Children believe in the Tooth Fairy and in Santa Claus! They would vehemently defend their beliefs about a mystical creature’s generosity. Of course, ANY rational person would tell you that these ideas are beyond ludicrous. So it begs a very important question- What makes adults flatly refute an idea that kids desperately seem to cling onto? Critical thinking! But a more important question is- does everybody (including adults) have the ability to engage in critical thinking? Now, if you’ve had your “what was I thinking” episodes far too often, then you probably have figured out that irrespective of one’s age, critical thinking doesn’t develop naturally with time. It is an acquired trait. In other words, critical thinking CAN and MUST be learnt to bring success in one’s career and personal lives. In fact, in the 21 st century, it is known to be an essential skill and comprises one of the 4Cs of the Eduskills program. So as we are on a mission to equip the masses with this very vital skill, we need to also unpack its true meaning. Critical thinking is a skill that enables you to make logical and informed decisions based on facts and without being unduly influenced by personal feelings, opinions or biases. Mastering this skill not only makes you an efficient person, but it also protects you from being manipulated and cheated by people. So here’s the deal! If you think critically, you scale up in life because you get good at:

a) Eye for detail: Critical thinking compels you to sift through facts revolving around issues. Is someone trying to manipulate your actions by touting unverified claims? Do you recall the rumour- mongering that was rampant at the start of the pandemic in year 2020? It was a result of zero fact- checking causing one to lap up information at face value! However, critical thinking gives you an eye for detail to unravel any falsehood or misleading information that lacks in context. This makes you a problem-solver and an individual with great discernment- a true leader in the making!!

b) Being unbiased: Critical thinking requires you to challenge yourself to look at different perspectives without letting others’ or your own biases come in the way. Are you brave to ask yourself questions like- am I overlooking information because it doesn’t support my own beliefs? Does any source of information appear to have an agenda which blocks out real facts? Why am I doing what I am doing? The answers may surprise you! Children who wait for the Tooth Fairy desperately want to believe in the fantasy world, so they simply block out reality. Being unbiased keeps you from becoming a tooth fairy- believing individual.

c) Eliminating the non-essential: Our ability to eliminate the unnecessary helps us become efficient and productive as we tend to focus ONLY on that which is most important. Do you tend to become so detail -oriented that you miss out on the big picture? That’s a lack of critical thinking ability and
will cost you time, money and effort. During the pandemic, several people lost their jobs and were faced with a wave of uncertainty. Such dire situations call for critical thinking aimed at taking judicious decisions based on actions that take top priority and that lead to swift damage control. Do you feel like you are equipped with this trait in a crisis? A true leader always acts quickly by thinking on their feet, by eliminating the non-essential through prudent decision-making! Isn’t it time to become a leader and achieve success by donning the essence of critical thinking in everything you do and say? Are you ready? Get geared for 4CFT EduSkills of critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creativity!