Posted by I am a critical thinker. And the more I study it, the more I want to do it. But it’s hard work. In a world filled with constant information, polarised discussions and flawed arguments, the herd is telling us to join in. Making it all the more important to stop to think. But what does it take to develop a critical thinking mindset?
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Curiosity
I happen to be a curious mind. And I love learning, investigating, and figuring out new ways of doing things. Often, I have wondered if this was deep-rooted in perfectionism, but over time, I have come to realise it is more than that. It has been part of my development as a professional, as a mother, a friend, a daughter, a sister, and a person. This all made more sense when I found out about the growth mindset. It was not just technical knowledge that I was after, it was a broader self-development that went beyond the boundaries of what you learn in degrees and simple books. As my therapist once said, I was the student reading the chapters ahead and testing out the exercises to ensure I figured out how these development theories would work.
It happens that curiosity is at the heart of critical thinking. It is what makes us look for more information, for more answers, for different perspectives. It also happens that a curious mind is not easily satisfied. Dissatisfaction does have a healthy side to it, as most things, when not taken to the extreme. When looking at a problem, it is likely to force us to go deeper, to uncover difficult-to-obtain concepts, to connect ideas and, ultimately, to come up with more informed answers.
In practice, cultivating curiosity can involve setting aside time for exploration, engaging in discussions with diverse groups, and actively seeking out new experiences that broaden one’s horizons.
– The Critical Thinking Foundation
If you want to be more curious or more systematic about it, start with the question, not with the answer. Try this out when faced with a point of view or when trying to express an opinion:
- What are the different perspectives on this topic? Are there alternatives?
- Is there evidence to support this point of view? Do I trust the evidence being provided?
- Are there assumptions being made to support this point of view?
- How does this link to what I already know?
I always found that the best leaders I worked with were those willing to ask questions. Not those fixated on finding the quickest answer. Not those taking the answers given by fear of looking uninformed or pressed by time constraints.
Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers.
Voltaire
Open-Mindedness
It has taken me long to be open-minded, I am not going to lie. A perfectionist is hardly someone who easily takes criticism or feedback. So I worked long and hard on the potential upside of getting feedback. I also always fought for it at work. And I am my worst judge in my home and my own business these days. However, as a recovering perfectionist, I continue to be better each time it comes my way. Never perfect, no doubt.
The core of being open-minded is to be willing to consider new ideas, perspectives and evidence, even if they go against what we believe. It requires a great degree of humility when we recognise (and openly express) that our point of view is not the only available one. I have found it particularly helpful to link my own process to develop a more open mind with my focus on developing a growth mindset.
From the moment we believe that, as individuals and professionals, we can continue to grow throughout our lives, failure no longer defines us. As such, a negative or dissatisfied comment is less personal. Mostly, because it is no longer a threat to our identity.
We seem to be attaching a lot of our identity to our beliefs. And that just makes it very hard to change our mind or to even listen to opposing views.
Changing our minds is unthinkable, unbearable, and offensive. Letting go of misconceptions becomes harder. We have no incentive to change because who of us likes to admit that they were wrong. Next time you find yourself twitching in your chair listening to someone’s unpleasant opinion about a topic close to your heart, stop to think:
- What is my belief about this topic?
- Have I truly understood the opposing view?
- What evidence would make me change my mind?
- Could this belief be more about my identity or past experience than facts?
- Am I uncomfortable because it’s wrong or because it is unfamiliar?
Oh, and just in case that is what you are thinking, open-mindedness is not just about changing your mind. It is about understanding the other side, bringing different perspectives into your world and building bridges.
Logical Thinking
In the book Think Again, Adam Grant talks about the concept of developing a scientist’s mindset. In fact, logical analytical reasoning is the backbone of critical thinking and the foundation for effective problem-solving and decision-making. Logical reasoning often comes more naturally to those who enjoy analysis and problem-solving, which, in my case, helped to compensate for my troubles with staying open-minded! I love asking questions, going deep into problems, and taking my time to analyse.
What does it mean to have logical reasoning, then? It involves systematically and coherently ensuring that our reasoning is based on evidence and sound principles, instead of our emotions or our biases. Logic allows us to break down a complex problem into manageable parts, evaluate the relationship between different elements and only then construct well-supported arguments.
A particularly important (and overlooked) aspect of logical thinking is the ability to do a scenario analysis. This means the discipline to evaluate pros and cons, and also to assess what the potential outcomes can be and what the implications of each option are. This is a key step in clarifying thinking, making informed decisions, risk managing these in uncertain conditions.
By the way, it has become particularly helpful when making investment decisions in highly uncertain scenarios:
- How could this scenario unfold?
- What would be the best-case and worst-case outcomes?
- What would this scenario require? What assumptions would I have to believe in?
- What would be the trigger to show me that the conditions have changed?
Logical reasoning is a core trait of critical thinkers, providing the basis for sound decision-making and effective problem-solving.
A Side Note on Bias
Critical thinkers or not, we all hold biases. As much as we like to believe we don’t, biases come with the intuitive thinking that allows us to survive as humans without information overload. We automate decisions and make snap judgments for many areas of our lives, even those where critical thinking should prevail.
That makes it even more important to hold up the three traits described above. With curiosity, open-mindedness and logical thinking, we can notice how fast we make judgements, take a piece of information as true, and come to a fast conclusion.
- Our mind looks for confirmation of what we already believe in (confirmation bias), and it will be fast to get to what we always believed to be true if we don’t stop ourselves from applying some logical reasoning to our not-so-new beliefs
- Our mind looks for the latest information that we have come across (availability bias), and it will prioritise whatever comes more easily to mind, so we need to stop the shortcut by keeping our curiosity alive
- Our mind looks for simple black and white explanations (binary thinking) and it has real trouble holding shades of grey, or even less, 2 opposing truths. This is particularly dangerous in political discussions where we only seem to have a “my way or the highway approach”
- Our mind develops the belief we are experts in some matters or have researched “enough” a topic in our lifetime (overconfidence bias), only to lead to overestimating the data and not checking our facts.
Critical thinking isn’t just about sharpening our logic—it’s about noticing where that logic might already be compromised by a lens we don’t always recognise we are holding. This self-awareness is crucial for maintaining objectivity and ensuring that decisions are based on rational analysis rather than emotional reactions.
The challenges of a critical mind
In today’s day and age, we are overwhelmed by the flow of information. Rapid technology shifts increase the amount of information that is thrown at us. Greater interconnectivity in the world increases complexity in decision-making. Our brains are wired to make fast decisions and simplify processing as much as possible. The speed forces us to make snap decisions on the basis of the information we seem to have available. Intuition takes over when our system is in overload.
We reinforce our beliefs further by surrounding ourselves with people like us. We criticise others’ bubbles but build a bubble around us of people that have similar lifestyles, similar holidays, similar political beliefs and, ideally, similar football preferences. People who won’t challenge our thinking, people who won’t question our silence on difficult subjects.
If this makes you think about whether you are a critical thinker, start by noticing your habits. Are you asking questions? Are you open to answers you don’t like? Are you slowing down enough to think things through?
In a world of instant opinions and reactive decisions, critical thinking often feels like a lost art. We need to know that not all decisions need to be fast. Not all decisions need to be final. Not all decisions need to be now.
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