Why Critical Thinking Is Important

By improving the quality of your thoughts and your decisions, better critical thinking skills can bring
about a big positive change in your life. It’s not an exaggeration to say that the quality of your life largely
depends on the quality of the decisions you make.

Amazingly, the average person makes 35,000 conscious decisions every day! Imagine how much better
your life would be if there was a way to ensure you made the best possible decisions, day in and day
out?

Well, there is and it’s called critical thinking.

Learning to master the skills of critical thinking can have a profoundly positive impact on nearly every
aspect of your life.

WHAT EXACTLY IS CRITICAL THINKING?

The first documented account of critical thinking is the teachings of Socrates as recorded by Plato.

Over time, the definition of critical thinking has evolved. Most definitions of critical thinking are fairly
complex and best understood by philosophy majors or psychologists. For example, the complex
definition goes like this:

“Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing,
applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by,
observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action.”

In simple words, it's "thinking about thinking".

6 MAJOR BENEFITS OF GOOD CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS

Whether or not you think critically can make the difference between success and failure in just about
every area of your life.

Our human brains are imperfect and prone to irrationality, distortions, prejudices, and cognitive biases.
Cognitive biases are systematic patterns of irrational thinking.

Some of the most well-known cognitive biases include:

 catastrophic thinking

 confirmation bias
  Fear of missing out (FOMO) *sounds familiar?*

Critical thinking will help you move past the limitations of irrational thinking.

Here are some of the most important ways critical thinking can impact your life.

1. CRITICAL THINKING IS A KEY TO CAREER SUCCESS

There are many professions where critical thinking is an absolute must.

Lawyers, analysts, accountants, doctors, engineers, reporters, and scientists of all kinds must apply
critical thinking frequently.

But critical thinking is a skill set that is becoming increasingly valuable in a growing number of
professions.

Critical thinking can help you in any profession where you must:

 analyze information

 systematically solve problems

 generate innovative solutions

 plan strategically

 think creatively

 present your work or ideas to others in a way that can be readily understood

And, as we enter the fourth industrial revolution, critical thinking has become one of the most important
skills.

According to the World Economic Forum, critical thinking and complex problem solving are the two top
in-demand skills that employers look for.

Critical thinking is considered a soft skill — a core attribute that is required to succeed in the workplace.

Other soft skills include:

 problem-solving

 creativity

 communication and presentation skills

  digital literacy

Critical thinking can help you develop the rest of these soft skills.

Developing your critical thinking can help you land a job since many employers will ask you interview
questions or even give you a test to determine how well you can think critically. It can also help you
continually succeed in your career since being a critical thinker is a powerful predictor of long-term
success.

Critical thinking Breeds Success

The ability to think critically doesn’t come naturally for most people. It takes time and effort to think this
way. But, being able to think critically plays a huge role in how successful you are in life. Without it, you
could be missing out on some of the greatest achievements possible. On the other hand, by thinking
critically you can achieve the best outcomes and the greatest successes, at work, and in life. So, the next
time you’re faced with a tough decision, remember to hit the brakes a little. Take a look at the situation
and then, when you determine the best option, hit the gas and go full steam ahead.