An Introduction to Critical Thinking

5

THINKING, READING, AND WRITING CRITICALLY

When you wish to instruct, be brief; that men’s minds take in quickly what you say, learn its lesson, and retain it faithfully. Every word that is unnecessary only pours over the side of a brimming mind.

 

—Cicero¹

5.1 Introduction

Now that we have had an introduction to critical thinking, we shall see how by being a critical thinker one also becomes a critical reader or learner as well as a critical writer. Before we go into this discussion, however, let us recapitulate what constitutes critical thinking:

A critical thinker is …

1. an open-minded person who is willing to address a question with an open mind. Recall the features of a critical thinker that we mentioned in the first chapter:
   • a person guided ...