and now for something complete different again . . .

Watch this short introduction to critical thinking and then publish your thoughts about what it says.

Comments

[David Cook]

This is a really cool little video. I like the depth of explanation that they go into on the subject of critical thinking, which has in fact become something I am struggling with. There are a lot of things that I have recently had to question in my life based on certain subjects I have been taught in my upbringing which had no valid evidence. I strive everyday, especially in class, to come with an open mind an expect things I believe to be challenged. This is not a bad thing, this is in fact a great thing. If we are unable to defend our beliefs then maybe our beliefs are lacking. Evidence must play a key role in what we believe but there is also the beautiful fact that we can combine our faith with our reason to cause us to appreciate what we believe that much more. All in all, critical thinking is something that can help us succeed, we would be stupid to not strive to achieve a critically thinking mind, right?

[Sarah Thullbery]

I also really like this video. I think that when challenging beliefs from people's upbringing, both the challenger and the person being challenged tend to become very emotional. This leads both individuals to an inability to hear what the other is actually saying, so neither person can gain from the conversation. This video is helpful because straightforward and emotionless. It goes through the steps of critical thinking and recognizes where people generally fail in order to help prevent that failure for those who watch the video and attempt to think critically.

[mgn]

This video was very helpful and interesting because it goes step by step to explain the process of critical thinking. It seems to be that in today’s society most young people lack the skills of thinking outside the box. A reason I feel that people don’t think critically is because it involves taking time which is something most people in today’s world do not like. We always want answers right away and when we can’t figure them out within the click of a button we give up and surrender expanding our knowledge.

[JohnEvans]

I also enjoyed this film and agree with it except in one regard. It said we must identify and minimize our opinions. While I concur that identifying opinions is essential, in areas while we recognizes we do not or can not know the truth for certain, I believe opinions, which do not contradict know facts, can be reatined as long as they are recognized as such. That is, in situation where we do not know the truth, I believe that we can hold our opinions, that are not proven false, as long as we do not accept them as fact. An Example of this can be found in the color you choose to paint the wall of a study room. As no color has ben proven to be the best for learning i can hold my opinion that red would be best and another person could believe blue is better. However a third person believing tie-die would be the best contradicts the truth and is wrong.

[kmcnutt]

This video reminded me of a college styled "School House Rock" which I personally loved when younger. I agree with a lot of it. Especially the section on expanding your thoughts. It said, "..to pinpoint and minimize biasing influence from culture and upbringing." This part taught me the most. As we are raised and taught how to live by our parents or whomever, we are influenced heavily by their words and actions. As we grow, we are influenced by peers and classmates, maybe even media as we mentioned in the later blog. In order to think critically, we must open our minds and learn from others.
The other part that I learned from was the tid bit that mentioned something about factor X or Y. The fact that if you don't agree with X, you must agree with Y. I don't believe this. I think people can believe in J, W, F, or Q...there are so many ways to think.

[Morgan]

Critical thinking is a necessity to be successful here. We must be able to be given information about a subject or an assignment and not just tell about the topic but explore the topic and make discoveries about it. I totally agree with the part about the unwillingness to think critically. I personally would much rather just do what I have to do to get a good grade than really get in depth about a subject.

[quicktype89]

I have been very lucky to grow up in a critically thinking family, so the concept is not too new to me. But I do discover more about it and what I think on a daily basis. When I go home and watch the news with my family we'll sit and discuss what is happening and why-but sometimes with a bias because we have been living together of course. I agree mgn when she says that most don't think critically because it involves taking time, but I could further that statement by saying most don't think critically because they are afraid to have opinion and then to have that opinion disproved by their own minds. This comes into context with the Christian faith. James tells us that those who doubt are "like the wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind, for the doubter... must not expect to receive anything from the Lord." When reading this plainly Christians can become frightened by doubt and because of that fear may never think critically because they do not want to doubt something they thought they believed in. If a Christian were to be a critical thinker perhaps they would take that verse as a challenge. Several verses before that statement say "testing of your faith produces endurance." If the critical thinker were to read this they would then possibly start to reconsider their doubts as a test and see that testing as something to make them, "mature and complete, lacking in nothing." The critical thinker may then conclude that trailing times of doubt may produce good qualities and they may further that thought to see that there is redemption from having doubts and enduring them.

As far as Katie's statement at the end, I believe the movie was just explaining Black and White thinking then. It said, about black and white thinking, that, "if we think in false dichotomies we will draw false conclusions" which explains that we can believe in J, W, F, or Q.

[Brandon]

I like this video because it goes through steps of critical thinking. I also like it says that to be a critical thinker you cannot just think black and white. I think the key to become a critical thinker is realizing that answer A may be wrong as well as answer B. You shouldn't accept that if one is wrong the other is right. Also a critical thinker must accept that they do not know everything and must be will to acquire knowledge on topics they are ignorant to. Analyzing information is also a key to critical thinking. Analyzing information allows one to not just accept any answer or information that is given to him or her.

[Tyler]

I agree with most of the comments. Very cool video which lays out not only what critical thinking is, but what it isn't. I just wish that people around America would watch this, send it to their friends and have them watch it. I think critical thinking is something that is obvious when it is used and when it is not.

[Julie Jackson]

This little clip was really helpful. It reminded me to be patient and know that I can be wrong. It was interesting how he started the video out with the example of giving a man a fish. I do think that most people are too lazy to think critically. Critical thinkers actually learn more and challenge themselves. I know that I need to work on thinking more critically.

[Larz]

I also agree with most the comments, this little video was pretty interesting. I feel like I know a good bit about critical thinking, even though I might not always do it, because of your seminar class. Most of the class was learning to be critical thinkers and how you can achieve that. This little video did a good job covering that in about 5 minutes.