"Critical Thinking" may sound like an obnoxious buzzword from liberal arts schools, but it's actually a useful skill. Critical thinking just means absorbing important information and using that to form a decision or opinion of your own--rather than just spouting off what you hear others say. This doesn't always come naturally to us, but luckily, it's something you can train yourself to do better.
Critical thinking doesn't end. The more knowledge you cultivate, the better you'll become at thinking about it. It's navel gazing in that you're constantly thinking about thinking, but the end result is a brain that automatically forms better arguments, focused ideas, and creative solutions to problems.
Via Gust MEES
A very practical description with examples of ways to become better in your critical thinking. A good primer for sense making as part of the PKM framework.
"Navel gazing." I haven't heard that term in ages ... and don't do it near enough.
Critical thinking means to ask questions that need to be asked. it involves finding the significance in every piece of information you come across and formulating opinions and plans of action. You have to ask the tough questions and the best one to start with is "Why?" Critical thinking is about being curious and allowing your sense of curiosity to follow the "why".Often times following the why will lead to finding the truths and finding lies. Critical thinking is also about honing in ones BS detector. Take time to analyze information before accepting it's credibility.