As I go through life there are a few things that really matter to me. One that that has is the question, did I just react to situations or did I really think about my response to those actions? Did I make the right choices? I believe these are all questions we begin asking ourselves, and thinking critically allows us to be confident in our own skin.
I believe it is important to think critically in all parts of our lives. I know doing this can be difficult at times, as I myself have been guilty of mindlessly going with the flow, or just breezing by with little to no thought, but there are certain aspects where thinking critically plays an important part in our lives.
Politics is a prime example. Many times we cannot procure a well informed opinion of a candidate from just the advertisements on television, and I believe that doing research on candidates is and essential part of the voting process. Research the candidate, ask yourself if that candidate is right for you, and make a well informed decision. It seems like a basic idea, but many fail to even partake in this most simple act.
I examine many things in my life critically, schoolwork being one of them. I believe that papers that are due or lessons we learn are not something for us to learn in passing, but information for us to absorb to use later, in order to delve into other topics with a broad spectrum of facts at our disposal. It teaches us how to approach problems we saw before that would make us shudder and never attempt. I approach news programs in the same way. I believe in getting information from many sources, as rarely will only one source contain the information needed for us to truly understand what is happening in the world. The views put forth by one news source may differ completely from another, yet the facts they both give may be almost the same. In a world that is not solely based on facts, but also on the social boundaries laid forth by different cultures, it is extremely important for us to understand things not just from our own perspectives, but also from the perspectives of others.
This only scratches the surface into what I think critically about, as the list I give could go on forever, but also explores a couple reasons why I believe thinking critically is important for all. Critical thinking is extremely important to me and I believe it should be for everyone. As we begin this class there is one thing I really hope to get out of it. I wish to improve the ways in which I take the information I have and be able to relay it to another. Not just facts in general, but ideas and opinions, whether my audience agrees with my views or not. I want to become better at this not just for myself, but for those in the future I will meet, work with, or even build friendships with. I hope this is an integral stepping stool to get me there.
