Discussion 2 - Need it in 10 Hours Max with Responses

DB ONE – WEEK 1 6

1. Define, describe, and explain the principles of critical thinking.

To think critically means you don’t just have an unexamined thought. Critical thinking is an active kind of thinking. You look at a subject or problem and you dig deeper by trying to understand from all sides. You spend time asking questions, especially challenging ones to your own view point, to have that better understanding. You analyze the subject or problem and take time to research and build facts around it.

Along with being able to solve problems or come to a better understanding (such as the house buying example in the lecture) being a critical thinker can help people overcome biases or prejudices when faced with new information or unknown situations. Thinking critically can eliminate or at least reduce fears and emotional responses to things. Many social issues are difficult because of the amount of emotion involved. It is important to research and find out facts. One such argument is the use of capital punishment. Some sides say the cost of keeping terrible criminals alive is too much. Others will say the cost is less than all the appeals. What gets lost a lot is that people voted others to protect them, and those people don’t always know the best way to do that. The argument maybe should be to find better ways to protect people while at the same time trying to find a way to solve why people become criminals and what to do about that problem.

 

2. Describe a time when you used critical thinking to make a decision.

Two summers ago three of my friends and I went on a hike. The one friend was leading the way and the rest of us chatted, took photos, and enjoyed the time. As we were coming back, I realized the trail didn’t look correct. I spent a few minutes becoming sure we weren’t on the same path as our departure, then I had to tell my friends. I explained that we should have been going uphill, not down, and we should not be so near to the creek. My one friend became very panicked and wanted to turn around to try and find where we went wrong. The leader was reluctant to admit we had become “lost” and more ashamed he didn’t have a trail map.  I pulled out my phone and could plainly see where we had walked earlier that day on my tracker. It would be far easier to traverse a half mile off the trail than to go back over 2 miles to the fork we missed.

I guess you could say I was thinking critically as I looked at my surroundings.  Then I used logic and data to get to the correct trail in the shortest amount of time and effort. I didn’t panic or feel as if pride where important to getting to the right decision.