Improving Your Skills (1)

ESSF0014: Fundamentals of Lifelong and

Personal Development

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 Critical Thinking

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Critical Thinking Can Help You…

• Focus on relevant issues/problems

• Gather key information
• Understand and organize thoughts and facts
• Analyze problems and causes
• Manage priorities and develop plans
• Assist in problem-solving skills
• Help you control your emotional reactions
• Produce new knowledge
• Help you determine the accuracy of information
• Assist you in detecting bias and persuasion in argument

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Eight Steps to Critical Thinking

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Emotional Intelligence

• Coping with social and emotional demands

• Relates to:
• personal achievement
• career success
• leadership
• life satisfaction
• As powerful as I.Q.

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Amygdala

• Part of the brain’s emotional system

• Protects us when we are afraid or upset

• Feelings before thought

• “Fight or flight?” based on previous experience

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Look at Things Differently

• Look at:
• Common issues with uncommon eyes
• Known problems with new skepticism
• Everyday conflicts with probing curiosity
• Daily challenges with attention to detail
• Clues and patterns

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Types of Questions

• Questions of Fact – objective

• Questions of Preference – subjective

• Questions of Judgment – logic/evidence

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Fact v. Opinion

• A fact can be proven (objectively verified)

• An opinion has no objective proof

• To distinguish fact v. opinion:

• Take nothing for granted
• Consider who is making the assertion
• Listen for what is not said

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Topic Reflections

• Use credible, reliable sources

• Learn to distinguish fact from opinion
• Be flexible and avoid generalizations
• Use emotional intelligence and restraint
• Avoid stereotyping and prejudice
• Reserve judgment
• Do not assume – do research and ask questions
• Distinguish symptoms from problems

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 Creative Thinking

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Creative Thinking

• Aspect of critical thinking

• Producing something that is uniquely yours
• Requires internal resourcefulness
• Characteristics: compassion, courage, truth, dreams, risk-taking,
innovation, competition, individuality, curiosity, perseverance

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 References/ Sources
Sherfield & Moody (2014) Cornerstones for College
Success, 7/E. Prentice Hall

TEST YOUR ABILITY TO PRACTICE CREATIVE THINKING

Explain a flower to someone who has never seen or heard of one
before.
TEST YOUR ABILITY TO PRACTICE LATERAL THINKING
A man and his son were in a car crash. The father was killed,
and the son was taken to hospital with serious injuries. The
examining doctor exclaims: “But this is my son!”.

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Problem Solving and Decision Making

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Problem Solving

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