Critical Thininking

Critical Thinking, Active Reading and Effective Writing

Do you have the ability to think critically? Can you actively read a passage? Are you capable of effectively communicating through writing? If you can answer yes to all three of these questions, you should be thanking the people that helped you accomplish these vital abilities. Often we learn what to think instead of how to think. Many of us don’t read actively, we allow the writer to tell us what to think instead of reading and thinking for ourselves. Active reading takes patience and dedication but can improve thinking and writing skills. Writing can be challenging if we don’t take the time to develop the necessary skills to write effectively. Critical thinking, active reading, and effective writing are important tools that can improve know-how both academically and professionally.

Critical Thinking

The ability to think critically can insure that we make the correct choices when making life changing decisions. “Thinking is any mental activity that helps formulate or solve a problem, make a decision, or fulfill a desire to understand. It is a searching for answers, a reaching for meaning” (Ruggiero, 2004). Ruggiero’s definition of critical thinking is detailed. I believe that critical thinking is thinking with a purpose. Each person’s ability to think critically varies. Many factors determine the ability to think critically such as education, age, and life experiences to name a few.

Benefits of critical thinking. Being a critical thinker can make many areas of our lives flow smoother. For instance deciding who to marry, what career to pursue, or which political party to support are all events that require you to analyze and evaluate potential outcomes. (Ruggiero, 2004 p.5) Time and again decisions are made based on emotion or tradition. Dysfunctional marriages occur because a person may feel that they have been together so long that it’s only right to take the next step when in fact...