10 Tips to Become a Better Thinker

Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde said, “ A man who does not think for himself does not think at all.” What makes a person a “good thinker?” Here are some traits we can cultivate to help us become better thinkers:

1. Deliberate – don’t just react from your gut, or go with first instinct—think it over!

2. Recognize complexities – strong thinkers are able to work within problems, and consider all options before coming to conclusions.

3. Curious – be inquisitive; ask questions!

4.Truth Seekers – bottom line, you want to know the truth, even if it changes your what you’ve taken for granted.

5. Communicate well – good thinkers do their best to be clear and logical. Some find it helpful to jot down ideas in an orderly way.

6. Fair-minded – good thinkers consider multiple points of view before drawing a conclusion. If you always get your information from one source, is it fair? Listen to both sides and you’ll come to a truer conclusion.

7. Intellectual empathy – you need to try and understand another’s point of view.

8. Integrity and intellectual courage – you need to be honest, have strong moral principles and be willing to back up your convictions honorably.

9. Develop reasonable conclusions – strong, critical thinkers are able to draw rational conclusions because they took the time to analyze, evaluate, infer and deduce a conclusion.

10. Gracious – good thinkers are full of grace towards others who are in process of becoming better thinkers!

These tips are largely taken from Insight Assessment, http://www.insightassessment.com, developed of the California Critical Thinking Skills Test.

One Comment

  1. Connie Barstad July 12, 2014