Critical Thinking Book Summary
The book began before the day's plan with the saying that the quality of your life is determined by the quality of your thinking, that is, when you improve the way you think, you improve your life and lifestyle by making a list. In the sense that critical thinking has importance, features, and characteristics that enter the human mind. Beginning with a definition of critical thinking, which is divided into two parts, the first part is thinking. It is natural that each of us to think. The problem remains in the nature of that thinking as well, which is a key to feelings and desires. The two writers here came up with the idea that thinking has 8 basic factors that are structures represented by generating goals and using ideas for interpretation and other factors with the aim of solving a problem or thinking about it as well as learning to develop these factors or intellectual features. As for that second part, it is of course related to thinking because it is thinking in a critical way, and it is worth mentioning the intervention of the human mind, i.e. the attempt to live in a logical and rational manner with intellectual embrace.
The book we are analyzing, entitled Critical Thinking, is a book by psychologist Linda Elder and writer Richard Ball. The authors came up with a definition of this thinking, accompanied by a plan or strategy that can be practiced for 30 days, by creating a set of rules. Each day was given a title, through which he reviewed a way to develop critical thinking as well as its development, with the aim and desire to improve the way of thinking in all aspects of life.
Hence, we find a good critical thinker, i.e. he is distinguished in his understanding over logic in understanding something by relying on intellectual standards that include clarity, precision, the strength of relevance to the topic, accuracy, as well as depth, breadth, and logic in addition to justice, and this is what must be applied to those previous factors. Through courage, humility, independence, perfection, perseverance, and confidence in the intellectual side, of course, it leads us to the development of thought and intellectual virtues in return for the opposite.
Referring to the plan of days, which, as I mentioned above, has a title for each day, or rather wisdom, beginning with:
table of contents
Day 1 “Discover your ignorance”
We stand here on intellectual humility and shun intellectual vanity through evidence and recognition. So that we find that we stand on those intellectual virtues, so do not always desire excellence and think that you are right. Thinking in a critical way guarantees you to use the best you can think of under any circumstance. Few of us realize what we do not know. So, on the first day, you must discover that you are ignorant of many things, so you must be intellectually humble and overcome your ignorance in return.
Day Two: Strive to be a complete person
Be wary of your personal hypocrisy.” Hypocrisy is when you reach selfishness and be stripped of honesty, in other words, it is the mind’s lack of interest in honesty and the interference of selfishness so the latter was considered an instinct. But the solution is to reduce that hypocrisy by targeting your hypocrisy and balancing your actions with what you say change yourself by reconsidering and thinking in a critical way. That is, on this day, be wary of your personal hypocrisy, and make sure your mind pays attention to honesty.
On the third-day “Sympathy for others
Be empathetic and compassionate, here we mean empathy in intellectual terms by thinking about the other's point of view. If you find someone who thinks in a different way, he can teach facts that you do not know, put yourself in the place of the other, and so on this day you have to be intellectually sympathetic by thinking about the views of others, that is, you will be sympathetic to those with whom you differ intellectually and be receptive to them and develop yourself through what the writers presented From strategies that make you sympathetic and not cynical, stand on your intellectual humility to be successful in reaching a critical thinker and not shift control over the other.
Day 4 “Reliably target your goals
In the book, human intentions control thinking. In other words, intentions are represented in goals and objectives. That is, on this day, check and confirm your intentions by asking questions. And be able to evaluate the intentions of the other. And write down every change and any goal you seek at the end of the day, you will make sure whether there is a contradiction between your stated goals and your unstated or personal goals through critical thinking by knowing what you have to know for your purposes.
Day 5 “Don't Stick to Traditions: Think for Yourself”
This is by becoming an independent thinker. Do not be subject to compliance with traditions and do not follow groups. The book always gives a solution and tries to convince you on this day in the end. Joining groups and independence must be discarded, and every independent prefers to be alone. Do not comply with customs or traditions because the public is not the best. Usually.
Day Six “Clarify your thinking”, or define your main idea
To become a good thinker, you must learn the art of filtering ideas. When you try to implement the idea of clarifying ideas, it is easy and difficult. Thus, you have to give your thinking a clear and specific meaning under the phrase Clarify your thinking.
Day Seven “Be relevant: stick to the topic”
On this day, you have to stick to the topic that you are going to bring up, because thinking closely related pays attention to everything related to the topic. When you deviate from the topic, reveal the reason and ask questions to ensure the relevance of the topic as stated by the authors so that you are on your way to successful critical thinking, so you must always rethink.
Day 8 "Be logical"
On this day, add logic and reason to your plan and you will notice how they hide their mistakes. Logic is not innate, but rather an evolution and support for the mind, in addition the strategies presented to make you more rational.
Day 9 “Ask Deep Questions”
The way you think and the quality of your thinking are determined by the questions. If you follow the strategy presented to formulate more powerful questions, ask yourself deep questions so that you get deep thinking and distinguish between the questions.
The tenth day: “Distinguishing between questions of truth, choice, and judgment.”
On this day, you have to distinguish between these questions that are of different systems, types,s, and results. You have to learn how to use each type to personalize through the plan provided.
Eleventh Day “Think Through Implications”
On this day, you should think about the effects that may result from what you do. If you ignore the implicit results that move your thinking, you will not be a critical thinker. But the book helps you become a critical thinker by providing a strategy for building thinking through the implications and questions to ask.
Day Twelve “Distinguish Inferences From Propositions”
You have to distinguish because people usually confuse inference and hypothesis, which are two parts of thinking.
Day 13” Don't be fooled by the phrases people use
Look beyond the phrases and at the unspoken reality.” On this day, you have to look beyond the phrases and at the unspoken reality in another way. You must not be deceived by the words that express reality, you must acquire the words of your choice. In addition, the book presented strategies that help the thinker to be more careful when choosing words.
Day 14 “If you think you have become a critical thinker, think again.”
You should follow your development as a critical thinker through the strategies presented. Critical thinking requires you to exercise vigilance and extreme commitment because it is not easy. Vantb everyone sees that as a critical thinker.
The fifteenth day “Be fair and not be selfish”
On your way to improving your way of thinking, you have to be fair, not selfish, and have logic, integrity, and fairness in your thinking along with fairness.
Day Sixteen “Control your emotions”
Today you have to follow the presented strategy to control your emotional life. Feelings, and emotions, are an essential part of the structure that you must control, look carefully at what causes these emotions and control your emotions on this day and overcome them.
Day Seventeen “Control Your Desires
When you want to control your life, you have to control your desires, and what you have to do on this day is to control your desires. Every behavior you do is driven by a purpose or desire and it plays a role in relation to thoughts and feelings. So take control of your cravings with the strategy presented while thinking about the implications.
On the eighteenth day “Do not control others and do not be a leader.”
You should not seek to dominate and lead others and think that if you are not at the top people will tread on you. This is immoral and is not characteristic of a critical thinker. Then you should become less tyrannical.
The nineteenth day: “Do not be submissive, nor one of those who are underestimated.”
Do not be the one who dominates others, nor one of the submissive, self-deceived, behaviorally, and controlling ones whose rights are trampled upon and resented. On this day, you must follow strategies to avoid irrational submission to the other and not be submissive.
Day 20 "Don't be brainwashed by the news media"
Avoid having this effect and follow the strategies presented in the news media, by reinterpreting events from multiple logical and mental perspectives. Correct news that reflects bias.
Day Twenty-first” carefully identify the ideas you take from TV, advertisements, movies, and the Internet
You have to be careful about this even though the journalists have to be objective. There are those who look for incitement, so be very careful in choosing the ideas taken and stick to the strategy presented to criticize shows and all Internet sources besides films, they are trying to influence. Don't be brainwashed, be a logical, critical thinker who researches carefully.
Day 22 “Don't be fooled by politicians
Deception in its meaning is realizing the real politicians, are truthful. Be sure and do not be deceived, apply the strategies presented, and try to know their behavior. Most of them want us to realize that they are interested in people and their service, so do not be deceived. There is a difference between statesmen and politicians.
Day Twenty-Third “Don't be blameworthy
We do not deny that everyone blames their weaknesses or something illogical. Be careful to blame others and thus take responsibility for your own actions, by controlling your emotions and transforming your energy into positive emotions.
Day Twenty-Four “Don't Be Cruel: Show Mercy
Do not forget that you, as a critical thinker, have to instill mercy, logic, and integrity along with justice in your thinking, and do not be harsh, as those who do not think like you must be tolerated, show your mercy and do not make them suffer and encourage forgiveness and mercy.
Day Twenty-fifth” vow not to spend any time worrying
You have to get rid of anxiety by solving problems, and do not spend your life worrying and controlling your emotions in exchange for anxiety. Calmness and search for the solution. Know that anxiety will not add anything to the quality of your life but will reduce it. Get rid of this habit by applying strategies to improve for the better by overcoming your anxiety.
Day 26 “Be a citizen of the world
Man is defined as a social being by means of a global vision rather than a national one. Thinkers came up with the idea that if we want a world that delivers justice to the population, being a citizen of the world along with integration is better than having a national advantage or national influence.
Day 27 “Do something to help make the world a better place
Based on the previous day, if you want to make the world better, you must spread justice. To be a critical thinker, you must know the goal, which is to improve the way you think. In the end, you have to contribute to a more just world and work for it.
Day Twenty-Eighth “Watch your development that takes place in stages
We are in our days numbered to end the days of the book and we must stand at an idea that each of us thinks in a somewhat critical way, we all fail to do so at times. On the other hand, the stages of development of this thinking were expressed by the authors in stages related to each other and when the individual reaches them, with each stage: the adept thinker, the advanced thinker, the practicing thinker, the novice thinker, the challenged thinker, and the non-reflective thinker.
Day Twenty-Ninth “Teach Yourself
Here you have to teach yourself through self-learning, so you have to learn at a deep level and make the library your home and resort to an effective way to learn because education occurs during life and not during the years of study.
Day 30” Decide where to go from here
And on the last day, you must work with what came in the days from here. Decide where you will go and apply the previous strategies to improve the quality of life you live and control your mind to use logical thinking skills.
In conclusion, critical thinking is thinking about thinking what you are thinking that must be rethought, reconsidered, and thought clearly. Because always, and based on what the book came with, the quality of your life is determined by the quality of your thinking, in addition to that it requires the capabilities of effective communication and commitment to overcome selfishness and avoid controlling others, and to control your out-of-control emotions and awareness of what you do not know as well as resistance to manipulation and deception for that. Keep improving your thinking through disciplined thinking and asking smarter questions, and don't conform to the other in the sense of not letting your rights digest. All of this makes you a master of specific techniques with the help of critical thinking experts who help you spot lies, gain insights and make smarter decisions.