Flexibility
A person with a limited mind has a negative attitude towards any new ideas, declaring: "I have always managed without this." Such a conservative approach discourages the reception of fresh ideas. In contrast, a flexible position includes a willingness to consider new options, try to do something differently, change your point of view. A person with an open mind is able to wait for judgment, gathers more information and seeks to clarify difficult issues for himself. This does not mean that all options are equally good, or that unlimited is more important than common sense. It only means that a critically thinking person is ready to think in a new way, to reconsider the obvious and not to retreat from the task until it is solved. You may be disappointed if you fail, but if you don't even try, you are doomed. (Beverly Sills)
Persistence
Closely related to persistence is the willingness to tackle a task that requires mental strain. Some people, at the sight of a problem that seems difficult to them, do not make the slightest attempt to solve it. They are defeated at the start. Others get down to a solution, but never get it done. Thinking is strenuous work that requires patience and perseverance from a person. It can tire you no less than physical labor, but it can bring even more satisfaction. The researchers found, comparing those students who had problems with math and those who performed well, that the success of some and the failure of others was a direct result of differences in attitudes. Unsuccessful students believed that if they could not solve a problem in less than 10 minutes, they could not do it. In contrast, high-performing students showed more perseverance when working on difficult problems.
Preparedness for planning
There are always students who take up the pen as soon as the task is on their desk. They start scribbling the answer before they think it over. Unsurprisingly, their responses are often a jumble of information that has only a distant connection to the question posed. When asked verbally, they answer the first thing that comes to mind. Such students need to learn how to somehow restrain their impulsiveness and draw up a response plan. They should sketch out an outline of the answer in their minds before reaching for the pen. Planning is the first and very important invisible step to critical thinking. With constant exercise, anyone can develop the habit of planning.
Willingness to correct your mistakes
We all make mistakes from time to time. Thinking people, instead of trying to justify their mistakes, know how to admit them and thereby learn from them. Listening to the opinions of others, they strive to understand where they are wrong, and to find the reasons for the error. Such people may recognize their strategies of action as ineffective and reject them, choosing new ones and improving their thinking.
Awareness
Psychologists call this quality metacognition, or meta-cognitive monitoring. It involves observing your own actions while moving towards a goal. Critically thinking people develop the habit of self-awareness of their own thought process.
Finding compromise solutions
Group forms of activity are predominant in the modern world. A critical thinking person needs to have both well-developed communication skills and the ability to find solutions that would satisfy the majority. Without this, even the brightest minds will not be able to translate their thoughts into concrete deeds.
Halpern Diana
"Psychology of Critical Thinking"
A person with a limited mind has a negative attitude towards any new ideas, declaring: "I have always managed without this." Such a conservative approach discourages the reception of fresh ideas. In contrast, a flexible position includes a willingness to consider new options, try to do something differently, change your point of view. A person with an open mind is able to wait for judgment, gathers more information and seeks to clarify difficult issues for himself. This does not mean that all options are equally good, or that unlimited is more important than common sense. It only means that a critically thinking person is ready to think in a new way, to reconsider the obvious and not to retreat from the task until it is solved. You may be disappointed if you fail, but if you don't even try, you are doomed. (Beverly Sills)
Persistence
Closely related to persistence is the willingness to tackle a task that requires mental strain. Some people, at the sight of a problem that seems difficult to them, do not make the slightest attempt to solve it. They are defeated at the start. Others get down to a solution, but never get it done. Thinking is strenuous work that requires patience and perseverance from a person. It can tire you no less than physical labor, but it can bring even more satisfaction. The researchers found, comparing those students who had problems with math and those who performed well, that the success of some and the failure of others was a direct result of differences in attitudes. Unsuccessful students believed that if they could not solve a problem in less than 10 minutes, they could not do it. In contrast, high-performing students showed more perseverance when working on difficult problems.
Preparedness for planning
There are always students who take up the pen as soon as the task is on their desk. They start scribbling the answer before they think it over. Unsurprisingly, their responses are often a jumble of information that has only a distant connection to the question posed. When asked verbally, they answer the first thing that comes to mind. Such students need to learn how to somehow restrain their impulsiveness and draw up a response plan. They should sketch out an outline of the answer in their minds before reaching for the pen. Planning is the first and very important invisible step to critical thinking. With constant exercise, anyone can develop the habit of planning.
Willingness to correct your mistakes
We all make mistakes from time to time. Thinking people, instead of trying to justify their mistakes, know how to admit them and thereby learn from them. Listening to the opinions of others, they strive to understand where they are wrong, and to find the reasons for the error. Such people may recognize their strategies of action as ineffective and reject them, choosing new ones and improving their thinking.
Awareness
Psychologists call this quality metacognition, or meta-cognitive monitoring. It involves observing your own actions while moving towards a goal. Critically thinking people develop the habit of self-awareness of their own thought process.
Finding compromise solutions
Group forms of activity are predominant in the modern world. A critical thinking person needs to have both well-developed communication skills and the ability to find solutions that would satisfy the majority. Without this, even the brightest minds will not be able to translate their thoughts into concrete deeds.
Halpern Diana
"Psychology of Critical Thinking"
