Posts belonging to Category 'critical thinking'
February 28, 2010 | Posted by Mark Z
Previously, I’ve pointed out how our society relies on anecdotes, “conventional wisdom” and rumors for information. Here are some suggestions and aphorisms that may help stimulate critical thought: Take time to learn. Skimming rarely gleans sufficient information. Check facts. Challenge assumptions, especially your own. Explore context. Evaluate why you want to believe what you’re reading. [...]
Categories: critical thinking | 
Tags: critical thinking, evaluating information, self reliance | 
No Comments »
February 26, 2010 | Posted by Mark Z
We have become an anecdotally-educated society that would rather believe what we’re told, or our own experience, than think critically about issues. The basic thinking is that if it didn’t happen to me or to someone I know, it doesn’t happen to anyone. “Conventional wisdom,” a dangerously oxymoronic term, trumps everything—scientific evidence, historical records, critical [...]
Categories: critical thinking | Tags: critical thinking, evaluating information, self reliance | No Comments »
January 8, 2010 | Posted by Mark Z
This Christmas we received a game called Bananagrams. After playing it these past weeks, I’ve realized it’s an excellent way to learn critical thinking skills while having fun. Chess is the game most commonly associated with critical thinking. Certainly, there are few games that require so much thought. The only “chance” in chess is an [...]
Categories: critical thinking | Tags: bananagrams, games that develop critical thinking skills, self reliance | 2 Comments »
November 29, 2009 | Posted by Mark Z
“I’ve always done it that way.” That may be the most dangerous phrase in the English language! Humans are creatures of habit. Some habits place us on the razor’s edge of disaster. This is where critical thinking becomes necessary. Not long ago, a local senior citizen lost his home to fire. This man has lived [...]
Categories: critical thinking | Tags: evaluating habitual behavior, self reliance, what is critical thinking | No Comments »
Recent comments