Critical thinking means to me that I will not allow one outside source to be the only basis of information that I seek. All information should be cross referenced in order to hold a piece of information as credible. My own personal habits when it comes to thinking critically are when I come across an interesting piece of information that I want to form an opinion on. Almost automatically, I begin to ask question to find out who said what and what makes them credible. Also, I usually want to know what other people think about it in order to see the differences and commonalities between people that may be a driving force in believing certain claims. Then, I check to see if the source is credible by looking up educational sites online or I check various forms of media. By just listening to different radio stations or watching different news channels, I get a broader meaning on an issue. When reading, I immediately look to see who the author is and get information on their background. Many times, a person’s opinion is well formulated as a reflection of the events that took place in their lifetime or significant events that could have changed them. I tend to apply critical thinking to most areas in my life; especially when it comes to politics. I see politics as a run to get the popular vote. Some politicians may say vague comments in order to mislead what their purpose truly is. I do not tend to base my opinions on commercials that are funded by an organization that has incentive by a certain party or politician. I am mostly open to different ideas as well as different interpretations but they must be backed up by evidence or statistical consistency. I enjoy critiquing the media because many times, the guidelines that are projected are reflections of how controlled and manipulated our society is. Social norms are based on what popular society agrees to be defined by any given term to separate others. This unconsciously can affect many people in negative ways. Some other areas that I do not typically think about critically are about scholarly work. I find that I think to myself that someone else has done the research for me to provide evidence that a certain idea has been proven true. I expect this class to encourage me to do my own research in scholarly sources and to sharpen my ability to ask myself questions in order to answer with a good foundation of credibility. I may view the world differently by forming opinions on topics and issues that I know enough factual information in order to voice myself and become a person in the knowing of today’s controversies. I, as an individual, will be able to look pasted biased information and play a more engaged and active role as a citizen as well as a more well-rounded person with a spectrum of perspectives. The world would be a better place if there was some sort of filtration from all the opinions dumped on individuals.
