5 Simple Ways to Improve Critical Thinking Skills

January 25, 2008 by Nez
Filed under: Education, Philosophy 

Excellence Comes from Training

Michael Jordan. Jerry Rice. Fred Astaire. Gene Kelly.

What do they have in common?

Yes, they’re all guys, and yes, they were all considered the best in their profession. They were also known for their incredible commitment and dedication to practice, training, and/or rehearsing.

Practice Critical Thinking

Critical thinking, like any worthwhile ability, is also a skill that needs to be nurtured, developed, and practiced on a regular, constant basis in order for it to be effective.

So here are 5 ways to improve one’s critical thinking skills:

  1. Learn to Listen First - We often start thinking the moment someone starts talking to us, thinking to such an extent that we actually fail to listen. If we fail to listen, how can we get all the facts that are crucial to correct decision-making?
  2. Set Aside Time to Practice - Just as with an exercise regimen, critical thinking should be practiced at regular times. Fit the activity within one of your routine habits, tasks, or chores. See my post on The Best Times to Think for tips.
  3. Be Open Minded - Someone once said, “The mind is like a parachute; it functions only when open.” An open mind will be amendable to accepting new data and ideas that can be used to form new opinions and decisions, or modify old ones.
  4. Practice Cause and Effect - Be observant of people’s behavior, and work backwards to speculate how they may have arrived at that behavior.
  5. Ask Questions - Be inquisitive and ask questions, look things up in the dictionary. Learning new things will keep the brain stimulated.

Hopefully, these will be useful exercises.

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Other posts you may enjoy:

  1. What is Critical Thinking?
  2. Quick Thinking: Choosing a Line in which to Wait
  3. The Best Times to Think
  4. Martin Luthor King, Jr. Quotes
  5. Why I Switched to a Mac: A Critical Analysis

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Comments

One Comment on 5 Simple Ways to Improve Critical Thinking Skills

  1. Barbara on Tue, 29th Jan 2008 1:50 pm

    2. Nez,

    This post is filled with so much valuable information.

    Listening is almost an art. However, many do not practice it. With regard to #1, I have often been with people who assume they know what you are going to say, and then “finish the sentence”…of course, they get it wrong.

    I also like #4. By understanding what made a person say or behave in a certain manner, you can often learn how to “read between the lines”.

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