16 Characteristics of Critical Thinkers

16 Characteristics of Critical Thinkers

Critical thinking is more than just the accumulation of facts and knowledge; it’s a way of approaching whatever is presently occupying your mind so that you come to the best possible conclusion. If you’re hoping to reach your full potential and make your mark on the world, cultivate the following 16 characteristics:

Compassion and empathy

Having compassion and empathy may seem like a negative for critical thinkers.

Introspection

This is the art of being aware of your thinking

Effective communicators

Critical thinking is the tool we use to coherently build our thoughts and express them

Creative Thinking

Reject standardized formats for problem solving

Analytical Thinking

Best analytical thinkers are also critical thinkers

Determining relevance

Determine what information is most relevant, meaningful, and important for your consideration.

Observation

One of the earliest critical thinking skills we learn as children

Active listeners

Instead of being a passive listener during a conversation or discussion, they actively try to participate

Objectivity

Stay as objective as possible when looking at information or a situation

Humility

This is the willingness to acknowledge one’s shortcomings and see one’s positive attributes in an accurate way.

Challenge the status quo

Critical thinking means questioning long-established business practices and refusing to adhere to traditional methods simply because that’s the way it’s always been done.

Inference

The ability to extrapolate meaning from data and discover potential outcomes when assessing a scenario.

Identifying biases

When looking at information, ask yourself who the information benefits

Open-mindedness

Step back from a situation and not become embroiled

Aware of common thinking errors

Common logical fallacies

Curiosity

Curiosity is a core trait of many successful leaders

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