is the victim. To become a critical thinker is something that is pursued. You cannot begin that journey without forgiveness. It can only be found with a daily practice of social virtues.
Critical thinking of Jesus
Jesus was preaching the kingdom of God which was another way of governing yourself through Charity rather than force, faith rather than allegiance, and love rather than fear. Critical thinking does not only require a clear mind but a pure heart. Contempt, anger, and hate come with the covetous practices of society which will require self-justification through the pride of self-righteousness which brings about the blindness of cognitive dissonance.
Learning to live by love in the practice of pure religion through a daily ministration of faith, hope, and charity, instead of fealty, force, and fear of the world has been the message of salvation by God from the beginning. It is what repentance and seeking the Kingdom of God and His righteousness is all about. The Way of Christ is often in conflict with the ways of the world as the Christian conflict was counter to the ways of Rome and the Imperial Cult of Rome that allowed the people to be Biting one another like the Modern Church. Each of us needs to have the humility to see the strong delusion society that has entangled the people in the elements of the world through the deeds of the Nicolaitan which God hates.
If we are to become critical thinkers we will have to think differently which was called repentance. Only love for your fellow man through the willingness to forgive, seek the righteousness of God and the daily ministration by the practice of "Pure Religion".