Critical Thinking

I need more of this in my life.

I shouldn’t be surprised, but I am by how little critical thinking is used. I am grateful for my parents, who taught me to think through my arguments and to think for myself. While I was pursuing my degree, I had to take a math class that emphasized logic. It was my hardest course. I couldn’t write a 5-page essay about logic; I had to apply it to different real-world scenarios. I had to critically think through these scenarios and apply the principles of logic to them. That is not always easy for me. That class slowed me down a bit, and I am grateful.

When I apply critical thinking to any given situation, I have to pause and take my time to see what is going on. This is where I think most people are lost in thinking critically. Our culture is so instantaneous that we want sound bites that we love and that agree with our worldview, so we don’t take the time to really think about what is being said. I know I am guilty of jumping on something being said or shared on social media and thinking, “ Oh, this sounds good; I should share it.” It is only after I shared the content that I realized it was not very well thought out.

I used to listen to a podcast called “JLTY” which stands for “Just Listen To Yourself.” The whole premise of the podcast was for the host, Kira Davis, to break down political arguments to their logical conclusion. I thought she did a great job with that. (She no longer does this podcast.) I’m learning that I have to take the time to apply critical thinking to what political figures are saying.

I love Alisa Childers’ podcast as she applies critical thinking to the Bible. She does a lot of videos showing how she thinks through Biblical arguments. She comes from the premise of someone close to deconstructing her faith in a time of crisis. I continually learn how to think through the arguments that are made on her podcast. I highly recommend watching her! I’m learning that I need to apply critical thinking to what someone says about Biblical things, as well.

I have also learned to listen to that still, small voice letting me know something isn’t correct. I am grateful for the Holy Spirit’s guidance and for helping me with what I like to call my “internal pause button.” I found this verse in Proverbs that has helped me with pausing and thinking through things critically. It is:

Do you see a man who is hasty in his words?
There is more hope for a fool than for him. Proverbs 29:20

This has been on my heart for a few weeks as I watch people on social media eviscerate others without critically thinking through what they are sharing. So many people are hasty with their words. I know at times I have been hasty with my words, and I am sure it will happen again. I pray that I will listen to the Holy Spirit and hit the pause button before I am hasty with my words. I want to think critically and thoughtfully about what I say and share.

Does critical thinking come naturally to you, or do you have to work at it as I do? I’d love to hear your thoughts!