barriers to critical thinking

barriers to critical thinking

The Importance of Overcoming Barriers to Critical Thinking

1. Introduction

In this essay, the main emphasis is on the importance of critical thinking and the barriers to critical thinking. There are six main barriers to critical thinking which are self-interested thinking, the irrelevant conclusion, avoiding the issue, appearances vs. reality, the fallacy of the perfect solution, and lastly, the belief that every problem has a single solution. By understanding the barriers to critical thinking and knowing how to overcome them, will definitely help us to prevent from making a bad decision and making conclusions which are not valid. This is important to everyone, especially to those who are leaders and decision makers. Most of the leaders and decision makers are very independent in making decisions and this is where they often make a bad decision because of falling into one of the barriers to critical thinking. By knowing what the barriers to critical thinking are and how to prevent it from making a bad decision is a must for them.

2. Understanding Barriers to Critical Thinking

In the process of reflecting upon the nature of critical thinking, it is useful to consider what is involved in thinking critically, correctly, and well. You can improve your critical thinking by understanding what a critical thinker does and by practicing the positive and avoiding the negative behaviors that are barriers to critical thinking. Barrier identification and removal is a key part of being able to improve your critical thinking. To identify barriers to critical thinking, consideration of the elements of critical thinking and a critical thinker’s abilities is required. The elements of critical thinking are the general purposes and the specific purposes for thinking; the kinds of thoughts we try to think; the standards or criteria that we use to judge the quality of thinking; and the problems or issues which we are addressing. A critical thinker has the abilities to interpret information, to infer solutions, to evaluate information, to be able to explain concepts, and to be able to gather information selectively. Generally, when we think of barriers to critical thinking, they are hindrances that stop us engaging in the previously mentioned elements and abilities. This can be interpreted as an inability to meet the general and specific purposes of thinking, inability to select the right kind of thoughts to think, inability to judge the quality of information, inability to solve problems and gather information, and so forth. Barriers to critical thinking are customarily divided into de facto barriers and de jure barriers. Customarily held in positions of educational authority, de jure barriers are those which are deemed currently and in the past to be true; barriers to which we have reasoned and reflective acceptance of. De jure barriers will often relate to cultural influences and political influences. Cultural influences on thinking can predispose individuals to hold different general purposes of thinking and to evaluate information using different criteria. This can sometimes lead to cultural conflict over the proper standards and methods of critical thinking. Political influences are usually attempts to stifle the critical thinking of individuals on certain issues or at large. This might be to prevent public criticism of political figures or to prevent any opposition to the official view of issues. Usually, restrictions of these kinds result in the discouragement of teaching critical thinking and lessen the freedom of full access to information concerning issues.

3. Consequences of Barriers to Critical Thinking

The nature of the consequences will also vary depending on how and why a barrier has been erected. The closed-minded attitude of a person who holds a belief due to legitimate ignorance is quite different from that of a person who holds a belief that they half-suspect to be false but want to keep hold of for hidden motives. In the latter case, it is likely that ongoing analysis and evaluation of the belief will cause discomfort and the defense of the belief will be a kind of doublethink. Such a person may be fairly effective at preventing external attacks on their belief, but the mental effort involved in doing so and the awareness of having to consciously avoid lines of inquiry will mean that they are still less likely to act upon the belief. A maintenance of the belief may also provide an ongoing psychological defense. Here the person is fully aware that the belief does not withstand critical analysis, but it serves as a symbolic protection against a perceived threat and so any attack on the belief will be rationalized away as being insignificant.

At an individual level, barriers can not only produce disasters but also prevent learning at a more basic level. Consider a person who holds a belief that is contradicted by their own experience; to resolve the resulting cognitive dissonance is emotionally uncomfortable, and so is to be avoided. They will erect a self-deception barrier to critical thinking, and if the belief is strongly held, any evidence to the contrary will be actively ignored. This person will not learn from their mistake and may act in ways harmful to themselves and others based on that belief. So the consequences of barriers can be a descent into more and more irrational and harmful ways of being.

The disastrous consequences of not thinking critically are all around us: war, poverty, pollution, inequality. The solutions to these problems are obvious, yet they are implemented over and over again. One reason can be that of simple ignorance – solutions are missed because they are not even being looked for. But often an explicit or implicit barrier to thinking critically will underlie a more specific problem; this is in part how an entire social structure can be perpetuated through generations.

4. Strategies to Overcome Barriers

The first strategy for overcoming barriers to critical thinking is to indulge yourself in educational pursuits. This means to never stop learning, reading, writing, or listening. The mind is much like a muscle, in order to keep it in good condition you must work it out. Try and read a book over the summer, and discuss your thoughts with your friends, or take a night class once a week. Keep the mind moving, much like physical exercise is good for the body; educational exercise is good for the mind. Another strategy involves being more creative during the decision-making process. Consider all possible solutions to a problem, get opinions from everyone involved, and generate as many alternative strategies as possible. Then consider the advantages and disadvantages of each, reflecting on what you are trying to achieve. It is a good idea to also plan for some potential problems or changes in your decision. This strategy is the opposite of going with your first instinct, it involves taking your time and giving maximum mental effort to problem solving. This also means not being afraid to admit that you are wrong, and being willing to try a different approach. Of course this strategy will usually require more time and effort, but it is a sure way to guarantee lifelong learning and success. An important strategy for overcoming barriers to critical thinking is to take a break when it is needed. If one tries to solve a problem, or make a decision when they are tired, hungry, or in a bad mood, they can often make poor decisions. Do not overwork a problem; know when to put it aside and come back later. This will give you a fresh outlook, and often problems that seemed insurmountable before are easily solved. A good decision is to also discuss your problem with someone else, not for the purpose of getting them to solve it, but to get a fresh and unbiased opinion. Often others can see the solution to a problem much easier than we can, and it is the height of closed-mindedness to think that we can always do everything on our own.

5. Benefits of Developing Critical Thinking Skills

Although the process of thinking critically may be stressful and difficult at times, critical thinking may have important advantages and benefits. Critical thinking brings about a clarity of perception that may be utilized in solving problems, formulating inferences, calculating likelihood, and making decisions. A well-cultivated critical thinker: 1. Is open-minded and mindful of alternatives. 2. Tries to be well-informed. 3. Judges well the credibility of sources. 4. Is inquisitive and curious. 5. Is cautious in making decisions. 6. Is willing to reconsider positions on the basis of new information. 7. Is clear about the issues. 8. Is orderly in complex matters. 9. Will be confident in reasoning. 10. Has the ability to think in fair and just ways about solutions to problems. It is likely that the benefits of developing these intellectual skills will carry over into other areas of one’s life. A well-cultivated critical thinker: – Raises vital questions and problems, formulating them clearly and precisely. – Gathers and assesses relevant information, using abstract ideas to interpret it effectively, comes to well-reasoned conclusions and solutions, testing them against relevant criteria and standards. – Thinks open-mindedly within alternative systems of thought, recognizing and assessing, as need be, their assumptions, implications, and practical consequences. – Communicates effectively with others in figuring out solutions to complex problems.