Critical Thinking about Critical Thinking
When I began this course I had a rough idea about the thinking processes involved with critical thinking, but I had no idea that it was a field of study unto itself. In various personality reviews I have received about myself over the years, I have been identified as a person who likes to put a good deal of thought into things before taking action. Some people have considered this to be a weakness, in that I may miss opportunities as a result of taking so much time to think before acting. I have always considered this trait to be a matter of my choice to adequately weigh the alternatives prior to making important decisions.
Example
An example of this tendency of mine comes from my days in the U.S. Army. My performance during training events always placed me at the top of the class. My superiors noticed this and asked me if I would like to attend the prestigious military academy, West Point. They didn’t put a timeline on my decision, which allowed me to put a good deal of thought into the offer. After a lengthy review of my options and having considered input from others who had attended military academies, I made the decision to turn down the offer. The fact that I was nearing my end of service date also played heavily in this decision.
From what I have learned in this course so far, I think I could have benefited much from employment of better critical thinking skills in my illustrated decision about West Point. I can see that I had very limited information about the impact that attending West Point would have made in my life, and that my considerations were neither sufficiently broad nor deep.
Changes
My thinking processes have changed as a result of the techniques and concepts I have absorbed as part of this course. Internalization of the techniques and concepts of critical thinking can be said to take place when my actions are in accordance with my knowledge. While I wouldn’t say that I have mastered critical thinking, I do find myself thinking about the elements and standards when making decisions.
For lasting, positive changes to occur in my way of thinking I will need to make it a habit to think through the elements and standards of critical thinking. Habits are formed by purposefully doing something until you no longer need to think about it ahead of time. The knowledge of critical thinking can be said to have become internalized once I use the techniques and concepts on a regular basis as a part of habit.
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