Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is the art of thinking about thinking while thinking in order to make thinking better. It involves three interwoven phases: it analyzes thinking, it evaluates thinking, it improves thinking (Paul & Elder, 2006). Everyone can think. Thinking is natural and has become a way for individuals to process information. Individuals make important decisions about their lives every day. These decisions could be big or small. The decisions can range from deciding what coat to wear outside to making a decision about a career path. No matter what kind of decisions people make daily, critical thinking is a part of the process. The ability to think critically is important in whatever a person may choose to do. If a person works in a profession such as education, finance or management, critical thinking is obviously important. Critical thinking skills are not used for a particular subject area. These skills are used within any field of study. Critical thinking has become even more valuable in the global economy because it allows businesses to have a competitive advantage. Technology is constantly improved upon which requires organizations to recruit the best individuals for the job. Being able to think critically is becoming one of the job requirements for many organizations because they want to stay competitive long term.
To think critically, individuals must be able to look past their emotions to obtain the truth. There is no room for emotions concerning critical thinking. Emotions can cloud one’s judgment. Critical thinkers must make sure that their mind is free and relaxed. It gives the mind a clear view of what is accurately going on. I have been working as a machine operator for Georgia-Pacific Corporation for almost four years. As a machine operator, one has to identify the problem, identify causes of the problem, troubleshoot, and ultimately find the solution. This process definitely requires critical thinking skills. The machines are in an environment...