Soft Skills For Dummies

Chapter 9

Applying Critical Thinking to Problems

IN THIS CHAPTER

Understanding what critical thinking is

Knowing the five core skills of critical thinking

Developing problem-solving skills

Why is the moon round? Why is the sky blue? Why did the flower die? Why is the stove hot? Why are children always asking why, why, why? The answer is easy: because curiosity helps people learn about the world around them.

Asking questions is the brain’s way of attempting to create order and understand the things you see and experience. As people age, their childlike wonder and tendency to question what they see and experience often falls by the wayside.

To some degree, this decline in curiosity may happen because people stop thinking for themselves. They become accustomed to being told what to think by society and cultural customs. The more a person is told what, the less they question why.

In this chapter, I explore the concept of critical thinking and explain why cultivating this soft skill is critical to career and life success.

Defining Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored, and self-corrective thinking. It’s the ability to absorb important ...