For the longest time, I worried that I didn’t know how to think critically. Not just thinking in the way you might be considering now, but rather making one's own reasoned judgments on a subject, based on observation, reading, and doing, and then articulating one's fundamental ideas on it.
You see, critical thinking is typically something you should learn in school, particularly at university. However, due to the passive nature of our educational system, it's often not taught effectively, if at all.
Some people are fortunate to be exposed to critical thinking early in life, perhaps through parents, a well-educated aunt, or a teacher who encouraged active thinking and interaction. Unfortunately, the majority of us don't have this opportunity. Many of us were born after the 70s, a time perceived as the golden era of education, or we had our intellectual curiosity stifled by society. Yes, let’s blame society for this.
This lack of critical thinking has resulted in a generation that believes itself to be knowledgeable but is, in truth, merely consuming information presented by respected individuals. This explains why we often repeat actions, expecting different results, why we replicate ideas without understanding the nuances of our specific situations, and why we cling to the same beliefs without challenging them.
Interestingly, we are all born with an innate desire to understand everything around us. This is evident in the endless "whys" of toddlers. But as we grow, influenced by adults, we often adopt a preference for order and structure, sometimes forcibly. Forward-thinking societies recognize this issue. They understand that while structure and order are important, innovation rarely arises from strict adherence to them. Thus, they have developed educational systems that encourage questioning and fundamental exploration, fostering critical thinking.
These advanced societies are not perfect and still stifle original thinking in many ways, but they at least teach critical thinking. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case everywhere. In some places, critical thinking is neither taught nor encouraged, leading to a generally mediocre society.
Reflecting on my personal journey, I worried about my lack of critical thinking skills for a long time and tried to remedy it through reading. This approach was unsuccessful; I merely absorbed information without processing it. Then, about 12 years ago, Seyi advised me to start writing. Writing forces you to think, to form and refine your thoughts on a subject. This process doesn’t require public sharing or publishing, just personal reflection and refinement.
However, writing alone isn’t enough; you also need to engage in debate, as I learned from Emeka. Engaging with those who are likely to disagree with you can be challenging, often making you feel foolish. But through this process, you identify flaws in your logic, improve your reasoning, and ultimately enhance your critical thinking.
Forcing yourself to form your own opinions on topics you find interesting or are involved in is a powerful way to practice. It’s challenging, especially as an adult accustomed to mental shortcuts, but it’s essential. There’s a tendency to lean toward answer fluency, which is the speed at which one comes up with an initial, intuitive answer to a problem. While useful for creative thinking, this can be a barrier to critical thinking.
All that being said, it’s important to remember that you don't always need to reinvent the wheel. Relying on established mental models and heuristics is often acceptable. You need a solid understanding of these concepts to apply them effectively, but they don’t always require in-depth critical thinking. They can serve as a map filled with shortcut routes for your thought process.
I’ll leave you with a part of a message from Jake, who rightly criticized me for saying I didn’t need an opinion on something he shared for review: "…if you don't have anything to say, it means you didn't put enough thought into it."
You see, critical thinking is typically something you should learn in school, particularly at university. However, due to the passive nature of our educational system, it's often not taught effectively, if at all.
Some people are fortunate to be exposed to critical thinking early in life, perhaps through parents, a well-educated aunt, or a teacher who encouraged active thinking and interaction. Unfortunately, the majority of us don't have this opportunity. Many of us were born after the 70s, a time perceived as the golden era of education, or we had our intellectual curiosity stifled by society. Yes, let’s blame society for this.
This lack of critical thinking has resulted in a generation that believes itself to be knowledgeable but is, in truth, merely consuming information presented by respected individuals. This explains why we often repeat actions, expecting different results, why we replicate ideas without understanding the nuances of our specific situations, and why we cling to the same beliefs without challenging them.
Interestingly, we are all born with an innate desire to understand everything around us. This is evident in the endless "whys" of toddlers. But as we grow, influenced by adults, we often adopt a preference for order and structure, sometimes forcibly. Forward-thinking societies recognize this issue. They understand that while structure and order are important, innovation rarely arises from strict adherence to them. Thus, they have developed educational systems that encourage questioning and fundamental exploration, fostering critical thinking.
These advanced societies are not perfect and still stifle original thinking in many ways, but they at least teach critical thinking. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case everywhere. In some places, critical thinking is neither taught nor encouraged, leading to a generally mediocre society.
Reflecting on my personal journey, I worried about my lack of critical thinking skills for a long time and tried to remedy it through reading. This approach was unsuccessful; I merely absorbed information without processing it. Then, about 12 years ago, Seyi advised me to start writing. Writing forces you to think, to form and refine your thoughts on a subject. This process doesn’t require public sharing or publishing, just personal reflection and refinement.
However, writing alone isn’t enough; you also need to engage in debate, as I learned from Emeka. Engaging with those who are likely to disagree with you can be challenging, often making you feel foolish. But through this process, you identify flaws in your logic, improve your reasoning, and ultimately enhance your critical thinking.
Forcing yourself to form your own opinions on topics you find interesting or are involved in is a powerful way to practice. It’s challenging, especially as an adult accustomed to mental shortcuts, but it’s essential. There’s a tendency to lean toward answer fluency, which is the speed at which one comes up with an initial, intuitive answer to a problem. While useful for creative thinking, this can be a barrier to critical thinking.
All that being said, it’s important to remember that you don't always need to reinvent the wheel. Relying on established mental models and heuristics is often acceptable. You need a solid understanding of these concepts to apply them effectively, but they don’t always require in-depth critical thinking. They can serve as a map filled with shortcut routes for your thought process.
I’ll leave you with a part of a message from Jake, who rightly criticized me for saying I didn’t need an opinion on something he shared for review: "…if you don't have anything to say, it means you didn't put enough thought into it."