Critical thinking is one of the most important processes that have many functions and benefits for a person. First of all, it helps individuals analyze and interpret the information they constantly receive. Moreover, critical thinking is a tool through which people perceive the world around them and evaluate the events taking place in it. It is valuable for a person to develop specific skills that will help improve this process. This reflection after reading the textbook will help to gain a more detailed and complete understanding of the phenomenon of critical thinking and its importance for a person.
Before proceeding to the analysis of the chapters of the textbook, I would like to highlight the advantages of critical thinking, which I consider to be among the most important. Hence, one of the main ones is improving the ability to make decisions, especially in difficult situations. In addition, this way of perceiving the world and the situation is creative; that is, each person will solve the issue concerning their background. Another advantage for me is that critical thinking is a skill that a person can improve throughout life and by gaining new experiences.
Therefore, when reading the first chapters, an understanding of critical thinking as an assistant and one of the primary mechanisms in decision-making comes. They describe what power this phenomenon has, assist in the formation of the definition of the concept, and what skills people need to have to achieve the most significant productivity. In addition, the source provides information on how critical thinking helps in the process of solving problems and advancing and succeeding in the educational process. At the same time, this phenomenon has a broader meaning and implies a deeper place in the process of thinking. However, the authors Facione and Gittens (2016) see chapters 12, 13, and 14 as the heart of the matter. I believe that they find these concepts important to critical thinking because these sections of the textbook affect comparative, ideological, and empirical reasoning. They help to gain an understanding of why all people have different views on things and thus have different critical thinking.
In addition, the mentioned chapters emphasize two concepts that have a somewhat important role in the process of studying the phenomenon of critical thinking. These concepts are explanation and inference, which become the basis of critical thinking (Facione & Gittens, 2016). Authors find these aspects essential to critical thinking because, with the help of these aspects and the information provided in the chapters, students can gain an understanding of why conflicts of interest and opinions occur, how important the process of how people think is, and not what they think, how individuals develop prejudices and preconceptions, what weight hypotheses and proofs have when finding the truth.
Despite the usefulness of the information studied, challenges may arise that require analysis and solutions. For me, the greatest of them is understanding one’s critical thinking process. On the one hand, this problem sounds too primitive; however, for me, this question is difficult since it implies finding weaknesses that may require changes. I believe that it is the process of internal transformation that becomes the challenging aspect.
I believe that the concepts in the first three chapters can provide great assistance for me. Hence, they can help me meet described earlier my challenge. That is, gaining an understanding of how the process of critical thinking takes place, its impact on decision-making, and assessments of the surrounding world can provide support when trying to alter it. Moreover, in the future, the expansion of knowledge on the topic under discussion can have a positive impact on my personal life concerning family, loved ones, and the community as a whole. Consequently, I will be able to get rid of prejudices and preconceptions and conduct interactions more effectively by basing critical thinking on explanation and inference.
Reference
Facione, P., & Gittens, A. (2016). Think critically. Pearson.