The Critical Thinking Project: Learning How to Reason, Question, and Investigate Information

Critical thinking is not a talent possessed only by scholars, scientists, or highly educated people. It is a practice. Like any practice, it becomes stronger through repetition. Every time you ask for evidence, you strengthen it. Every time you check a source, you strengthen it. Every time you listen fairly to an opposing position, you strengthen it. Every time you admit uncertainty, correct a mistake, or revise a belief, you strengthen it. You will not perform these tasks perfectly. No one does. You will sometimes react emotionally. You will occasionally accept weak evidence. You may overlook assumptions, misinterpret information, or defend a belief too strongly. The goal is not perfection. The goal is improvement. The question is not whether you will ever be wrong. You will. The important question is what you will do after you discover the error.