Critical Thinking Response

[jamiestrickland]

Critical thinking to me is the experience of thought, analyzing and interpreting a life event or content we read, view or simply come across. It is a part of our thinking process, it’s looking through a lens without judgment, to look beyond the words that are on paper and let them take their own shape to develop sensible/reasonable conclusions. It’s the process of being skeptical about information until given/finding enough sufficient evidence or using evidence to begin to connect the dots. Critical thinking is our mind working but it’s not something that we automatically inherit, we have to learn how to build the skill, accept it, and put it to practice.


Critical thinking helps us draw conclusions and come to solve problems to everyday life. It’s important because it teaches us how to navigate through problems to find meaningful answers and make effective objective decisions.


When I think about famous critical thinkers so many names come to mind, but I tend to look at comedian Dick Gregory who used comedy to create meaning and understanding to societal issues through humor. He didn’t just say hey look at this way because you should but in his creative way he used comedy to tackle life issues to get his audience to look at both sides of the coin. 

Pre-Assessment Score: 23/30

[Leslie]

Hi Jamie,

Using evidence to connect the dots resonates with me. When I think of critical thinking it brings to mind peeling back the layer to discover the core of a situation and then applying the knowledge, facts, experiences you have to arrive at a conclusion that doesn't rely solely on emotion. I think Dick Gregory is a great example. His biting humor and his unabashedly calling "a thing a thing" forced people to dig deeper, moving past what was politically correct in order to face the issue head on.

[jonrojas]

I love that you chose a comedian! For years now, comedy has been an amazing outlet for making observations about the world around. Another comedian that I think was a great thinker was George Carlin. He had some of the truthful and observant comedy that I have ever seen.

[kwashburn]

I have to agree with Jon! I love that you used a comedian as an example Jamie! I had honestly never thought about what great critical thinkers comedians are. They have this unique ability to look at life situations through so many different lenses and share that experience through those lenses. Such a unique and incredibly valuable skill and talent! I am a big fan of comedy and will have to check him out!

[Michael Bernier]

Hi Jamie,

Great point about critical thinking: "Critical thinking is our mind working but it's not something that we automatically inherit, we have to learn how to build the skill, accept it, and put it to practice." It is a skill that needs continuous practice! Thank you.

[Lori]

And for me, critical thinking also involves tapping into those who see things differently than I do or whose strengths compliment my weaknesses so I am exploring angles that would not come naturally to me.

[paulwickson]

Thanks for this post Jamie. I really like your summary of critical thinking particularly the references to 'without judgement', applying skepticism until sufficient evidence is present, and the theme of 'connecting the dots'. We'll be able to drill down a bit more into these in class and throughout this module.