The Cycle to Follow
Understanding that thinking critically is a process, a cycle
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Perception supplies the raw sensory data.
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Intuition offers quick, experience-based interpretations to move fast.
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Critical thinking refines and validates these interpretations for accuracy and logic.
Understanding that thinking critically is best performed as a holistic process
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Considering multiple perspectives and contexts: Looking at a problem from different angles—social, cultural, economic, environmental—to grasp its full complexity.
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Understanding relationships and interdependencies: Recognizing how components influence each other and how changes in one area affect the whole system.
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Systems thinking: Viewing the whole system rather than just the parts, which helps in identifying patterns, feedback loops, and root causes rather than just symptoms.
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Analyzing complex issues comprehensively: Breaking down complex problems while keeping sight of their connections and the wider context.
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Integrating intuition and evidence-based analysis: Combining quick, experience-based judgments with deliberate, logical evaluation to produce well-rounded decisions.
