Maryam Wasef – Critical Thinking

Summary

The speaker in the first video tells us that Critical Thinking is the art of analyzing and evaluating our thinking, with a mindset geared towards improving how we think. This is a rather general, all-encompassing definition that I’ve no doubt we will flesh out much more throughout the duration of this course. The second speaker elaborates that Critical Thinking is a creative mechanism by which innovation comes about, hence why it is so important that students are taught how to think. Further, Critical Thinking is more about design, rather than art. But our brains have a design flaw, and these are cognitive biases. Therefore, he urges us that we shouldn’t ever trust ourselves, and should be open to determining that we are wrong. Although I agree, I admit that oftentimes, I do trust my own judgment and don’t question it all that often, unless a friend calls me out on my judgment. I think, in this sense, we have relied on others to help us think critically, rather than being a self-critic. What is ultimately key, in my opinion (which the Ted talk speaker somewhat hints at), is that one learns to be a self-critic and makes it a routine. This of course, would come with practice, as the speaker of the first video rightly points out that this would be the only way that one improves at introspective critical thought.

Leave a comment

2 thoughts on “Maryam Wasef – Critical Thinking”