Critical Thinking Essay, Research Paper

Critical Thinking

Common sense is an important element for me when it comes to rationalizing and

making decisions. The assumption or problem must be realistic whether it involves other

peoples opinions or mine. Beliefs are always being questioned and are always changing because

the more knowledge a person receives, the more rational they will become.

I am a very open-minded person which means that I take into account other people

perceptions and beliefs without dismissing them right away. However, if a person approaches

me in a way that I must act defensive, then I will dismiss their thoughts. For example, if

someone approaches me accusing me of doing something that I know I had no connection to,

then I would definitely ignore their thoughts because I know that what they are saying is not true.

Even with topics that I feel strongly about, I take my time and let the other person express their

views, and hope to be able to express my views as well.

When an issue arises, I am always questioning the question and looking at the

consequences. I predominantly don?t take my own beliefs for granted without recognizing the

need for support. Many times, I am always looking for support, because with the more support

that I have, the more knowledge and insight I gain. It also strengthens my own beliefs when I

recognize the need for support.

My beliefs are constantly changing as I learn new things. I would never deny the fact that

my beliefs change. As I learn more, again my beliefs either strengthen or weaken depending on

the subject. For instance, my brother is Catholic and his wife is Jewish. After five years of

dating, they got married and had a child later on. Before they were married, I constantly worried

about how their child would grow up with two religions. I thought that the child might be lost

and confused with who he was. But seven years later, the child understands both religions, and

gets the opportunity to celebrate them both. When he gets older, he will decide for himself

which path he chooses to take with religion. I believed that the child would be confused

frustrated, but he grew up with a strong and secure attitude and sure of his knowledge. My

beliefs changed, because I learned and accepted new concepts.

Public information has always been a question to me because it can never be trusted.

Again, I am always questioning it, because the resources that the information is retrieved from

may be inaccurate. For example, the information received from a news program on the radio is

information that is brought to them by either another news channel on television, or a standby

witness, and either information can be interpreted wrong. Public information needs to be

realistic for me not to question it. The news on television is a source that I probably will not

question much because they are often there on the sight of the incident which makes it real.

However the signs that I read all over telephone poles reading ?Lose 10 pounds in five days? is

something that does not seem realistic at all and I will question it many times before believing in

it. If the statement or issue is realistic, then it will not need to be questioned many times before

taking in the information.

Many assumptions based on my world views are very realistic and don?t need much

evaluation. My assumptions don?t go to the point of drastic change. My premise?s are adequate

because the world can only change to a certain limit, meaning that the world will not change all

at once.

Critical thinking is done everyday, whether it?s deciding what to have for lunch or

deciding who the next president should be. Thinking for me is like rationalizing because to

think critically, the topic must also be realistic.