16 Characteristics of Critical Thinkers

Critical thinking is more than just the accumulation of facts and knowledge; it’s a way of approaching whatever is presently occupying your mind so that you come to the best possible conclusion. If you’re hoping to reach your full potential and make your mark on the world, cultivate the following 16 characteristics:

Compassion and empathy

Having compassion and empathy may seem like a negative for critical thinkers.

The point of having compassion is to have concern for others and to value the welfare of other people. Without compassion, we would view all information and situations from the viewpoint of cold, heartless scientific facts and data.

Introspection

This is the art of being aware of your thinking

Critical thinkers need introspection so they’re aware of their own degree of alertness and attentiveness, as well as their biases
Introspection is closely related to self-reflection which gives you insight into your emotional and mental state

Effective communicators

Critical thinking is the tool we use to coherently build our thoughts and express them

An effective critical thinker must be able to relay his or her ideas in a compelling way and then absorb the responses of others
Think critically, see things from different perspectives, and follow others’ thought processes

Creative Thinking

Reject standardized formats for problem solving

Think outside the box
Experiment with different methods and viewpoints
Creativity is associated with generating ideas, and critical thinking is analyzing and appraising those ideas
Critical thinking can bring those ideas into clearer focus

Analytical Thinking

Best analytical thinkers are also critical thinkers

Determining relevance

Determine what information is most relevant, meaningful, and important for your consideration.

Observation

One of the earliest critical thinking skills we learn as children

Our ability to perceive and understand the world around us
Careful observation includes our ability to document details, and to document data through our senses
Eventually, our observations will eventually lead to insight and a deeper understanding of the world

Active listeners

Instead of being a passive listener during a conversation or discussion, they actively try to participate

Ask questions to help them distinguish facts from assumptions
They gather information and seek to gain insight by asking open-ended questions that probe deeper into the issue

Objectivity

Stay as objective as possible when looking at information or a situation

Be aware of your bias and remove yourself from the situation to be able to analyze it more thoroughly
Focus on facts, and on the scientific evaluation of the information at hand
Don’t let emotions influence your judgment

Humility

This is the willingness to acknowledge one’s shortcomings and see one’s positive attributes in an accurate way.

Challenge the status quo

Critical thinking means questioning long-established business practices and refusing to adhere to traditional methods simply because that’s the way it’s always been done.

Inference

The ability to extrapolate meaning from data and discover potential outcomes when assessing a scenario.

Identifying biases

When looking at information, ask yourself who the information benefits

Open-mindedness

Step back from a situation and not become embroiled

Want to hear all perspectives
Don’t jump to conclusions
Approach a question or situation with an open mind and embrace other opinions and views
Avoid launching into a frenzied argument or taking sides

Aware of common thinking errors

Common logical fallacies

Circular reasoning
Cognitive shortcut bias
Confusing correlation with causation
Assigning that when two things happen together, one causes the other cannot be proven without direct evidence
Sticking to a favored view even when other more effective explanations exist