Critical Thinking

Critical Thinking

AP

PHI221

July 20, 2013

Jennifer Hensell

Critical Thinking

From what I have read this week I believe critical thinking and how we perceive things go hand in hand with our personalities. For instance I am a technical person and am right brain dominant. My personality type reflects the idealist and duty fulfiller model; I think quicker and faster and more efficiently in stressful situations and thrive on challenge.

“The three tiers of critical thinking are considered artificial and only highlight the experience, interpretation, and analysis of the critical-thinking process” (Boss, 2010). Critical thinking is a learned and practiced behavior. “As critical thinkers, it is not only our reasoning process that is important but also that our reasoning is connected to reality” (Boss, 2010). There are many barriers to critical thinking I believe the three most common are one “confirmation/self-serving bias which is bending information to fit ones needs, or internal/external factors. Two, accepting authority without question which includes blind acceptance with moral failure. Three is ignorance and failure to admit which are fabrications or wild speculations of information” (Pinder, 2007).

As an example of critical thinking and barriers happened to me this week; due to a work related injury I was forced to take a position I know nothing about. I am completely out of my element and I feel like it is an attack and a demotion. Not only did I start a new position I also started my last class and for the first time in years I had to learn to balance schoolwork with employment. As Monday came to an end I literally felt defeated; there was no experience to fall on, interpretation was null and void, and analysis was full of tears. Today, Friday after four days of doing the exact same job experience came to light. The experience I gained I used as information and the foundation for critically assessing the facts I learned about the machine. Once I opened my...