The Skill of Critical Thinking
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Grand Canyon University *
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Course
105
Subject
Philosophy
Date
Feb 20, 2024
Type
docx
Pages
4
Uploaded by CountHawk4313
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The Skill of Critical Thinking
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A lot can change in the blink of an eye. There are moments in everyday life where a decision needs to be made in just a second, but the outcome of that decision can last a lifetime. Over the years I have improved my ability to be decisive by practicing the skill of critical thinking. Critical thinking is the ability to look at a situation, decipher what is happening, look for possible solutions and outcomes, and make the choice of how to best handle the situation. Some scholars believe that critical thinking is a combination of thinking creatively and logically (Hahn, 2020). Others believe that thinking critically is more scientific; through “hypothesis-
testing and on an understanding of probability, as part of an attempt to reduce bias and to think in
a more objective way” (Lamont, 2020). The joining of the all these types of thinking can be practiced in everyone’s life each day.
In my line of work, I am faced with making decisions where the results can truly be life or death. When I was working in the patrol division, I would commonly respond to traffic collisions. Upon my arrival to the scene, I would have just a moment to mentally triage each vehicle and their respective occupants to determine what needed to be my first action. There were times where I would administer first aid until paramedics arrived. There would be other times where no medical attention was needed so the priority became clearing vehicles from the roadway to prevent additional collisions. There is never one correct answer that can be used in every situation: each incident needs its own course of actions. I draw on past experiences to solve each new problem as it arises. When making quick decisions, I tend to practice my critical thinking by using logic more than creativity or science. Any time I am in a situation where I will be making an important choice, I will first determine the desired outcome and then take the steps I deem necessary to reach that outcome. Eleanor Vanetzian writes that those who can think critically are able to
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differentiate between a favorable end goal that would be “worthwhile, significant, and achievable” and an unfavorable end goal that would be “insignificant, trivial, or unrealistic” (Vanetzian, 2001). By being a critical thinker, I am always working toward the goal that is best for each individual situation. The skill of critical thinking is not one that will ever be perfected, but rather one that will be practiced and improved each day.
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References
Hahn, D. E. (2020, January-February). Creative Thinking Is the Cornerstone of Critical Thinking. Defense Acquisition
, 49
(1), 12+. https://link-gale-com.lopes.idm.oclc.org/apps/doc/A613688289/ITOF?
u=canyonuniv&sid=ebsco&xid=14c62d24
Lamont, P. (2020). The construction of “critical thinking”: Between how we think and what we believe. History of Psychology, 23
(3), 232-251. https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.1037/hop0000145
Vanetzian, E. V. (2001). Critical Thinking: An Interactive Tool for Learning Medical-
Surgical Nursing
. F.A. Davis Company.