Ch6 Q3

While reading I found many different aspects of critical thinking interesting but the one that got my attention the most was just the simple fact of how to Develop your critical thinking skills. This topic was presented in “The Essential Guide to Group Communication” by Dan O’hair and Mary O. Wiemann. In this section it noted some simple strategies that help develop your skills in critical thinking. The first strategy that the authors write about is considering multiple perspectives. While this may seem easy when you are reading about it, this often is one of the hardest aspects of critical thinking in my eyes. It is hard for someone to think that “hey, maybe I am wrong in this situation” because they have a certain stance on the issue or subject. Many of the other strategies were focused on being able to clarify the issue and making sure that your judgment is valid. These strategies also focused on being able to fully understand the issue that is at hand, someone cannot put their judgment in if they fully do not understand what is going on.  For example, if I was asked about the presidential candidates this year and my feelings on what they stand for to help someone make their decision on who to elect. I could not fully answer because I am not educated about the topics and I am skewed in one direction because how I was raised. Overall, the ideas at hand in this section of the reading were focused on a person being able to make a good decision by using their critical thinking skills, and giving some helpful tips that will assist in that.

-Mike Ross