The Power of Critical Thinking: Answering Questions

Examples of Critical Thinking

Answer the questions below. Critical thinking is a purposeful and reflective process of making reasoned judgments about what to believe and what to do.

1.Provide an example of a time when you engaged in critical thinking to solve a problem or make a decision. 

2.Explain how critical thinking led to a positive result in the example above.     

3.In approximately 450 B.C. a Greek philosopher stated, “The unexamined life is not worth living.”  Explain in your own words what he meant by this statement.      

4.Is this statement above still relevant today?  Using your own words and ideas explain why or why not.      

5.Think of an example of a time during the last month when you should have used critical thinking skills but did not.

a. What was the result?     

Explain how using critical thinking skills would have changed the result. 

6.List a long-term goal you have set for yourself.

7.Use your critical thinking skills to explain why this long-term goal is realistic and appropriate for you.  (If you realize it is not realistic, or no longer relevant to your life, explain why.)  

8.Being creative does not necessarily mean being artistic. Provide a specific example in your life where you express your unique personality and talents.      

9.Your VOC, or “voice of criticism”, can prevent you from being creative and expressing yourself freely. Describe a time when your VOC prevented your creative self from reaching its full potential. 

10.List your most frequent self-criticism and analyze how you believe it developed.

11.Describe two strategies you could implement to combat the self-criticism you identified in the last question. 

12. Thinking actively promotes critical thinking. Explain how thinking actively promotes critical thinking.

Read the short story, Sugar and Honey, and answer the questions below. (Hint: It may be helpful to read the story more than one time to fully understand the meaning.)

13.After hearing Phyllis call him “Honey,” Douglas realizes that she is still there with him. What do you think makes him draw this conclusion? Explain.

Phyllis always took care of Douglas. He now considers it is his duty and privilege to take care of her. Both family members and professionals disagree. Use the Method for Making Decisions (Chapter 1) and describe how these steps apply to Douglas’ decision to take care of Phyllis.

15.Why do you think that Douglas’ family members and doctors do not support his decision to be Phyllis’ caretaker?

16.Sugar and Honey is the title of the story as well as the nicknames that Douglas and Phyllis have for each other. Explain the symbolism of the story title.

Reflect on what you have learned this week to help you respond to the question below. You may choose to respond in writing or by recording a video!

17.In a well-detailed paragraph, use three specific reasons to answer the following question: 

Describe and explain why critical thinking is an important skill to develop for career success. Be sure to provide specific examples for each reason that you provide.