I am an OVERLY critical thinker.

Yes, I am.

Sometimes it can be taught.

Is this something that can be self-assessed? Let’s see who says they’re not critical thinkers.

Good thinking, FOAS

Of course it can be taught - and it is.

Unfortunately, things that are taught aren't always learned...

Very much so. More so when i was working because it was part of everyday work life. Now that I’m retired, don’t have to use the extent of that type of thinking so much every day. Interesting that the linked article compared the SAT questions to the ACT (I took both back in the 60’s). I honestly don’t recall much about either but figured both had changed a lot since then anyway.

Carolb, I agree.

What percent of American adults would you estimate have good critical thinking skills?

Could we use a few more?

Open-mindedness: Being open-minded when having a conversation or participating in a group activity is crucial to success. Dismissing someone else’s ideas before you’ve heard them will inhibit you from progressing to a solution, and will often create animosity. If you truly want to solve a problem, you need to be willing to hear everyone’s opinions and ideas if you want them to hear yours.

Based on this criterion alone, I’d guess about 8%. At best.

I was taught a semester's long course of critical thinking way back in the early 1960s - eighth grade. Have not forgotten it and consider it of paramount importance for every school curriculum. Unfortunately, I don't believe it is widely taught in public schools nowadays. I may be wrong.

Going by the tone of the general reporting today, I do not see evidence of much critical thinking (or follow-thru) by the general public. Therefore, I estimate that than 50% of adult Americans do not have good - or any- critical thinking skills.

And yes! this can be taught!!! And should be.

Is it possible that young adults on their way to becoming critical thinkers may due to environment, social/political pressure, and intentionally misleading education suffer a criticalectomy? Is that reversible?

Whether it's critical thinking or just less formal thinking in general, this is an activity too many people I seem to run into, do very little of.

I'm figuring about 1/3 possess the skill and actively use it - which has held pretty steady over the past decade or so.

Here's another thing I *think* I know:

Some percentage of people can't keep two conflicting things in their heads at the same time -- a requirement for critical thinking. Everything is entirely 'black', or it's entirely 'white'. Another percentage can see 'grey', at least long enough to sort out logic.

This is an internet "fact"?

I’m going to try my hand at critical thinking. Petalique asked what percentage we’d “estimate.” Carol prefaced her response with “I’m figuring.” Ergo, I would surmise Carol was not quoting an “internet fact”, just offering her estimate, as requested. Which I’d also imagine was a fairly arbitrary guess, even if it was loosely based on her observations. How’d I do?

Elmer, please don't ever think that you know what is going on in other's minds. You started your analysis of my statement with "I think" - and you are wrong. Again.

And yes, I am criticising YOU!

Hmm, now I'm wondering about critical reading skills?

A couple of days ago, on the very same thread (not this one & maybe not even this forum —- giggle), I saw some gems. The longer post was pretty representative for that entity — lots of black and white, all or nothing ranting, seasoned with animosity. Painful to even try to make sense of and, although I tried to keep an open mind, be fair and to read the entire contribution, I was growing dizzy and had to stop.

[[ETA for the above paragraph— I returned to that rambing post the next day and gave it a fair shot. Still nonsense. Someone starving might have been able to add some olives, onions and seasoning to all the ink and managed to come up with an edible sandwich.]]

The other one was shorter and contradicted itself in less than 40 words.

I think critical thinking skills can be sharpened, and I also think you have to have something to work with.

I am not sure what makes some people possess it (to any degree) or not to have that ability.

Innate intelligence must figure into it, but perhaps also a person’s psychological makeup.

Similarly, I think whether or not a person is generally curious or not is probably dependent on their overall base level of intelligence and quasi-trauma or early on neurological development or learned social trust or distrust. Maybe it’s cultural.

I’ll need to make more time to ponder this and it might take some ketamine and hallucinogenics.

Edited to clean up as I was writing

Everyone thinks they can think critically. Half the country doesn't think critically. Taking something at face value without considering other perspectives isn't critical thinking. Or reading or hearing something and not researching other sources of information to see if what you read or heard is true or accurate. People who think critically can alter their thoughts or opinions in the face of an alternate perspective. Clinging to thoughts and ideas where other proven thoughts and ideas are presented isn't thinking critically.

How’d I do?

An A in listening and thinking.

I don't think the black and white phenomenon, which I very much agree seems to be much too pervasive, is necessarily tied into the presence or absence of critical thinking.

Much of it stems from a lack of doing any thinking at all. And sometimes an inability to understand, recognize, and deal with nuances.

I remember hearing a long time ago, maybe back as an undergrad, hearing a person described as lacking any original personal views of their own. Further explained as "his opinion is that of the last person he talked to". That could be part of the black and white problem, especially when people restrict their "info uptake" to sources with biased and unbalanced views.

I am enjoying this thread!

You guys kill me. This is the best thread in ages.

Thanks, petalique. 🤠

I was thanking Petalique for starting the thread Elmer, but a you’re welcome is nice from anyone. 🤠 I think that I may have been unclear.

Thank you, Elmer

Okay, back to the thread.

I’ve been lolling around the house too long (rain, sog, rain) and have run out of sandwich filling, Thai food, and billionaire quality katamine. I also need a haircut.

I don’t think we need to get all PhD and researchy. We don’t need to be accurate.

We don’t need a wathervane to tell which way the wind blows or a degree in divinity to grasp that puppy-bullet-lady is a mess.

As for assigning guessing numbers, thas goood.

One of my favorite segments in a Bob Dylan interview (No Direction Home) was when these clueless reporters were flapping around a seated Dylan, asking him vapid questions. One asked how many other something-or-rather protest singers there were who da la dah lah daa la. This was a ways into this scenario. Dylan took another drag from his cigarette, looked up solemnly and gave a serious sounding arbitrary answer off the top of his head. The reporters seemed pleased.

I have to go off and find that piece. Rich.

ETA I think he gave a number and maybe the reporter said, really? xxx? Dylan might have then proffered an alternate number.

Here! Found it. Clearly I wasn’t the only one loving this interaction.

https://libquotes.com/bob-dylan/quote/lbi6q3x#google_vignette

petalique, I think I saw that Dylan interview. He was smarter than the interviewer, answered a stupid question with an obviously stupid answer to point it out.

In Subterranean Homesick Blues, the line is "You don't need a weatherman (not weather vane) to know which way the wind blows". That's the inspiration from where the violent extremist group the Weather Underground, aka The Weathermen, got their name.

" I've known some Pollyannas who need to 'not see' anything that conflicts with closely guarded beliefs. "

That's true, and leads to a valid internet statistic.

People like this are in the vast majority - could they be more than 2/3rds of the population? Not so much Pollyannas wanting things to be "nice" and avoid controversies but closed-minded people wanting to avoid having to face facts that many of their beliefs are unfounded and blatantly wrong.

Thanks, Elmer. I appreciate you setting me straight. I was trying to type (two index fingers) while thinking and I knew I didn’t have that right and meant to get back to it.

I did not know that about the Weather Underground. (Cheeses, those were some ugly days.)

Often attributed to Carl Jung: Thinking is difficult. That's why most people judge.

Innate intelligence must figure into it, but perhaps also a person’s psychological makeup.

I’m thinking ego comes into play. Once you’ve used critical thinking to come to a conclusion, you can’t stop being open-minded then. Consider a subject that someone is curious about, takes steps to learn about, and forms their own informed decision about. They go about confident in their assessment. Then someone comes around and offers a new perspective. Will they be truly open to the new perspective? Or will they dig in their heels, or search for confirmation bias because of their need to feel they’re “right”?

Years ago a town rep was being interviewed about whether his town needed to improve bus service. He gave his usual semantically challenged response by saying that it didn’t take him long to wait twenty minutes for a bus.

I got it.

I think of critical thinking as a strength for me. I know that I have changed my mind about the death penalty several times as I age and gather more information about humanity. I do my best to consult opposing views. But I am not going to believe something because it opposes my views. Rational thought is important so you have to be critical (that other critical) of the information you consider. The opposite is believing something because it is opposed by people you don't generally agree with. An open mind is not a wind tunnel.

patriciae

"I try to keep an open mind, but not so open that my brains fall out."

"The poor we will always have with us"- My answer to that would be "You're probably right, but that's not a reason not to try to help the ones I know about."

I knit for charities, currently Ukrainian refugees, and babies in the PNG highlands, who can die of hypothermia there. If I directly donated the money I spend on wool to the charities involved, they might be able to make it go a bit further with bulk purchasing, but I feel (and the feedback my group has had from recipients confirms this) that giving individualised hand knitted items also conveys the message to the recipient that there's someone out there who cares enough about them as people to put personal effort into their donations, and treats them as individuals, rather than as a faceless mass who would all be happy wearing different sizes of the same clothing..

I've forgotten the person who asked the question now, but I'm finding it most helpful in dealing with people with a different POV:

“What would it take to change their minds? If the answer is ‘there isn’t anything’ then you’re wasting your time.”

If there are no facts, no data, no studies, no research, no scenarios that would cause them to change their mind, then they are no longer in the realm of thinking, logic, and reason, but in the realm of emotion and faith. So arguing with facts will only harden their stance against your POV.

" Is this something that can be self-assessed? Let’s see who says they’re not critical thinkers. "

That was my first thought when I read the headline. Critical thinking skills can definitely be taught - they're skills, not talents - but someone has to be open and wanting to learn new ways to think about things.

I think that a liberal arts education teaches students to think critically, whatever their political views. One learns to ask the important questions, not accept anything or anyone at face value, but rather to listen to their words and observe their actions before deciding one way or the other. I think critical thinkers are able to stand up to those who lie (and yes, there are things that are objectively, provably untrue) and who resort to name-calling because they think that is clever. Critical thinkers try to avoid judgment without a deep understanding of any situation-they do not go off half-cocked. I also think many Americans are losing the ability to think critically and I find that very disturbing and frightening.

" I think that a liberal arts education teaches students to think critically, whatever their political views. "

I agree in part, but with a few not inconsequential exceptions that immediately come to mind:

-I think some STEM courses of study may include interesting juxtapositions. "Here's how this is, memorize it and understand it profoundly to use as a tool. But don't assume everything you apply it to will get you to an answer you want or need, challenge your own thinking and findings and consider exceptions"

-There are many courses of study that most would not consider to be in the "liberal arts" camp but because of being heavy with theoretical and empirical foundation blocks, by necessity have to teach and expose students to where, when, how, etc, critical thinking needs to be applied. Rather than accepting outright something someone has said, demonstrated, or postulated.

-There have been many reports that over the years, and as exists now, that college faculties don't always have political or even theoretical diversity. When material presented in a curriculum or degree program represents a particular point of view and has an institutional bias, I'm not so sure that students completing such programs and venturing onward in their lives have been taught to do so with the ability to look at matters with an open mind.