The most powerful real-life example of critical thinking
An example of critical thinking from real life
Critical thinking is a series of things that proceed according to a consistent system that begins with developing concepts, collecting information, analyzing and applying it, then we reach the stage of evaluating it, and we may notice that it results from experience, communication, and scrutiny of matters.
Example (1) Choosing a career path
When we reach the stage of choosing a career path, the matter becomes complicated before us and we do not know what to choose? Shall we continue studying in college? Are we looking for work abroad? Do we take training courses? Do we work from home? Do we work part time or full time? Do we need training first before starting a business?
Each of this has advantages and disadvantages, and yet it takes a lot of time for us to choose and study the financial, social and professional aspects of life, but nevertheless we must ask ourselves: Why is this the right choice for us?
After reaching the decision, we will think about the impact of that decision on the long term, and will we really face a point in the future in which we need to adjust the career path, so we find that it requires some critical thinking to make the right career choice.
Example (2) Take care of your health
Do you care about your health enough to be satisfied with it? Do you follow a specific diet? Do you practice sports? All are questions we ask ourselves daily. There are many diets, whether intermittent fasting, keto, or relying on vegetables and fruits only in that system.
However, we think about the balance between benefits, cost, comfort and disadvantages and this requires critical thinking and then you will ask yourself what is the satisfactory result that I will reach and how long will it take to reach that. This is very much like critical thinking for us.
Example (3) making purchase decisions
Who among us does not face difficulty in purchasing decisions, whether it is clothes, shoes, or even food. When you go to a mall, you like a shoe, and then you search on the Facebook platform, you find a better shoe. Perhaps you are now searching on the Amazon store to decide to buy more than one shoe from it, and you cannot make a decision. This is very similar to critical thinking
The Internet has now become the first information platform, and with the availability of many opportunities, this makes us more distracted, because we are definitely looking for the best material provided to us, and does it have a guarantee or not? Is the product original or not? So it takes critical thinking to sort them all out.
Critical thinking is a series of things that proceed according to a consistent system that begins with developing concepts, collecting information, analyzing and applying it, then we reach the stage of evaluating it, and we may notice that it results from experience, communication, and scrutiny of matters.
Example (1) Choosing a career path
When we reach the stage of choosing a career path, the matter becomes complicated before us and we do not know what to choose? Shall we continue studying in college? Are we looking for work abroad? Do we take training courses? Do we work from home? Do we work part time or full time? Do we need training first before starting a business?
Each of this has advantages and disadvantages, and yet it takes a lot of time for us to choose and study the financial, social and professional aspects of life, but nevertheless we must ask ourselves: Why is this the right choice for us?
After reaching the decision, we will think about the impact of that decision on the long term, and will we really face a point in the future in which we need to adjust the career path, so we find that it requires some critical thinking to make the right career choice.
Example (2) Take care of your health
Do you care about your health enough to be satisfied with it? Do you follow a specific diet? Do you practice sports? All are questions we ask ourselves daily. There are many diets, whether intermittent fasting, keto, or relying on vegetables and fruits only in that system.
However, we think about the balance between benefits, cost, comfort and disadvantages and this requires critical thinking and then you will ask yourself what is the satisfactory result that I will reach and how long will it take to reach that. This is very much like critical thinking for us.
Example (3) making purchase decisions
Who among us does not face difficulty in purchasing decisions, whether it is clothes, shoes, or even food. When you go to a mall, you like a shoe, and then you search on the Facebook platform, you find a better shoe. Perhaps you are now searching on the Amazon store to decide to buy more than one shoe from it, and you cannot make a decision. This is very similar to critical thinking
The Internet has now become the first information platform, and with the availability of many opportunities, this makes us more distracted, because we are definitely looking for the best material provided to us, and does it have a guarantee or not? Is the product original or not? So it takes critical thinking to sort them all out.
Critical thinking exercises
- Expressing oneself in various ways, as different thinking is due to different people, especially if you want to think in more than one direction. You can use writing and planning to express the problem instead of saying it out loud.
- It is possible to talk to a child about your problem, and the great scientist Einstein says that if you cannot explain your problem to a 5-year-old child, then you do not understand the problem in the first place. Your ability to understand something abstract is evidence that you are able to solve your problem and you may start thinking positively.
- Each of us has certain principles that he cannot engage far from, and therefore those principles affect the extent to which we value things and may affect the level of thinking. If you are affected by a kind of confirmation bias, you can search for evidence that contradicts your general principle in that hypothesis.
- What do you think about working backwards and starting to solve the problem from the end to the beginning? You will find it a bit complicated at first, but it is okay to try. This will affect the real sequence of events. For example, if you have a document that needs proofreading, what is the problem with reviewing it backwards? It will help you quickly recognize your mistakes.
- Talking to others is considered a positive solution to reach a solution to problems. It is possible to listen to different opinions that are completely far from your thinking pattern. It is important to reach a solution to dealing with others. This is the basis, and therefore it will help you to improve the scope of your thinking.
- You must get to know new people in your surroundings, especially if they are creative. This will affect your thinking style as a whole, and thus you will also be affected by the new contents around you, as this creates facts that can be combined with the critical style.
- There are a lot of logic games that you can play in order to influence your thinking and enhance your critical thinking skills. There are a lot of outside-the-box thinking games that you must decide to start playing with.
- Expressing oneself in various ways, as different thinking is due to different people, especially if you want to think in more than one direction. You can use writing and planning to express the problem instead of saying it out loud.
- It is possible to talk to a child about your problem, and the great scientist Einstein says that if you cannot explain your problem to a 5-year-old child, then you do not understand the problem in the first place. Your ability to understand something abstract is evidence that you are able to solve your problem and you may start thinking positively.
- Each of us has certain principles that he cannot engage far from, and therefore those principles affect the extent to which we value things and may affect the level of thinking. If you are affected by a kind of confirmation bias, you can search for evidence that contradicts your general principle in that hypothesis.
- What do you think about working backwards and starting to solve the problem from the end to the beginning? You will find it a bit complicated at first, but it is okay to try. This will affect the real sequence of events. For example, if you have a document that needs proofreading, what is the problem with reviewing it backwards? It will help you quickly recognize your mistakes.
- Talking to others is considered a positive solution to reach a solution to problems. It is possible to listen to different opinions that are completely far from your thinking pattern. It is important to reach a solution to dealing with others. This is the basis, and therefore it will help you to improve the scope of your thinking.
- You must get to know new people in your surroundings, especially if they are creative. This will affect your thinking style as a whole, and thus you will also be affected by the new contents around you, as this creates facts that can be combined with the critical style.
- There are a lot of logic games that you can play in order to influence your thinking and enhance your critical thinking skills. There are a lot of outside-the-box thinking games that you must decide to start playing with.
Examples of critical thinking in mathematics
When using critical thinking in mathematics, you will definitely feel that it is difficult. When students solve problems, they use somewhat logical judgments, well-studied criteria and foundations, and they guess the solution according to those foundations and laws, and they see whether it is appropriate or not.
For example, instead of guiding students to solve a specific problem according to specific strategies, it is preferable for the teacher to develop more than one different strategy so that the student can make the appropriate choice.
If a critically considered approach helps students better understand who they are, it is reasonable to invite students to make reasoned decisions about the hypothetical, including:
- Choosing strategies to build number sense and master basic facts.
- Deciding how to deal with a problem they don't have ready for.
- solution or procedure.
- Choose the most appropriate way to represent a mathematical position.
- Monitor problem-solving progress and adjust as necessary.
- Analyze their responses and ask, “Does this make sense?”.
- Effectively communicate their mathematical ideas.
- Connecting mathematics to their lives and the wider world.
Why take the time to foster critical thinking in mathematics?
Time invested in developing critical thinking pays off when students learn to think and enjoy critical thinking about mathematics by deepening engagement, understanding, research, and common sense. No matter how hard they try, however, it can create conditions that encourage students to "turn on" their brains and actively participate in learning mathematics through critical inquiry.
Greater independence and self-regulation By helping students develop a repertoire of thinking tools that they can use independently, we can support their growing confidence in thinking for themselves and monitor their own learning with stronger competence with mathematical operations. Current standards in mathematics education require a focus on problem-solving. Representation and communication of each of these mathematical operations or practices enhance students' thinking critically about mathematics.
When using critical thinking in mathematics, you will definitely feel that it is difficult. When students solve problems, they use somewhat logical judgments, well-studied criteria and foundations, and they guess the solution according to those foundations and laws, and they see whether it is appropriate or not.
For example, instead of guiding students to solve a specific problem according to specific strategies, it is preferable for the teacher to develop more than one different strategy so that the student can make the appropriate choice.
If a critically considered approach helps students better understand who they are, it is reasonable to invite students to make reasoned decisions about the hypothetical, including:
- Choosing strategies to build number sense and master basic facts.
- Deciding how to deal with a problem they don't have ready for.
- solution or procedure.
- Choose the most appropriate way to represent a mathematical position.
- Monitor problem-solving progress and adjust as necessary.
- Analyze their responses and ask, “Does this make sense?”.
- Effectively communicate their mathematical ideas.
- Connecting mathematics to their lives and the wider world.
Why take the time to foster critical thinking in mathematics?
Time invested in developing critical thinking pays off when students learn to think and enjoy critical thinking about mathematics by deepening engagement, understanding, research, and common sense. No matter how hard they try, however, it can create conditions that encourage students to "turn on" their brains and actively participate in learning mathematics through critical inquiry.
Greater independence and self-regulation By helping students develop a repertoire of thinking tools that they can use independently, we can support their growing confidence in thinking for themselves and monitor their own learning with stronger competence with mathematical operations. Current standards in mathematics education require a focus on problem-solving. Representation and communication of each of these mathematical operations or practices enhance students' thinking critically about mathematics.