
![critical thinking in a nutshell](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1617805735i/57658270._SR1200,630_.jpg)

Anybody that knows me personally will have heard me use the term "critical thinking" many times. I often complain that 
I think it's an important skill that is sadly being lost as the years go by. I believe there are multiple reasons for 
this such as the rise of social media and the decline in the quality of education.  

Our educational system has long taught kids to memorise things to pass tests rather than teach them how to think for 
themselves to solve problems.  Social media bombards people with propaganda, disinformation and fake news, opinions, 
and generally bullies and manipulates people to behave a certain way, or to engage in group-think. 

Neither of which are conducive to peoples ability to think critically on subjects.

I've often struggled to understand why so many people fail to apply critical thinking even to major subjects when it 
will directly negatively effect them as individuals. So I bought a book on the subject to try to help me understand 
why I think one way and help me find empathy with others that don't.

# How to define critical thinking

The book has a great quote early on:

> Purposeful, self-regulatory judgement which results in interpretation, analysis, evaluation, and inference, as well 
> as an explanation of the evidential, conceptual, methodological, criteriological, or contextual considerations upon
> which that judgement is based. - The Delphi Project

Which roughly translates to the ability to think about connected ideas thoroughly and independently, basing those 
ideas on factual evidence. To turn the full force of our reasoning towards resolving real-world problems. 

I had a eureka moment almost as soon as I started to read the book. I realised that the kind of systematic thinking that
is required to apply critical thinking to a subject is precisely what I do every day when doing my job as a Software 
Engineer!  Systematic thinking is how I've trained my brain to operate ever since I was a teenager.  When working on 
complex systems I often have to hold lots of information in my head at any one time about any number of disparate or 
loosely connected systems, and I have to be able to process how changes to 1 part of a system will affect other parts 
of the wider system. I cannot base my work on guesses or opinions instead I need to search out the truth, 
collecting only the facts to determine the variables and the outcome of my changes.

Sounds pretty close to exactly what the quote above was describing!

I believe it is because I do this so often and so naturally that I find it so easy to apply this type of thinking to other
subjects in the wider world. Including politics, business and relationships. 

But I now understand that most people do not think like this.  Most people are not constantly seeking truth, and it 
really isn't a priority in most peoples lives. Most people prioritise simplicity over truth. They want an easy life. So
they outsource their thinking and choose to rely on trusted organisations and institutions for their beliefs, ignoring
any biases these may have. I think
I understand this way of thinking now and why it's so common, but I do not recommend it or think it will end well for 
people that do think this way. 

It reminds me of a quote that I've repeated to people for so long that I've often considered having it tattooed.

> Ignorance is bliss, but only for the ignorant - Liam 

If you're interested in ways to improve your thinking I fully recommend picking up this book as a place to start. At just
over 100 pages I read it in a couple of hours. The books got a few great examples of well known businesses applying 
critical thinking to achieve success and explains two great frameworks 
[Paul-Elder Framework](https://louisville.edu/ideastoaction/about/criticalthinking/framework) and 
[Blooms Taxonomy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloom's_taxonomy) which I'm going to study in more detail to apply
to my own thinking and decision-making when strategising for my company [Alchemist Labs](https://alchemistlabs.tech)!

CRITICAL THINKING