Crtical Thinking and Decision Making
...orest. Critical thinking enables an individual to be a responsible citizen who contributes to society. Making decisions can be complex. For important decisions, such as a long-term, you may dissociate from this moment - now - and review your past decisions and their consequences. You may first decide, "what is most important" as a basis for the subsequent decision. You may decide to disregard your present mood. You may decide to plan beyond short-term results. You may decide to put yourself into another person's "point of view", to incorporate information from that perspective. You may decide to creatively envision a number of different possible futures. Simple decision strategies are useful for unimportant or hasty decisions. (i.e. "which cheese to buy?") You may use a decision process, which a child might choose an ice cream flavor. Maybe stay with your last choice? Maybe flip a coin? Maybe eliminate options with "Eeny meeny miney mo"? Maybe decide based on how you feel at this moment? Maybe choose the easiest option? Maybe ask someone else to choose for you? Difficulties may arise when a simple decision strategy is used for an important decision with long-term consequences. For example, what is likely to happen if you select a life partner or an occupation by a "simple" method? In my opinion, critical thinking is the thinking of why things happen. All things happen for a reason. I think it is the understanding of why things happen in life that makes us critical thinkers. Decision making to me is the process that all of us have to go through to make through the day. What shirt will I wear today? What will I eat for lunch? Will I go out tonight? I think that decision-making goes hand-in-hand with critical thinking. While assumptions and argumentation are a social process, it involves engaging individuals in making up their minds about how to act through communication with other people using critical thinking. It is clear that speed, accuracy and effectiveness in decision-making, problem solving and innovation have dramatic bottom line impact for any situation. To me critical thinking and decision making represents viewing my options and understanding critical issues and making a conscious decision on those issues. As I develop my ability to be aware and to think critically, I will learn to value ca...