quotes for critical thinking

Critical thinking definition

Critical thinking, as described by Oxford Languages, is the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgement.

Active and skillful approach, evaluation, assessment, synthesis, and/or evaluation of information obtained from, or made by, observation, knowledge, reflection, acumen or conversation, as a guide to belief and action, requires the critical thinking process, which is why it's often used in education and academics.

Some even may view it as a backbone of modern thought.

However, it's a skill, and skills must be trained and encouraged to be used at its full potential.

People turn up to various approaches in improving their critical thinking, like:

• Developing technical and problem-solving skills
• Engaging in more active listening
• Actively questioning their assumptions and beliefs
• Seeking out more diversity of thought
• Opening up their curiosity in an intellectual way etc.

Is critical thinking useful in writing?

Critical thinking can help in planning your paper and making it more concise, but it's not obvious at first. We carefully pinpointed some the questions you should ask yourself when boosting critical thinking in writing:

• What information should be included?
• Which information resources should the author look to?
• What degree of technical knowledge should the report assume its audience has?
• What is the most effective way to show information?
• How should the report be organized?
• How should it be designed?
• What tone and level of language difficulty should the document have?

Usage of critical thinking comes down not only to the outline of your paper, it also begs the question: How can we use critical thinking solving problems in our writing's topic?

Let's say, you have a Powerpoint on how critical thinking can reduce poverty in the United States. You'll primarily have to define critical thinking for the viewers, as well as use a lot of critical thinking questions and synonyms to get them to be familiar with your methods and start the thinking process behind it.

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25 Powerful Critical Thinking Quotes

Legendary physicist Richard Feynman famously warned that when it comes to thinking, not fooling yourself should be at the top of your mind. His reason was simple: “You are the easiest person to fool”. Critical thinking is often hailed as the antidote to our tendency to self-deception. But it’s hard to pinpoint what people mean when they use the term. I’ve previously described it as the art of thinking and thinking about thinking to make judgements while improving the quality of the thought process itself. To illustrate the elusive concept further I’ve put together 25 quotes on critical thinking and added some personal reflections.

1. What Is Thinking?

Thinking — or reasoning — involves objectively connecting present beliefs with evidence in order to believe something else. David T. Moore, Critical Thinking and Intelligence Analysis

If your thinking doesn’t get you into a different state of mind, even if it only means your existing convictions become more high-resolution, you were probably just ruminating; that is turning over the same thoughts without making progress.

2. Writing Is Thinking

If people cannot write well, they cannot think well, and if they cannot think well, others will do their thinking for them. George Orwell

Skilful writing is indistinguishable from critical thinking as it forces you to clarify and reorganise your thoughts. But it also means that lazy writing leads to sloppy thinking, a bad habit George Orwell tried to address with his six writing rules .

3. Death of Ideas

The purpose of thinking is to let the ideas die instead of us dying. Alfred North Whitehead

Thinking is akin to running simulations in our heads to test assumptions and predict outcomes. This allows us to pick the best courses of action. It’s superior to trying out hypotheses in the real world due to something called self-preservation.

4. Belief Confidence

The confidence people have in their beliefs is not a measure of the quality of evidence but of the coherence of the story that the mind has managed to construct. Daniel Kahneman

We don’t naturally process ideas in terms of reasons, logic and arguments. We think in stories . So if you want to question the validity of your beliefs, start by questioning the story you’ve constructed around them.

5. Sagan’s Dragon

What’s the difference between an invisible, incorporeal, floating dragon who spits heatless fire and no dragon at all? If there’s no way to disprove my contention, no conceivable experiment that would count against it, what does it mean to say that my dragon exists? Your inability to invalidate my hypothesis is not at all the same thing as proving it true. Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World

Falsifiability is a cornerstone of critical thinking. If you encounter a statement or an idea that cannot be scrutinised let alone proven false, scepticism is in order. Thankfully, Sagan left us his Baloney Detection Kit , a set of cognitive tools for detecting falsehoods.

6. Dangerous Knowledge

Assumptions have been described as the most dangerous form of knowledge. Why? Because an assumption carries with it unconsidered information, knowledge that is not subject to thought or critique. However, assumptions are a fact of life; we all have them and we all rely on them. […] The best that we can do is identify them and make them explicit. Charles Vandepeer, Applied Thinking for Intelligence Analysis

Another way to improve your critical thinking skills is to identify and question the underlying assumptions of a cherished belief you hold. For example by using Structured Analytic Techniques .

7. Passionate Opinions

The opinions that are held with passion are always those for which no good ground exists; indeed the passion is the measure of the holder’s lack of rational conviction. Opinions in politics and religion are almost always held passionately. Bertrand Russell

The default state of our mind is to think about things intuitively and emotionally . While this helps us to solve complex problems quickly using heuristics , it requires a deliberate effort to consider an issue rationally and logically. But the effort is worth it.

8. Building Blocks

When it comes to the ideas and opinions you hold, see them as toys or building blocks that you are playing with. Some you will keep, others you will knock down, but your spirit remains flexible and playful. Robert Greene, The Daily Laws

For bad ideas to die, we have to see them less as precious possessions and more as means to the end of getting us closer to the truth.

9. The Utility of Scepticism

Science is more than a body of knowledge. It’s a way of thinking. A way of skepticely interrogating the universe with a fine understanding of human fallability. If we are not able to ask skeptical questions, to interrogate those who tell us that something is true, to be skeptical of those in authority, then we’re up for grabs for the next charlatan — political or religious — who comes ambling along. Carl Sagan

A healthy scepticism is a civil necessity. But it’s worth remembering that the number one charlatan to look out for is still yourself.

10. Beware of Your Biases

People can be extremely intelligent, have taken a critical thinking course and know logic inside and out. Yet they may just become clever debaters, not critical thinkers, because they are unwilling to look at their own biases. Carol Wade

Critical thinking without questioning and refining your assumptions, beliefs and ways of making judgements is not critical thinking. An integral part is becoming aware of your biases such as motivated reasoning .

11. Pseudo-Critical Thinking

Critical thinking, as has been noted, focuses on both the process and the results of reasoning. However, the term is also used in reference to reasoning that is not reflective. The application of formal logic is sometimes (incorrectly) equated to critical thinking. So too are problem solving and structured methods of analysis. Developers of school curricula and other exponents of “sound thinking” often lay claim to the mantel of critical thinking but are really leveraging their coverage of logic or problem solving to capitalize on an uncritical understanding of what critical thinking is. Problem solving, for example, focuses on answers and not on the process by which an answer is obtained. Additionally, logic or problem solving, being goal oriented, offer little means by which a person can improve the process of her thinking. David T. Moore, Critical Thinking and Intelligence Analysis

Genuine critical thinking offers dual benefits. First, it allows you to make sound judgements and second, you improve your thinking in such a way that it’ll be easier for you to make sound judgements next time around.

12. The Intelligence Trap

Unintelligent people are more easily misled by other people, intelligent people are more easily misled by themselves. Gurwinder Bhogal

The sharp-minded can rationalise their way to any bogus conclusions, crediting it to their critical thinking. The simple-minded adopt their views unquestioned while slamming others for their supposed lack of critical thinking.

13. Fruitless Philosophising

It is lacking in critical thinking to think that studying philosophy will improve your critical thinking. Nassim Nicholas Taleb, The Bed of Procrustes

Merely curating a list of critical thinking quotes is unlikely to improve someone’s critical thinking skills. Like any skill, they have to be practised with a certain amount of skin in the game; that is a personal stake or risk exposure in the outcomes of their decisions or actions.

14. Overthinking

Most of us think compulsively all the time. That is to say we talk to ourselves. And I remember when I was a boy we had a common saying: ‘Talking to yourself is the first sign of madness.’ Now obviously, if I talk all the time I don’t hear what anyone else has to say. And so in exactly the same way, if I think all the time, that is to say I talk to myself all the time, I don’t have anything to think about except thoughts. And therefore I’m living entirely in the world of symbols and I’m never in relationship with reality. Alan Watts

Overthinking poses a cognitive hazard that can make you lose touch with reality. British philosopher Alan Watts knew that at some point, you have to put your stake into the ground and act.

15. Tragic Wisdom

The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts. Bertrand Russell

For all its benefits, an obsession with critical thinking can paralyse and make you second-guess every decision or action.

16. Intellectual Humility

Intellectual humility is the recognition that our reasoning is so flawed, so prone to bias, that we can rarely be certain that we are right. Greg Lukianoff & Jonathan Haidt, The Coddling of the American Mind

We may not be able to overcome our biases but we should at least be aware of them.

17. Thinking for Yourself

You think for yourself first by learning a lot of the thoughts of other people. Other thoughts and ideas don’t pollute originality and independence, they create the preconditions for it. The person who claims to think for himself, yet scorns learning from other sources, invariably is under the hidden influence of a source he doesn’t recognize. The only way to truly think independently is to have enough knowledge to spot the hidden assumptions that underwrite your current views. Scott H. Young

In order to think critically you need something to think about. And this something tends to be thoughts, ideas or beliefs brought forward by other people, some of which you may even disagree with.

18. Intellectual Instruments

Everything we know has its origins in questions. Questions, we might say, are the principal intellectual instruments available to human beings. Neil Postman

Good questions are the driving force of critical thinking, whether you ask them of others or pose them to yourself. The great thing about them is that they’re available to anyone.

19. The Critical Thinking Trap

People want you to think critically until you actually do it. Chris Meyer

On the one hand, critical thinking is encouraged as a valuable skill because it leads to better understanding and decision-making. But when people apply critical thinking to commonly held beliefs or societal norms, it can challenge established perspectives. Truth is a virtue and the search for it demands non-conformist thinking. The fact that it can be at odds with the pressure of conformity is a feature, not a bug.

20. Freethinking

Freethinkers are those who are willing to use their minds without prejudice and without fearing to understand things that clash with their own customs, privileges, or beliefs. This state of mind is not common, but it is essential for critical thinking. Leo Tolstoy

Freethinkers are often considered troublemakers challenging and disrupting the status quo. But it requires an open-mindedness that first and foremost causes trouble to their own values and opinions.

21. Downsides of an Open Mind

The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. Terry Pratchett

Having an open mind is generally considered a virtuous trait. But it also means you’re vulnerable to the influence of others who may attempt to indoctrinate your mind with their own agendas.

22. Indoctrination

Do not indoctrinate your children. Teach them how to think for themselves, how to evaluate evidence, and how to disagree with you. Richard Dawkins

Despite being the antidote to indoctrination, critical thinking is useless without the knowledge and skills on how to disagree .

23. Cognitive Risk Taking

Take the risk of thinking for yourself, much more happiness, truth, beauty and wisdom will come to you that way. Christopher Hitchens

Engaging in fearless critical thinking may be uncomfortable in the short term but is the better long-term strategy. However, that’s easier said than done if you haven’t set up your life to make a living as a gifted, chain-smoking and hard-drinking disagreeable contrarian. (We miss you Hitch).

24. Gramophone Mind

To exchange one orthodoxy for another is not necessarily an advance. The enemy is the gramophone mind, whether or not one agrees with the record that is being played at the moment. George Orwell

A willingness to listen to other perspectives and change our opinions are the hallmarks of open-mindedness. But it’s not to be confused with passively accepting and repeating a different set of ideas without independent thought.

25. Changing Your Mind

Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything. Bernard Shaw

Those who are resistant to changing their views or beliefs will find it challenging to adapt to new circumstances.

BONUS: The Power of Your Mind

You have power over your mind — not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength. Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

There are few things over which you have control in this world. Your mind is one of them. So developing your critical thinking skills to influence your thoughts and actions is one of the best things you can do.

Closing Thoughts

Critical thinking is an elusive concept that is often diluted to mean “having opinions with which I agree”. In truth, it is self-reflective and deliberate thinking and thinking about thinking with the primary goal of not fooling yourself. For a deeper dive into the art of navigating the world of ideas to figure out what to believe, check out my post with 5 Books on Critical Thinking to Help You Develop a Reflective Mind and subscribe to the 3 Ideas in 2 Minutes newsletter .

Chris Meyer

I'm a writer, teacher & analyst with a background in languages, martial arts & failing at things. I collect and connect ideas while attempting humour. Here are 50 unbelievable facts about me .

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• 25 Critical Thinking Quotes
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• The 48 Laws of Power
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Critical Thinking Quotes

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Governments don't want a population capable of critical thinking, they want obedient workers, people just smart enough to run the machines and just dumb enough to passively accept their situation.You have no choice. You have owners. They own you. They own everything. They own all the important land. They own, and control the corporations. They've long since bought, and paid for the Senate, the Congress, the state houses, the city halls, they got the judges in their back pockets and they own all the big media companies, so they control just about all of the news and information you get to hear.

Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it.

It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.

Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.

Learn to use your brain power. Critical thinking is the key to creative problem solving in business.

Too often we... enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.

Responsibility to yourself means refusing to let others do your thinking, talking, and naming for you; it means learning to respect and use your own brains and instincts; hence, grappling with hard work.

It is not enough to have a good mind. The main thing is to use it well.

If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking.

The capacity to innovate - the ability to solve problems creatively or bring new possibilities to life - and skills like critical thinking, communication and collaboration are far more important than academic knowledge.

A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices.

The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks.

Critical thinking relies on content, because you can't navigate masses of information if you have nothing to navigate to.

Do not indoctrinate your children. Teach them how to think for themselves, how to evaluate evidence, and how to disagree with you.

Critical thinking is what leads to the next breakthroughs in any area.

The most fundamental attack on freedom is the attack on critical thinking skills.

To every complex question there is a simple answer and it is wrong.

The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out for himself.

Imagination is more important than knowledge.

We are approaching a new age of synthesis. Knowledge cannot be merely a degree or a skill... it demands a broader vision, capabilities in critical thinking and logical deduction without which we cannot have constructive progress.

The purpose of education is to replace an empty mind with an open one.

Governments don't want a population capable of critical thinking, they want obedient workers, people just smart enough to run the machines and just dumb enough to passively accept their situation.

It is especially important to encourage unorthodox thinking when the situation is critical

Think for yourselves and let others enjoy the privilege to do so, too.

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Critical Thinking Quotes

The ability to think critically is the key to unlocking the door to new possibilities.

Critical thinking is not just about finding the right answers, but also asking the right questions.

Don’t be afraid to challenge your own beliefs and assumptions – that’s where critical thinking begins.

The more you use your critical thinking skills, the stronger they become.

Don’t be satisfied with surface-level answers – dig deeper and think critically.

Critical thinking is like a muscle – it needs exercise to grow stronger.

Question everything – even your own thoughts and opinions.

Critical thinking is the pathway to innovation and progress.

Don’t follow blindly – think critically and forge your own path.

Critical thinking is about examining information from multiple perspectives.

Don’t rely on intuition alone – use critical thinking to make informed decisions.

Critical thinking is not about being right all the time, but about being willing to admit when you’re wrong.

The best ideas come from a place of critical thinking and open-mindedness.

Don’t accept information at face value – think critically and evaluate its credibility.

Thinking critically is not about being negative, but about being objective.

Be curious – critical thinking begins with a genuine desire to learn.

Critical thinking is the antidote to ignorance and prejudice.

Critical Thinking Quotes part 2

Don’t be afraid to question authority – critical thinking requires independent thought.

Embrace complexity – critical thinking thrives in the midst of uncertainty.

Don’t settle for easy answers – critical thinking demands intellectual rigor.

Critical thinking is like a compass – it helps navigate the sea of information.

Don’t let your emotions cloud your judgment – critical thinking requires a clear mind.

The power of critical thinking lies in its ability to challenge the status quo.

Don’t be afraid of disagreement – critical thinking thrives in the marketplace of ideas.

Critical thinking is the engine that drives progress and innovation.

Don’t be swayed by popularity – critical thinking demands independent thought.

Question the source – critical thinking requires skepticism.

Don’t be afraid of complexity – critical thinking is a tool for unraveling it.

Critical thinking is not about finding faults, but about seeking truths.

Don’t settle for black and white – critical thinking thrives in shades of gray.

Question your assumptions – critical thinking demands intellectual honesty.

Don’t fear uncertainty – critical thinking embraces ambiguity.

Critical thinking is not about winning arguments, but about seeking understanding.

Don’t be afraid to change your mind – critical thinking requires intellectual flexibility.

Question everything, especially your own biases – critical thinking is about self-reflection.

Don’t accept mediocrity – critical thinking strives for excellence.

Critical thinking is not about being right all the time, but about being willing to learn.

Don’t let fear hold you back – critical thinking requires courage.

Question authority – critical thinking challenges the status quo.

Don’t be satisfied with superficial knowledge – critical thinking demands depth.

Critical thinking is the spark that ignites the fire of curiosity.

Don’t be afraid to admit when you don’t know – critical thinking values intellectual humility.

Question your own biases – critical thinking demands self-awareness.

Don’t be swayed by charismatic speakers – critical thinking requires independent thought.

Critical thinking is the compass that guides us through the maze of information.

Don’t let others do the thinking for you – critical thinking requires independent thought.

Question everything, especially your own assumptions – critical thinking demands self-reflection.

Don’t settle for easy answers – critical thinking requires intellectual rigor.

Critical thinking is not about finding faults, but about seeking solutions.

Don’t be satisfied with surface-level understanding – critical thinking delves deeper.

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Inspiring Critical Thinking Quotes to Stimulate Intellectual Curiosity

Annie Walls

Critical thinking is an essential skill that allows individuals to analyze information, evaluate arguments, and make informed decisions. It is a process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating information to reach well-founded conclusions. In this article, we will explore the importance of critical thinking, share inspiring quotes to stimulate intellectual curiosity, and discuss how to apply critical thinking in everyday life.

Key Takeaways

• Developing analytical skills is crucial for enhancing critical thinking.
• Enhancing problem-solving abilities is a key outcome of critical thinking.
• Promoting effective decision making is a result of applying critical thinking.
• Encouraging curiosity is essential for fostering critical thinking.
• Challenging assumptions is a fundamental aspect of critical thinking.

The Importance of Critical Thinking

Developing Analytical Skills

Developing analytical skills is crucial for success in today's complex and data-driven world. Analytical skills refer to the ability to collect, analyze, and interpret information to make informed decisions and solve problems. These skills involve critical thinking, logical reasoning, and attention to detail. Analytical skills are highly valued in various industries, including finance, consulting, and technology. They enable individuals to identify patterns, uncover insights, and make data-driven recommendations. By honing analytical skills, individuals can enhance their problem-solving abilities and contribute to the success of their organizations.

Enhancing Problem-Solving Abilities

Enhancing problem-solving abilities is a crucial aspect of critical thinking. It involves the ability to analyze complex situations, identify potential solutions, and make informed decisions. Problem-solving requires a combination of logical reasoning, creativity, and open-mindedness. By developing this skill, individuals can effectively navigate challenges and find innovative solutions.

One effective way to enhance problem-solving abilities is by using a structured approach . This involves breaking down the problem into smaller components, analyzing each component individually, and then integrating the findings to develop a comprehensive solution. Additionally, collaboration with others can provide different perspectives and insights, leading to more effective problem-solving.

To further improve problem-solving abilities, it is important to embrace failure as a learning opportunity. By viewing failures as stepping stones to success, individuals can develop resilience and perseverance. This mindset allows for experimentation, exploration, and the willingness to take risks in order to find optimal solutions.

In summary, enhancing problem-solving abilities is a key aspect of critical thinking. By using a structured approach, collaborating with others, and embracing failure, individuals can develop the skills necessary to effectively solve complex problems and make informed decisions.

Promoting Effective Decision Making

Promoting effective decision making is crucial in both personal and professional settings. Making informed choices based on careful analysis and critical thinking can lead to better outcomes and minimize the risk of making hasty or irrational decisions.

One effective way to promote effective decision making is by using a decision matrix. A decision matrix is a structured tool that helps evaluate different options based on multiple criteria. By assigning weights to each criterion and scoring each option, individuals or teams can objectively compare and prioritize choices.

Another strategy for promoting effective decision making is to seek diverse perspectives. By actively seeking out different viewpoints and considering alternative opinions, individuals can gain a more comprehensive understanding of the situation and make more well-rounded decisions.

Remember, effective decision making is not just about making the right choice, but also about the process of decision making itself. Taking the time to gather relevant information, analyze the pros and cons, and consider the potential consequences can greatly enhance the quality of decisions made.

Quotes to Inspire Critical Thinking

Encouraging Curiosity

Encouraging curiosity is essential for developing critical thinking skills. By fostering a sense of wonder and inquisitiveness, individuals are more likely to explore new ideas and perspectives. Curiosity fuels the desire to seek knowledge and understand the world around us. It pushes us to ask questions and challenge assumptions, leading to deeper insights and innovative solutions.

To cultivate curiosity, it can be helpful to:

• Engage in active learning : Actively participate in discussions, ask thought-provoking questions, and seek out new information.
• Embrace uncertainty : Embracing uncertainty allows for open-mindedness and the willingness to explore different possibilities.
• Encourage exploration : Encourage individuals to explore diverse topics, engage in new experiences, and pursue their interests.

As Albert Einstein once said, 'The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.' By embracing curiosity, we can unlock our full potential for critical thinking and intellectual growth.

Challenging Assumptions

Challenging assumptions is a crucial aspect of critical thinking. It involves questioning the underlying beliefs and ideas that we often take for granted. By challenging assumptions, we open ourselves up to new perspectives and possibilities. It allows us to break free from the constraints of conventional thinking and explore innovative solutions. Questioning our assumptions can lead to breakthrough insights and help us overcome biases that may hinder our ability to think critically.

Embracing Different Perspectives

Embracing different perspectives is a crucial aspect of critical thinking. It allows us to broaden our understanding and challenge our own assumptions. By considering alternative viewpoints, we can gain new insights and develop a more well-rounded perspective. This openness to different perspectives fosters creativity and innovation, as it encourages us to think beyond our own limited experiences and beliefs.

Questioning Authority

Questioning authority is a fundamental aspect of critical thinking. It involves challenging the status quo and not accepting information or decisions blindly. By questioning authority, individuals can uncover hidden biases, explore alternative perspectives, and promote a culture of intellectual curiosity. It is important to approach authority with a healthy skepticism and seek evidence-based justifications for their claims. Questioning authority encourages independent thinking and helps prevent the spread of misinformation.

Applying Critical Thinking in Everyday Life

Evaluating Information Sources

When evaluating information sources, it is important to consider the credibility and reliability of the information. Accuracy is key, as misleading or false information can lead to incorrect conclusions. Additionally, verifiability is crucial, as information that can be independently confirmed is more trustworthy. It is also important to consider the objectivity of the source, as biased information may present a skewed perspective. Finally, currency is important, as outdated information may no longer be relevant or accurate.

To assist in evaluating information sources, a table can be used to present structured, quantitative data. This allows for easy comparison and analysis. Alternatively, a bulleted list can be used for less structured content, such as qualitative points or a series of related items.

Remember to critically analyze the information presented and question its validity. Trustworthy sources are essential for making informed decisions and avoiding misinformation.

Making Informed Choices

When it comes to making informed choices, it is crucial to gather reliable and accurate information. Research plays a vital role in this process as it allows us to explore different perspectives and evaluate the credibility of sources. Additionally, critical thinking skills enable us to analyze the information we have gathered and make logical and well-informed decisions. It is important to consider multiple factors and weigh the pros and cons before making a choice. By applying critical thinking, we can avoid hasty decisions and ensure that our choices align with our goals and values.

Solving Complex Problems

When faced with complex problems, critical thinking becomes even more crucial. It requires the ability to analyze information from multiple sources, evaluate different perspectives, and consider various solutions. Creativity is also an important aspect of solving complex problems, as it allows for innovative thinking and the exploration of unconventional ideas. Additionally, collaboration plays a significant role in problem-solving, as it enables individuals to leverage the diverse skills and knowledge of a team. By applying critical thinking skills and utilizing creativity and collaboration, individuals can effectively tackle complex problems and find optimal solutions.

Avoiding Cognitive Biases

When it comes to critical thinking, it is important to be aware of and avoid cognitive biases. Cognitive biases are inherent tendencies to think in certain ways that can lead to errors in judgment and decision-making. By understanding and recognizing these biases, we can make more objective and rational choices.

One way to avoid cognitive biases is to evaluate information from multiple sources. This helps to minimize the impact of confirmation bias, which is the tendency to seek out information that confirms our existing beliefs. By seeking diverse perspectives and considering different viewpoints, we can gain a more comprehensive understanding of a topic.

Another strategy is to be mindful of our own biases and assumptions. It is natural for our experiences and beliefs to shape our thinking, but it is important to challenge these assumptions and consider alternative explanations. By being open-minded and willing to question our own beliefs, we can overcome biases and make more informed decisions.

In addition, it is helpful to be aware of common cognitive biases, such as the availability heuristic and the anchoring effect. These biases can influence our judgment and lead to faulty reasoning. By understanding these biases, we can be more vigilant in our thinking and avoid making decisions based on flawed logic.

Remember, critical thinking requires us to be aware of our own biases and to actively seek out diverse perspectives. By doing so, we can overcome cognitive biases and make more informed and rational choices.

Applying Critical Thinking in Everyday Life is an essential skill that can greatly enhance decision-making and problem-solving abilities. Whether it's analyzing information, evaluating arguments, or challenging assumptions, critical thinking allows individuals to approach situations with a rational and logical mindset. By applying critical thinking in everyday life, individuals can make more informed choices, avoid biases, and navigate complex situations with clarity and confidence. To learn more about the power of critical thinking and how it can transform your life, visit our website.

In conclusion, critical thinking is an essential skill that allows individuals to analyze information, evaluate arguments, and make informed decisions. The quotes presented in this article serve as a reminder of the importance of intellectual curiosity and the power of questioning. By embracing critical thinking, we can expand our knowledge, challenge assumptions, and contribute to a more informed and innovative society. So, let's embrace the spirit of curiosity and continue to question, explore, and think critically.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is critical thinking.

Critical thinking is the ability to analyze and evaluate information objectively, using logic and reasoning to make informed decisions and solve problems.

Why is critical thinking important?

Critical thinking is important because it helps individuals develop analytical skills, enhance problem-solving abilities, and promote effective decision making.

How can critical thinking be developed?

Critical thinking can be developed through practice and exposure to diverse perspectives. Engaging in activities that require analysis, evaluation, and problem-solving can also help enhance critical thinking skills.

What are some strategies for applying critical thinking in everyday life?

Some strategies for applying critical thinking in everyday life include evaluating information sources, making informed choices, solving complex problems, and avoiding cognitive biases.

How does critical thinking encourage curiosity?

Critical thinking encourages curiosity by promoting questioning, exploration, and a desire to seek knowledge and understanding. It challenges individuals to question assumptions and explore different perspectives.

What is the role of critical thinking in decision making?

Critical thinking plays a crucial role in decision making by helping individuals evaluate options, consider potential consequences, and make informed choices based on logical reasoning and evidence.

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The Power of Critical Thinking: 56 Critical Thinking Quotes

Critical thinking is an invaluable skill that empowers individuals to assess information, challenge assumptions, and make reasoned judgments. It is a cognitive process that goes beyond memorization and regurgitation of facts, encouraging individuals to explore different perspectives, evaluate evidence, and arrive at independent conclusions.

In today’s fast-paced and information-rich world, the ability to think critically is essential for making informed decisions, solving complex problems, and navigating the complexities of modern society. This article explores the significance of critical thinking, its benefits, and practical strategies to cultivate this skill in our lives.

Read: What Critical Thinking Skills We Require To Win At Our Careers: 5 Major Ones

The Importance of Critical Thinking

Critical thinking serves as a compass for the mind, enabling individuals to discern between fact and fiction, identify biases, and evaluate the credibility of sources. In an era characterized by the proliferation of misinformation and the manipulation of public opinion, critical thinking provides a powerful tool to navigate through the noise and arrive at well-informed conclusions.

Moreover, critical thinking equips individuals with the ability to analyze complex problems systematically. It fosters creativity, enabling the exploration of innovative solutions by challenging conventional wisdom and exploring alternative perspectives. It also encourages open-mindedness and intellectual humility, as critical thinkers recognize the limits of their knowledge and remain receptive to new information and ideas.

Related: 10 Best Critical Thinking Movies With Interesting Endings

Benefits of Critical Thinking

Developing critical thinking skills has numerous advantages that extend beyond individual decision-making. In educational settings, critical thinking fosters a deep understanding of subjects, encourages active engagement, and prepares students for lifelong learning. It equips them with the ability to ask probing questions, engage in meaningful discussions, and evaluate information critically, rather than accepting it at face value.

In professional contexts, critical thinking is highly valued by employers. It enables employees to analyze complex situations, consider multiple variables, and make informed decisions. Critical thinkers are also more adept at problem-solving, as they approach challenges with a systematic and analytical mindset, breaking down problems into manageable components.

Furthermore, critical thinking plays a vital role in democratic societies. Citizens who think critically are more likely to question authority, hold leaders accountable, and actively participate in public discourse. They are better equipped to analyze political arguments, distinguish between valid reasoning and fallacies, and make informed choices during elections.

Recommended: Interview Questions For Critical Thinking No One Tells About

Critical Thinking Quotes

• “Critical thinking is the ability to think for yourself and independently evaluate information, rather than simply accepting what you hear or read.” – Diane Halpern
• “Critical thinking is a survival tool, not just for our species but for our planet.” – Carl Sagan
• “Critical thinking is thinking about your thinking while you’re thinking in order to make your thinking better.” – Richard W. Paul
• “The first rule of critical thinking is to ask questions. Be willing to wonder.” – Unknown
• “Critical thinking is seeing things as they are, not as you want them to be.” – Unknown
• “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
• “The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance; it is the illusion of knowledge.” – Daniel J. Boorstin
• “The world we have created is a product of our thinking; it cannot be changed without changing our thinking.” – Albert Einstein
• “Critical thinking is the ability to think independently and evaluate information objectively and accurately. It is an essential skill in a world filled with quick opinions, sound bites, and misinformation.” – Edwidge Danticat
• “I am not a teacher, but an awakener.” – Robert Frost
• “A problem well-stated is a problem half-solved.” – Charles Kettering
• “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” – Marcel Proust
• “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existence.” – Albert Einstein
• “The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled.” – Plutarch
• “Wisdom is not the product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it.” – Albert Einstein
• “Critical thinking is the ability to think clearly and rationally, understanding the logical connection between ideas.” – Peter A. Facione
• “The value of critical thinking is not only in the answers it produces, but also in the questions it uncovers.” – Unknown
• “To think critically is to embrace uncertainty and ambiguity, and to be comfortable with asking challenging questions.” – Unknown
• “A critical thinker is someone who thinks with reason and objectivity, not influenced solely by emotions or personal biases.” – Unknown
• “Critical thinking is the art of analyzing and evaluating information to reach informed conclusions.” – Unknown
• “The greatest skill a critical thinker can possess is the ability to change their mind in the face of new evidence and reasoning.” – Unknown
• “Critical thinking is not about being right; it’s about being open to new perspectives and adjusting our beliefs accordingly.” – Unknown
• “Critical thinking is a process of continuous learning and improvement, honing our intellectual abilities to make sound judgments.” – Unknown
• “Critical thinking is like a mental muscle that needs to be exercised regularly to stay strong and agile.” – Unknown
• “The path of critical thinking is paved with curiosity, skepticism, and a commitment to truth-seeking.” – Unknown
• “The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.” – Plutarch
• “Critical thinking is the ability to think independently, solve problems creatively, and make rational decisions based on evidence and logic.” – Unknown
• “The mark of a well-educated mind is the ability to entertain a thought without accepting it.” – Aristotle
• “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” – Aristotle
• “The essence of critical thinking is suspended judgment; the essence of this suspense is inquiry to determine whether or not the judgment is well-founded.” – John Dewey
• “Critical thinking is not just thinking, but thinking which entails self-improvement.” – Unknown
• “Critical thinking is the ability to think independently, analyze information objectively, and make rational decisions.” – Unknown
• “The first rule of critical thinking is to question everything.” – Unknown
• “Critical thinking is a skill that enables you to analyze and evaluate information objectively and make reasoned judgments.” – Unknown
• “Critical thinking is the key to unlocking the doors of understanding and knowledge.” – Unknown
• “Critical thinking is a self-directed, self-monitored, and self-disciplined thinking that strives to be fair, clear, and accurate.” – Linda Elder
• “Critical thinking is the mental process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating information to reach an answer or conclusion.” – Unknown
• “The role of critical thinking is to break down problems into their component parts, analyze them, and develop creative solutions.” – Unknown
• “Critical thinking is like a compass that guides us through the maze of information and helps us make informed choices.” – Unknown
• “Critical thinking is the art of being able to evaluate and analyze information objectively, rather than accepting it at face value.” – Unknown
• “The hallmark of a critical thinker is intellectual humility – the willingness to accept that one’s beliefs may be incorrect.” – Unknown
• “Critical thinking is the ability to ask the right questions and challenge the status quo.” – Unknown
• “The essence of critical thinking is to suspend judgment, seek multiple perspectives, and examine the evidence before arriving at a conclusion.” – Unknown
• “Critical thinking is not a single skill, but a set of skills that work together to help us navigate the complexities of the world.” – Unknown
• “Critical thinking is not about being negative; it’s about being discerning and questioning what we are told.” – Unknown
• “Critical thinking is the ability to think independently and make reasoned judgments based on evidence and logical reasoning.” – Unknown
• “The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, but the illusion of knowledge.” – Stephen Hawking
• “Critical thinking is the bridge between knowledge and wisdom.” – Unknown
• “Critical thinking is the intellectual discipline of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating information.” – Unknown
• “The mind is like a parachute; it works best when it’s open.” – Unknown
• “Critical thinking is the foundation of rationality and the cornerstone of progress.” – Unknown
• “In a world of information overload, critical thinking is the key to sifting through the noise and finding the signal.” – Unknown
• “Critical thinking is not just about finding flaws in others’ arguments; it’s about critically examining our own beliefs and biases.” – Unknown
• “The purpose of critical thinking is to empower individuals to think for themselves, question authority, and arrive at their own informed conclusions.” – Unknown
• “Critical thinking is the art of asking the right questions, challenging assumptions, and seeking evidence to support or refute claims.” – Unknown
• “Critical thinking is not a destination; it’s a lifelong journey of intellectual growth and development.” – Unknown

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7 Powerful Critical Thinking Quotes – Deconstructed

• Self-improvement

Online, you often find yourself surrounded by extracts, maxims, carefully manufactured word combinations. Or if we can place them inside a single category: quotes. Quotes that make you feel hopeful about the future and comfortable with your past. And while reading those your mind gets pumped. When you close the browser. Open the door to life. You start making the same mistakes you ordinarily do.

The fad of sharing quotes never gets old.

I don’t know which one is more popular.

Sharing quotes of famous people like Albert Einstein or sharing cat memes. Probably something in between – an Einstein quote made like a cat meme.

What makes quotes a preferred online asset – for both consumption and creation – can be portrayed in two points:

• Quotes provide packed wisdom and a delusional state of awe.
• The person sharing quotes believes that he’s getting closer to smartness by the mare recitation of wisdom words.

Both of these, are heavily over-represented.

When you read a quote. While it might feel like you are collecting coins that pump your IQ. It’s just a temporary feeling of satisfaction.

You feel motivated – or smarter, or better, or all included. But this mixture of sensations completely vanishes when your finger scrolls down the page.

All of this, might make you wonder…

Why then create a whole post that talks about quotes – critical thinking quotes, as the title suggests?

Why Spend Time Pondering Critical Thinking Quotes?

The main value of words on a page is misunderstood.

We think that the actual words are the main nugget. That’s not the case.

Real gold is always under a layer of thick wrapping.

As we have to remove the packaging to get and use an item we’ve purchased. In a similar fashion, we need to unpack great quotes.

What I mean by unpacking is not just reading a strangely good word combination and then moving along. Rather, stopping to think about what the person said, why he said it, and what we can derive from these words that can make our lives less miserable.

That’s the essence of critical thinking .

You don’t just glance at something and think you understand it. No. You gently grab it. Hold it. And examine it from all sides. Look at it from the microscope of your consciousness to comprehend it. To find the real value hidden inside.

Quotes. Well-crafted words can acquire your attention.

But to leave a lasting impact on your mind. They need to be deconstructed.

That’s what we are going to do below.

I’m taking the best quotes from some of the great thinkers on critical thinking and inspecting them.

While I’m positive that you’ll be familiar with some of the citations below. I’m also sure that we’ll uncover more insights than you’ll ordinarily get when consuming words on a page.

Here we go…

7 Powerful Critical Thinking Quotes:

1. “the value of a college education is not the learning of many facts but the training of the mind to think.” albert einstein.

What’s considered important in school is unusable in real life. You are trained and optimized around remembering facts about the past that make little positive difference about your future. We are rarely taught how to think properly. How to think better .

Surely having a broad understanding of our history is beneficial. Sadly, teachers embed a belief that we should know dates of past events with surgical precious.

And not only in schools. Modern media is also trying to convince us that we should master isolated facts. That richness is in knowing random inputs about all sorts of things.

That’s a phenomenon observed in the book Amusing Ourselves To Death . Ever since the telegraph was invented, we believe that we should learn about things that have a little positive impact on our lives.

For instance, solving a crossword puzzle might seem like a worthy exercise. But how answering 50+ completely random questions will help you in life?

The value in learning. Reading books. Watching videos even online. It’s not so much about remembering the facts. But about tailoring, adjusting how you think.

When you think better. You’ll perform better.

Thinking is the particle that pushes you in the right direction. Not holding all sorts of random facts.

2. “When we blindly adopt a religion, a political system, a literary dogma, we become automatons.” Anaïs Nin

From an early age, we are steered towards certain beliefs and value systems. Some good. Some bad. Some awfully wicked.

Some of these are intentionally promoted by our teachers and parents – i.e., religion, good manners, etc. Some simply occur by the act of living and by our biological needs – desire for money, power, appreciation.

There is no harm in automatically adopting a behavior such as helping an old lady cross the street. But for most of the other things we hold in our heads, we should know why we have them.

For instance, these days it seems natural to be online. To have a social media profile and to participate in the never-ending race of awesomeness. Who got a new car? Who got a new job? Who went on vacation?

Involvement in the social media race seems so unquestionable.

But have you recently asked yourself, “Why are you really using social media?” Is it because you want to connect with others? Because it makes you feel motivated and inspired? Or because you feel the need to be inside because others are there, too? Because you want to showcase how much cooler you are than the rest of the walking undead?

I bet is the last part.

Too often, we watch and get things because others watch them and own them. But as Anaïs Nin above said. This blind obeying makes us mere automatons. We don’t hold the steering wheel of our lives. We are simply responding to the reaction of others. Which means that we are passengers on a bus that is headed towards somewhere. Somewhere we don’t know.

3. “If chess has any relationship to film-making. It would be in the way it helps you develop patience and discipline in choosing between alternatives at a time when an impulsive decision seems very attractive.” Stanley Kubrick

The only way an impulsive decision can be the best decision is when you’ve mastered a field . When you’re well-versed in a topic and extremely confident in your skills. In these situations, your intuition and tacit knowledge provide involuntarily a good answer. Plainly, you think fast.

This type of response – quick and precise – however. It’s usually only available to you in areas where you have extensive experience.

For the rest of the cases, the quote above stands.

Any activity that allows you to slow down and think before you act. That gives you room to consider the alternatives. Is an activity worth holding.

As you can’t win a chess game if you don’t pause and consider the contra moves of your opponent. You can’t win in life if you don’t pause and consider how what you do today can turn around and slap you back in the future.

4. “You do not win by struggling to the top of a caste system. You win by refusing to be trapped within one at all.” Naomi Wolf

As the authors of the book The Social Animal explain, we are social animals.

Our foundational particles push us towards relationships. We feel better when we are around other people.

But this comes with certain costs. When people are around other people. A natural hierarchy is formed. There is an alpha male/woman and people who want to take his/her place.

And even if you do reach the top position in your social circle. Which is also the case for any other tall structure formed by men – e.g., the corporate ladder. The battle is never over. You now have to defend your place.

A solution few are willing to accept is gently removing yourself from the modern rat race .

Take social media for example.

If you use it. You use it for validation. Every time you throw something in the endless abyss of filtered pictures, you are doing it to tell others that you are progressing in some way. But others are not sitting idle. They are, too, advancing. So the only way you can keep your position is to keep throwing status updates about how you are improving – even if you are not really improving.

This creates quite a stressful daily life. You no longer just live. Life becomes a sophisticated arena. There are no fist fights, however. The battle is for prestige – who is richer, better, smarter. Therefore, your day-to-day life becomes trying to figure out how to show to others that your life is good – even when life is bad.

The only way you can win this game is if you totally remove yourself from the equation.

You no longer share how life is treating you. Nor remain interested in how others apparently become richer and prettier. You just focus on the act of living.

5. “People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use.” Søren Kierkegaard

Our desire to self-express is motivated by our need to feel valued. What we say is optimized not based on thinking. But optimized towards receiving – these days – likes and comments.

All of this means that we say a lot of things, but we don’t say anything important.

We just dump out more noise in the already noisy world. Hoping, praying, that others will notice us.

For the critical thinker, silence is more than the absence of noise. It’s opening the window and taking a breath of fresh air. A refreshing change from the polluted atmosphere.

Speaking because you can doesn’t mean that you necessarily should. Thinking, however, shouldn’t follow this logic. You should always think. Which will oftentimes lead to not speaking.

6. “Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.” Marie Curie

We fear the unknown for a simple reason. The brain is constantly trying to predict what will happen next. What the other person will do, so we can prepare the body and the mind for our reaction.

When we face an unfamiliar situation. The brain simply freezes. It doesn’t know what to do. That’s why we tend to avoid things we don’t quite understand.

Paradoxically, the only way we can advance. The only way we can get outside our comfort zone is to put ourselves in positions we are not fully prepared for – e.g., a new job, facing a new challenge, a new field altogether.

So, when you find yourself struggling to find a good solution to a problem. Or you a presented with a hard-to-digest concept. This is a sign. It means that you don’t yet know the full story. You don’t completely understand the situation. What you need to do is to go and find it.

When you understand the problem. Learn more about difficult concepts. You will clear away the fog. You will be prepared. You’ll have the courage to move forward.

7. “I don’t care that they stole my idea. I care that they don’t have any of their own.” Nikola Tesla

Lack of critical thinking will lead to either stealing ideas or trying to discourage others to pursue their ideas.

Ideas. Fresh perspectives that suggest a certain course of action. These are needed for better decision-making and moving further ahead.

But how to have them?

Here’s where one more quote by Nikola Tesla enters on how to produce good ideas:

“Be alone, that is the secret of invention; be alone, that is when ideas are born.” Nikola Tesla

Some of the ideas that will emerge in your brain will be useless. That’s for sure. But that’s part of the process of generating great ideas and great thinking.

Each of us has an idea-generation style. A way to find solutions to problems. Some instantaneously generate reasonable ideas regardless of the location. Others are capable of doing this exercise only when alone.

Make things easier for yourself by figuring out how you think best. Do you have to be alone? Surrounded by others? Or a combination of both – a time around others and then taking some time away to process the information.

Some Closing Thoughts

Quotes shared online seem like a desperate attempt to capture the attention of other people.

Simply because you can quote someone doesn’t mean anything particular.

You found useful words said by someone else. Good. Now what?

To be sufficiently skillful at this critical thinking judo requires questioning and observation.

This also applies when we examine the words of great people. The people who said the things above.

One smart person saying something is as useful as finding a wrench on the street. If you don’t know how to use it. It will be of no use to you.

I hope that you found handy the deconstruction of some of the best quotes on critical thinking. But what I also hope is that the whole post provided you with a new way to approach words on a page.

Not just agreeing with what was said – regardless of who said it. But to try something new. Something different.

Take an idea. Hold it in your hand and look at it from all sides.

Then, after examining it. Ask yourself: “What’s true about this and what is not?”

Add to your critical thinking knowledge by reading the following:

• 9 Provoking Critical Thinking Questions to Ignite Deep Reflective Discourse
• 5 Critical Thinking Strategies To Sharpen Your Thinking
• Critical Thinking Process (Or Acting Wisely Even If You’re Not Very Bright)
• 7 Popular Self-Discipline Quotes Explained

Trouble Saying No to Temptations?

Join Farview: A newsletter fostering long-term thinking in a world driven by impatience. Trusted by over 4,300 thinkers, Farview is a concise, thoughtfully organized newsletter helping you handle the self-sabotaging thoughts trying to corrupt you.

Related Entries

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12 Inspiring Critical Thinking Quotes For Students

A birdie flies sans inhibitions, and so must you. But first, you must know where you wish to fly. One’s moods and behaviors are both influenced by one’s thinking. Whether you’re shaping a student’s moments or a lifetime, thinking is a powerful tool. The actual fun is that you can learn to think better throughout the course of your lifetime since it is a skill.

We can learn from the age-old knowledge and the contemporary sages to improve our thinking abilities. And one of the finest ways to achieve that is using “ quotes ”. There are a lot of wise words and proverbs that get us thinking, whether they be positive thinking quotes or critical thinking quotes. Perhaps one of the most powerful thoughts on thinking is this… “Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Watch your words, for they become actions. Watch your actions, for they become habits. Watch your habits, for they become who you are.”

Critical thinking for students – Who’s job is it?

Research reveals several essential findings. Despite widespread agreement that critical thinking is important, most individuals feel that schools do not do enough to help students develop their critical thinking skills.

Nearly 95% of people agree that critical thinking abilities are vital in today’s world, and favor more critical thinking across nearly every demographic characteristic. Nevertheless, many individuals are concerned that our schools do not teach sophisticated ways of thinking, and nearly 80% of respondents believe that young people lack the capacity for critical thought. Only 29% of respondents claim to have categorically studied critical thinking at school.

It’s unclear when, when, and even how critical thinking instruction should take place. A little over half of the parents surveyed believe that it is their responsibility to instill critical thinking in their children. Another 41% think that educators should be in charge of imparting critical thinking skills to young people. Another 22% think that kids should be in charge of their own behavior.

Critical thinking at school

A teacher’s influence on a student extends beyond just imparting a top-notch education.

You serve as a leader, mentor, coach, advisor, and promoter of growth. Since students spend so much time in your classroom, it is up to you and your co-workers in education to create an environment where students can be themselves and accomplish their best work.

Posters with inspirational quotes are a great approach to make your classroom immediately seem more upbeat. Famous writers, innovators, and other personalities have left us with a wealth of inspiring quotations on learning and achievement. After choosing your favorite motivational sayings, you can utilize them to make your own low-cost classroom posters.

What words weigh

The proverb “actions speak louder than words” is certainly familiar to you, but it’s not always the case. Each of us has the ability to sway someone with our words.

Numerous research has revealed the advantages and disadvantages associated with particular terms. Dr. Susan Smalley, a professor of psychiatry and biobehavioural sciences at UCLA, stated that “individuals [who] read words of ‘loving kindness’ showed an increase in self-compassion, improved mood, and reduced anxiety.”

If we think back to times we’ve heard inspirational words, we remember how good and motivated we felt after. To get in the habit of choosing our words wisely and with positive intent, we can put reminders around us.

Below is a rundown of some thought-provoking critical thinking quotes that are fit and fun to read for students and mentors alike:

Critical thinking quotes for students

1. “the important thing is not to stop questioning. curiosity has its own reason for existing.” — albert einstein.

Few men in history have had the critical thinking skills of Albert Einstein. One of the characteristics of extremely competent critical thinkers is their inherent curiosity. With that curiosity comes the practice of questioning to explore, discover, and reveal. This is why through using essential and herding questions in our teaching, we drive learners’ curiosity by engaging them in exploring a topic through questions that begin big and get increasingly specific as more discoveries are made. This piece of wisdom is a pearl for dyslexic and non-dyslexic students alike.

2. “To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.” – Oscar Wilde

No, narcissism doesn’t say that. According to the saying, you must reawaken your love for yourself so that it last forever. To teach students anything , it is essential you teach them to love themselves first. Once you can do that, no one will be able to undermine your confidence and knock you down. Your own best critic would be you. The days of seeking emotional support from others and relying on them to maintain one’s mental health would be gone.

3. “You have a brain and mind of your own. Use it, and reach your own decisions.” — Napoleon Hill

The ability to think independently is one of the critical thinking’s most important characteristics. Without giving anything much thought, believing or agreeing is simple. However, when we make the decision to think for ourselves, we exercise a human right and a duty we have as citizens of the world. Independent thought is labor-intensive, but the benefits are incalculable. One benefit is that it provides various viewpoints and perspectives, which can be instructive. Another benefit of independent thought is that it inspires us to stand up for what we believe in and have confidence in our capacity to make the best decisions for ourselves.

4. “If you are going through hell, keep going.” — Sir Winston Churchill

This pearl of knowledge has lasting ramifications for the lives of all learners, young and old, within and outside of the classroom. Nothing can be endured indefinitely. Everything changes at some point in time. Life is a roller coaster ride that goes through ups and downs in cycles. When difficult times hit you, as a young student, it’s normal to feel discouraged, but you need to realize that they won’t last forever and that you need to keep at it until you’re there.

Hold hands, unite, and proceed through it. And you are never alone in the larger scheme of things.

5. “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” —Aristotle

According to cognition scientists, the average person has between 60,000 and 80,000 ideas per day, or a few thousand thoughts every hour. Thus, thinking critically entails evaluating ideas that have significance and tossing out or dismissing ideas that don’t. Let’s say that when you leave the house, you leave the iron on. You recall that you left it on as you’re driving out the driveway, so you go back inside to turn it off. Or does your day proceed as usual? Here is what might follow:

“That was so foolish, I could have set the house on fire.”

“What if, after preparing breakfast, I forget to turn the burner off? Children will burn their hands off!

“When my spouse or wife learns about it, what will they think?”

“Am I aging faster?”

We refer to this as “sharing our tale.” The stories we tell ourselves, however, are not the facts. The fact is you left the iron on, remembered because you’re smart, turned it off, and diverted a disaster. Additionally, now that you’ve learned from this experience, you’ll be more conscientious next time, and your family may also pick up on your good habits. That’s the path of the critical thinker.

6. “Some people never go crazy. What truly horrible lives they must lead.” — Charles Bukowski

Life is designed to be an experimentation ground. To think critically, you must first understand that one cannot think with boundaries around them. Consider also that curiosity is like exercise for the brain, combatting boredom and stagnation by making the brain more active and energized. The student cannot and should not think amid their safe, familiar bubbles and be pushed to explore. It is only in that experimentation you realize what you are worthy of. One would then become ecstatic, ecstatic by coming to a step closer to the meaning of life. It is that ecstasy that would madden you, help you grow and it will be totally worth it.

7. “Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but to weigh and consider.” — Francis Bacon

One must be genuinely able to read anything without immediately taking it to heart because there are so many opinions and points of view in the world that are freely communicated through both online and offline means. Thus, developing analytical reading skills in our students is important. Encouraging children to think critically while they read is one thing we can do for them in this vein. The purpose for this is simple; not only does it cultivate independent critical thinking skills, but it helps students enjoy reading more. Rather than passively consuming the words they read, they are questioning and observing, looking for hidden meanings, recognizing patterns and relations to experiences they’ve had, and more.

8. “My father used to say ‘Don’t raise your voice, improve your argument.”— Desmond Tutu

This can occur when a person who wasn’t nearly as informed as they thought is suddenly confronted with evidence that contradicts their strongly held beliefs. This may be concerning because our opinions are significant to us and help to define who we are. As a result, this person may respond hastily and out of fear; their natural tendency is to shout louder to drown out the offensive opponent. That is not how critical thinkers operate. Instead, they come prepared to open discussions with a solid bedrock of knowledge and experience to rest on about the discussion topic. They’ll listen openly to the views of others and consider anything that another’s perspective may have to teach them, and share in any and all discussions as constructively as possible.

9. “Right is right even if no one is doing it; wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it.” —Augustine of Hippe

In the past, or in the future, righteousness has never depended on its adherents. Even if just a small portion of a population supports it, what is right must remain right. Not everyone has the strength to follow the correct route since it is less appealing than the other one. And more people will always be drawn to what is attractive and simple. For students and for them to adhere to critical thinking, it is essential they first abide by and think about what’s right.

10. “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” — Albert Einstein

It is an unavoidable fact that not everyone has potential that is similar to another person. A student’s ability is facilitated by their environment, society, and upbringing, which helps them see their value. Every student is capable of thinking, but also has his own special abilities that must be nourished, nurtured, and garnered.

11.“The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.” — Jimmy Johnson

Students rather are distinguished from the commonplace and be viewed as extraordinary. They must therefore ask themselves, “Have we really made that extra effort that would make us the latter?” today. When someone gives up the impulse to always take the easy route and instead makes the necessary extra effort, they become special.

12. “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I- I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” – Robert Frost

There is no way to succeed in life and climb above the rat race by adhering to it. You must possess the courage to travel the less traveled route. It is important to inculcate in the students that someday, they could be a pioneer in a field that they wouldn’t become aware of until years later. Fear keeps you from stepping into an unfamiliar environment. Once you let go of it there would be nothing holding you back.

Both you and your students deserve to hear all the uplifting and motivating things that are said.

With a bouquet of flowers, make sure to send these thoughtful quotes to a friend or family member who might or might not be a student as a way to express care and the importance of critical thinking.

An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having  just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of  Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’, 

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[C09] Famous quotes

Module: Critical thinking

• C01. What is critical thinking?
• C02. Improve our thinking skills
• C03. Defining critical thinking
• C04. Teaching critical thinking
• C05. Beyond critical thinking
• C06. The Cognitive Reflection Test
• C07. Critical thinking assessment
• C08. Videos and courses on critical thinking
• C10. History of critical thinking

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Plato is dear to me but dearer still is truth. - Aristotle Absence of thought is indeed a powerful factor in human affairs, statistically speaking the most powerful, not just in the conduct of the many but in the conduct of all. - Hannah Arendt To think and to be fully alive are the same. - Hannah Arendt There are no dangerous thoughts; thinking itself is dangerous. - Hannah Arendt It is a strange desire to seek power and to lose liberty. - Francis Bacon Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but to weigh and consider. - Francis Bacon If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts; but if he will be content to begin with doubts, he shall end in certainties. - Francis Bacon All colours will agree in the dark. - Francis Bacon I carry my thoughts about with me for a long time, often for a very long time, before writing them down. - Ludwig van Beethoven The aim of education should be to teach us rather how to think, than what to think -- rather to improve our minds, so as to enable us to think for ourselves, than to load the memory with thoughts of other men. - Bill Beattie Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. - Buddha Reading without reflecting is like eating without digesting. - Edmund Burke An intellectual is someone whose mind watches itself. - Albert Camus The fact is that if you have not developed language, you simply don't have access to most of human experience, and if you don't have access to experience, then you're not going to be able to think properly. - Noam Chomsky Democratic societies can’t force people. Therefore they have to control what they think. - Noam Chomsky To know what you know and what you do not know, that is true knowledge. - Confucius To study and not think is futile. To think and not study is dangerous. - Confucius Acquire new knowledge whilst thinking over the old, and you may become a teacher of others. - Confucius Discovery is the ability to be puzzled by simple things. - Noam Chomsky It is all right to say exactly what you think if you have learned to think exactly. - Marcelene Cox Thinking is the hardest work in the world; and most of us will go to great lengths to avoid it. - Louise Dudley The highest possible stage in moral culture is when we recognize that we ought to control our thoughts. - Charles Darwin I think. Therefore, I am. - Descartes The most important attitude that can be formed is that of desire to go on learning. - John Dewey We only think when we are confronted with a problem. - John Dewey We do not learn from experience... we learn from reflecting on experience. - John Dewey Education is a social process; education is growth; education is not preparation for life but is life itself. - John Dewey Anyone who has begun to think, places some portion of the world in jeopardy. - John Dewey Genius was 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration. - Thomas Edison Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius -- and a lot of courage -- to move in the opposite direction. - Albert Einstein I think and think for months and years. Ninety-nine times, the conclusion is false. The hundredth time I am right. - Albert Einstein The most incomprehensible thing about the world is that it is comprehensible. - Albert Einstein Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler. - Albert Einstein To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old problems from a new angle requires creative imagination and marks real advances in science. - Albert Einstein Intellect annuls fate. So far as a man thinks, he is free. - Ralph Waldo Emerson What is the hardest task in the world? To think. - Ralph Waldo Emerson Be careful that you write accurately rather than much. - Erasmus The force of the temptation which urges us to seek for such evidence and appearances as are in favour of our desires, and to disregard those which oppose them, is wonderfully great. - Michael Faraday If you have knowledge, let others light their candle by it. - Margaret Fuller Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is the probably reason why so few engage in it. - Henry Ford Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. - Henry Ford All truly wise thoughts have been thought already thousands of times; but to make them truly ours, we must think them over again honestly, till they take root in our personal experience. - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Irrationally held truths may be more harmful than reasoned errors. - Thomas Henry Huxley The heart of man is made to reconcile the most glaring contradictions. - David Hume There are two ways to slide easily through life: to believe everything or to doubt everything. Both ways save us from thinking. - Alfred Korzybski Blind commitment to a theory is not an intellectual virtue: it is an intellectual crime. - Lakatos New opinions are always suspected, and usually opposed, without any other reason but because they are not already common. - John Locke You see, but you do not observe. - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle It is a mistake to confound strangeness with mystery. - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Men are apt to mistake the strength of their feeling for the strength of their argument. The heated mind resents the chill touch and relentless scrutiny of logic. - William Gladstone What is written without effort is in general read without pleasure. - Samuel Johnson He who has imagination without learning has wings and no feet. - Joseph Joubert The ultimate court of appeal is observation and experiment ... not authority. - Thomas Henry Huxley A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices. - William James Genius means little more than the faculty of perceiving in an unhabitual way. - William James A problem well stated is a problem half solved. - Charles Franklin Kettering Creativity takes courage. - Henri Matisse He who establishes his argument by noise and command shows that his reason is weak. - Michel Montaigne As often as a study is cultivated by narrow minds, they will draw from it narrow conclusions. - John Stuart Mill The logic of science is the logic of business and life. - John Stuart Mill What I understand by ‘philosopher’: a terrible explosive in the presence of which everything is in danger. - Friedrich Nietzsche I don’t know what I may seem to the world, but as to myself, I seem only to have been like a boy playing on the sea-shore and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me. - Isaac Newton The great composer does not set to work because he is inspired, but becomes inspired because he is working. - Ernest Newman You need chaos in your soul to give birth to a dancing star. - Nietzsche Only the mind cannot be sent into exile. - Ovid Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past. - George Orwell The great enemy of clear language is insincerity. When there is a gap between one’s real and one’s declared aims, one turns as it were instinctively to long words and exhausted idioms, like a cuttlefish squirting out ink. - George Orwell Man is but a reed, the weakest in nature, but he is a thinking reed. - Blaise Pascal The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas. - Linus Pauling Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction. - Blaise Pascal Philosophical habits of mind do not come quicker through fiber optics. Clear thinking is not aided by better dot resolution. Understanding ourselves and feeling for others does not come with a software upgrade. - Linda Ray Pratt All life is problem solving. - Karl Popper No rational argument will have a rational effect on a man who does not want to adopt a rational attitude. - Karl Popper Good tests kill flawed theories; we remain alive to guess again. - Karl Popper Problems are to the mind what exercise is to the muscles; they toughen and make strong. - Norman Vincent Peale If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking. - George Smith Patton Science is built up of facts, as a house is built of stones; but an accumulation of facts is no more a science than a heap of stones is a house. - Henri Poincarè Where observation is concerned, chance favours only the prepared mind. - Louis Pasteur The artist is a receptacle for emotions that come from all over the place: from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing shape, from a spider's web. - Pablo Picasso Thinking is like loving or dying. Each of us must do it for himself. - Josiah Royce Not to be absolutely certain is, I think, one of the essential things in rationality. - Bertrand Russell To acquire immunity to eloquence is of the utmost importance to the citizens of a democracy. - Bertrand Russell To understand the actual world as it is, not as we should wish it to be, is the beginning of wisdom. - Bertrand Russell The most essential characteristic of scientific technique is that it proceeds from experiment, not from tradition. - Bertrand Russell Every man, wherever he goes, is encompassed by a cloud of comforting convictions, which move with him like flies on a summer day. - Bertrand Russell We have, in fact, two kinds of morality side by side; one which we preach but do not practice, and another which we practice but seldom preach. - Bertrand Russell We all have a tendency to think that the world must conform to our prejudices. The opposite view involves some effort of thought, and most people would die sooner than think – in fact they do so. - Bertrand Russell The great majority of men and women, in ordinary times, pass through life without ever contemplating or criticising, as a whole, either their own conditions or those of the world at large. - Bertrand Russell Without effort and change, human life cannot remain good. It is not a finished Utopia that we ought to desire, but a world where imagination and hope are alive and active. - Bertrand Russell Even when all the experts agree, they may well be mistaken. - Bertrand Russell Good reasons must, of force, give place to better. - William Shakespeare The unexamined life is not worth living. - Socrates False words are not only evil in themselves, but they infect the soul with evil. - Socrates The advantage of the incomprehensible is that it never loses its freshness. - Paul Valery Strengthen the female mind by enlarging it, and there will be an end to blind obedience. - Mary Wollstonecraft The appetites will rule if the mind is vacant. - Mary Wollstonecraft I must be allowed to add some explanatory remarks to bring the subject home to reason—to that sluggish reason, which supinely takes opinions on trust, and obstinately supports them to spare itself the labour of thinking. - Mary Wollstonecraft Some women govern their husbands without degrading themselves, because intellect will always govern. - Mary Wollstonecraft The mind will ever be unstable that has only prejudices to rest on. - Mary Wollstonecraft

And last but not least, let us not forget this quote from the Greek philosopher Diogenes the Cynics:

One original thought is worth a thousand mindless quotings.

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20 Of The Best Quotes About Knowledge

“Our knowledge of the world instructs us first of all that the world is greater than our knowledge of it.” –Wendell Berry

by TeachThought Staff

What is the definition of ‘knowledge’?

Oxford Dictionary defines knowledge as ‘facts, information, and skills acquired by a person through experience or education; the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject.’

See also The Assimilation vs Accommodation Of Knowledge

Wikipedia offers up a bit more detail and includes the concept of truth : ‘Knowledge is often understood as an awareness of facts or as practical skills, and may also mean familiarity with objects or situations. Knowledge of facts, also called propositional knowledge, is often defined as true belief that is distinct from opinion or guesswork by virtue of justification.’

David Deutsch, author of, among other books and theories, The Beginning of Infinity and The Fabric of Reality , considers knowledge different than data and information. His definition frames knowledge as an effect– information with causal power . Knowledge includes explanations about how the world works, a special kind of information that can be used to explain what causes things to happen.

This definition operates in terms of function rather than concepts, with Deutsch theorizing that knowledge is asymptotic–a curve of explanations that approaches but never arrives at absolute truth. Knowledge, then, is something that perpetuates itself in the environment.

This, of course, is more of a scientific and macro definition of knowledge as an accumulation that changes the world through processes that vary in scale from evolution to writing a book.

As for education–pedagogy and learning–we tend to think of knowledge in simpler terms. In this context, knowledge can be thought of as a collection of intangible tools that are both a cause and effect of learning. Put another way, knowledge is potentially curated both as individuals and society itself.

How people think about and define knowledge is itself a kind of knowledge, which is where the following quotes about knowledge, from philosophers like Aristotle and Kant to education-centered figures like John Dewey, can help clarify what knowledge is and how we, as a species, think about what is both a concrete and abstract idea.

See also The Best Education Quotes For Teachers

20 Quotes About Knowledge

“The acquisition of knowledge always involves the revelation of ignorance – almost is the revelation of ignorance. Our knowledge of the world instructs us first of all that the world is greater than our knowledge of it.” –Wendell Berry

“To those would-be solvers of ‘the human problem,’ who hope for knowledge equal to (capable of controlling) the world, it is a source of unremitting defeat and bewilderment….or perhaps we should say instead that all our problems tend to gather under two questions about knowledge: Having the ability and desire to know, how and what should we learn? And, having learned, how and for what should we use what we know?” –Wendell Berry

“Knowledge is Power, Power provides Information; Information leads to Education, Education breeds Wisdom; Wisdom is Liberation. People are not liberated because of lack of knowledge.” –Francis Bacon

“Individuals who abide in ignorance have a thousand shades of gray, and, without knowing it, many arguments can be formed for every conceivable cause.” –Niccolo Machiavelli

“A true education is the intellectual growth of an individual achieved through the exercise of critical thinking, tolerance, and creativity.” –John Dewey

“To think for oneself is to think perfectly.” –Aristotle

“The greatest enemy of wisdom is simplicity.” –Plato

‘Where ignorance is bliss, this folly to be wise.’ –Thomas Gray

“A man may, indeed, acquire higher knowledge, but not by following or copying the rites of another, but by his own thinking.”

“Every separate step that a man takes in the goal of superior development is not in a way subordinate to the prior steps of human development that precede and come after him.” –O. Henry

See also 6 Of The Best Research Apps For iPad & Android

“To know nothing is strength.” –Albert Einstein

“Social pressure to strive for wisdom and understanding is the force that keeps all the steps of human development on the same track.” –Niels Gothenburg

“No man ever achieved tremendous success without learning — or, it should be added, without being forced to read his way out of a paper bag.” –Norman Borlaug

“However far we walk from intelligent, learned enlightenment, a man always has the seeds of ignorance he must strip and replant.” –Ernest Hemingway

“So much is to be learned in a day, that reading will never again make an excellent man so learned as he was yesterday.” —Olinga Rea

“What matters most in reading is not that it improves our intelligence, but that it does so by increasing and harmonizing our knowledge.” –Anne Lamott

“For to know nothing is nothing, not to want to know anything likewise, but to be beyond knowing anything, to know you are beyond knowing anything, that is when peace enters in, to the soul of the incurious seeker.” –Samuell Beckett

“For I was conscious that I knew practically nothing.” –Socrates

“We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid.” –Unknown

“Literacy is the commonwealth, distinguished by strict compliance with general and reasonable societal standards.” –Anne Frank

“Someone who knows nothing personally pleases no one.” –O. Henry

“Education is an institution that pits the critical mind against the facts of experience, to decide what is worth knowing.“ —Olin Stickle

“The secret of wisdom is to know what you know already, and to think that you know already.” —Socrates

More Quotes on Knowledge

“Knowledge is the eye of desire and can become the pilot of the soul.” –Will Durant

“An expert is a man who knows just that much more about his subject than his associates. Most of us are nearer the top than we think. We fail to realize how easy it is, how necessary it is to learn that fraction more.”

“What is all our knowledge worth? We do not even know what the weather will be tomorrow.” –Berthold Auerbach

“If I have seen farther than others, it is because I have stood on the shoulders of giants.” –Isaac Newton

“To each individual, the world will take on a different connotation of meaning–the importance lies in the desire to search for an answer.” –T. S. Eliot

“Knowledge is of no value unless you put it into practice.” –Anton Chekov

“The man who asks a question is a fool for a minute. The man who does not ask is a fool for life.” —Confucius

“To know that we know what we know, and to know that we do not know what we do not know, that is true knowledge.” —Nicolaus Copernicus

“It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows”—Epictetus

“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” Benjamin Franklin

“Human behavior flows from three main sources: desire, emotion, and knowledge.” Plato

“Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance.” —Confucius

“Zeal without knowledge is fire without light.” —Thomas Fuller

“That knowledge which purifies the mind and heart alone is true knowledge, all else is only a negation of knowledge.” —Ramakrishna

“Knowledge is the eye of desire and can become the pilot of the soul.” —Will Durant

Best Quotes About Knowledge

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180 Critical Thinking Quotes To Inspire You

Following is our list of critical thinking quotations and slogans full of insightful wisdom and perspective about student critical thinking.

Famous Critical Thinking Quotes

Thinking rationally is often different from "positive thinking," in that it is a realistic assessment of the situation, with a view towards rectifying the problem if possible. — Albert Ellis 51

Wisdom lies in thinking. The spear-head of thinking is rationalism. — Periyar E. V. Ramasamy 165

Be a free thinker and don't accept everything you hear as truth. Be critical and evaluate what you believe in. — Aristotle 595

Clear thinking requires courage rather than intelligence. — Thomas Szasz 103

People not only gain understanding through reflection, they evaluate and alter their own thinking. — Albert Bandura 90

The first thing you get from the humanities, when they’re well taught, is critical thinking. Philosophy in particular can play that role, not just in universities but in schools as well. — Martha C. Nussbaum 40

Skeptical scrutiny is the means, in both science and religion, by which deep thoughts can be winnowed from deep nonsense. — Carl Sagan 51

You have to be willing to question conventional wisdom and think for yourself. — Jim Simons 52

I believe the ability to think is blessed. If you can think about a situation, you can deal with it. The big struggle is to keep your head clear enough to think. — Richard Pryor 129

Reflective thinking turns experience into insight. — John C. Maxwell 60

The thought: A logical inquiry — Gottlob Frege 27

You need to do some independent thinking, especially about the important things, and try to work them out for yourself. — Edward O. Thorp 61

Knowing how to think empowers you far beyond those who know only what to think. — Neil deGrasse Tyson 105

School should teach how to think more than what to think. — Lex Fridman 50

Question everything generally thought to be obvious. — Dieter Rams 42

Short Critical Thinking Quotes

• Analysis Is the Critical Starting Point of Strategic Thinking — Kenichi Ohmae
• Merciless criticism and independent thinking are the two necessary traits of revolutionary thinking. — Bhagat Singh
• Great intellects are skeptical. — Friedrich Nietzsche
• Creative thinking will improve as we relate the new fact to the old and all facts to each other. — John Dewey
• Teach a child how to think, not what to think. — Sidney Sugarman
• Dare to think for yourself. — Voltaire
• The pursuit of truth requires intellectual courage and a willingness to question everything. — Bret Weinstein
• Children must be taught how to think, not what to think. — Margaret Mead
• It is especially important to encourage unorthodox thinking when the situation is critical — Boris Yeltsin
• Think for yourself, or others will think for you without thinking of you. — Henry David Thoreau

Top 10 Critical Thinking Quotes

Before you react, think. Before you spend, earn. Before you criticize, wait. Before you quit, try. — Ernest Hemingway 290

Do not indoctrinate your children. Teach them how to think for themselves, how to evaluate evidence, and how to disagree with you. — Richard Dawkins 144

The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education. — Martin Luther King, Jr. 134

The greatest prison people live in is the fear of what other people think. — David Icke 112

Criticism of others is thus an oblique form of self-commendation. We think we make the picture hang straight on our wall by telling our neighbors that all his pictures are crooked. — Fulton J. Sheen 106

Many pastors criticize me for taking the Gospel so seriously. But do they really think that on Judgment Day, Christ will chastise me, saying, 'Leonard, you took Me too seriously'? — Leonard Ravenhill 90

Read the greats in math, science, and philosophy. Ignore your contemporaries and news. Avoid tribal identification. Put truth above social approval. — Naval Ravikant 83

If you think your critics are wrong, prove it. If you think your haters are wrong, prove it. If you think you're right, prove it. Results have historically been the best way to prove you're right. — Patrick Bet-David 79

Cultivating intellectual diversity encourages critical thinking and ensures a more robust marketplace of ideas. — Bret Weinstein 78

If you eat, invest, and think according to what the ‘news’ advocates, you’ll end nutritionally, financially, and morally bankrupt. — Naval Ravikant 76

Critical Thinking Image Quotes

Importance Of Critical Thinking Quotes

What other people think of me is becoming less and less important; what they think of Jesus because of me is critical. — Cliff Richard 57

You have to understand the separation between what exists in the print media and what exists in reality. It's important to never lose track of reality. — Jared Kushner 41

It is especially important to encourage unorthodox thinking when the situation is critical: At such moments every new word and fresh thought is more precious than gold. Indeed, people must not be deprived of the right to think their own thoughts. — Boris Yeltsin 30

I think it's critically important that the people who have been most harmed by mass incarceration, by mass deportation, by neoliberalism, by all of it, not only have a voice in crafting these platforms but emerge and are supported as real leaders in these movements. — Michelle Alexander 9

Although professors regard improving critical thinking as the most important goal of college, tests reveal that seniors who began their studies with average critical thinking skills have progressed only from the 50th percentile of entering freshmen to about the 69th percentile. — Derek Bok 4

Being busy is a form of laziness - lazy thinking and indiscriminate action. Being busy is most often used as a guise for avoiding the few critically important but uncomfortable actions. — Tim Ferriss 4

I put a lot of effort into writing 'A Briefer History' at a time when I was critically ill with pneumonia because I think that it's important for scientists to explain their work, particularly in cosmology. This now answers many questions once asked of religion. — Stephen Hawking 3

'Climb Every Mountain' is a beautiful statement of philosophy. Critics may think 'The Sound of Music' is saccharine, but I think it's profound. The message, that we can't accommodate evil, is just as important today. — Jon Voight 2

Regardless of the criticisms I receive from the left, the right and the middle, I think it's important to maintain a prolific writing jab, as long as my literary legs hold up. — Ishmael Reed 1

I always start with characters rather than with a plot, which many critics would say is very obvious from the lack of plot in my films - although I think they do have plots - but the plot is not of primary importance to me, the characters are. — Jim Jarmusch 0

Student Critical Thinking Quotes

The humanities prepare students to be good citizens and help them understand a complicated, interlocking world. The humanities teach us critical thinking, how to analyze arguments, and how to imagine life from the point of view of someone unlike yourself. — Martha C. Nussbaum 29

In my opinion, using creation and evolution as topics for critical-thinking exercises in primary and secondary schools is virtually guaranteed to confuse students about evolution and may lead them to reject one of the major themes in science. — Eugenie Scott 11

Students need to learn how to think critically, how to argue opposing ideas. It is important for them to learn how to think. You can always cook. — Charlie Trotter 5

For students, the evolution-creation discussion can be a useful exercise, for it can help develop their critical thinking skills. — Ken Ham 5

Efforts to develop critical thinking falter in practice because too many professors still lecture to passive audiences instead of challenging students to apply what they have learned to new questions. — Derek Bok 5

Common Core, the initiative that claims to more accurately measure K-12 student knowledge in English and math, also encourages children to step up their "critical thinking." — David Harsanyi 3

Religion and morality are critical to how students think about politics and form opinions on political issues. — Jeanne Shaheen 2

Young adult students possessing true critical thinking skills are unmanageable, and therefore undesirable to many schools. — Bryant H. McGill 1

Environment-based education produces student gains in social studies, science, language arts, and math; improves standardized test scores and grade-point averages; and develops skills in problem-solving, critical thinking, and decision-making. — Richard Louv 1

Economists who have studied the relationship between education and economic growth confirm what common sense suggests: The number of college degrees is not nearly as important as how well students develop cognitive skills, such as critical thinking and problem-solving ability. — Derek Bok 0

Logical Thinking Quotes

Live simply and without thinking too much, like a child with his father. Faith without too much thinking works wonders. The logical mind hinders the Grace of God and miracles. Practice patience without judging with the logical mind. — Elder Paisios of Mount Athos 122

In Architecture there is a part that is the result of Logical Reasoning and a part that is created through the Senses. There is always a point where they Clash. I don't think Architecture can be created without that Collision. — Tadao Ando 98

No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical. — Niels Bohr 78

When it comes to thought, you should be in full control. Your brain’s job is to produce logic for you to consider. — Mo Gawdat 75

We are living in an interminable succession of absurdities imposed by the myopic logic of short-term thinking. — Jacques Yves Cousteau 68

You cannot approach people who think differently with reason and logic if they don't know what that means. First, you have to appeal to their values to start with. If you attack them, you lose them. — Jacque Fresco 66

Stop making sense. Logic is predictable. Think differently. — Paul Smith 60

Address to Albert Einstein: You are not thinking. You are merely being logical. — Niels Bohr 54

Most of the mistakes in thinking are inadequacies of perception rather than mistakes of logic. — Edward De Bono 53

Pure logical thinking cannot yield us any knowledge of the empirical world. All knowledge of reality starts from experience and ends in it. — Albert Einstein 48

Conceptual Thinking Quotes

I tried to fit it in with some previous broad conceptual understanding of some part of mathematics that would clarify the particular problem I was thinking about. — Andrew Wiles 60

All ideologies are idiotic, whether religious or political, for it is conceptual thinking, the conceptual word, which has so unfortunately divided man. — Jiddu Krishnamurti 57

Metaphor is pervasive in everyday life, not just in language but in thought and action. Our ordinary conceptual system, in terms of which we both think and act, is fundamentally metaphorical in nature. — George Lakoff 50

I do think it's important that we experiment with new vocabularies. That new words help us conceptualize our social existence in a different way. — Judith Butler 46

Words are a distraction to enlightenment. Getting rid of conceptual thinking means enlightenment. — Ramesh S Balsekar 25

General relativity is the cornerstone of cosmology and astrophysics. It has also provided the conceptual basis for string theory and other attempts to unify all the forces of nature in terms of geometrical structures. — Paul Davies 15

I think the women - Lauryn Hill, Mary J. Blige, Erykah Badu - are doing new conceptual things and using their voices to create new American music. — Boz Scaggs 14

You must understand the whole of life, not just one little part of it. — Jiddu Krishnamurti 14

Thinking fragments reality - it cuts it up into conceptual bits and pieces. — Eckhart Tolle 13

The Buddha himself said, "I still use conceptual thinking, but I'm not formed by it." And that's the Buddha. — Tenzin Palmo 10

Strategic Thinking Quotes

If you're going to be thinking anyway, think big! — Donald Trump 139

Now North Korea certainly is located in a different place geographically, but I think it faces the same type of strategic decision. Does it want a different future for its people? — Mitchell Reiss 80

There's a path for everyone — as long as you have self-awareness and the willingness to think five moves ahead. — Patrick Bet-David 66

Strategic planning is not strategic thinking. Indeed, strategic planning often spoils strategic thinking, causing managers to confuse real vision with the manipulation of numbers. — Henry Mintzberg 63

They wanted war as part of their strategic grand plan to destroy any country such as Russia that resists American imperial expansion. They only pretend to think it was unprovoked. They are lying to us, manufacturing consent for war. — Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. 53

Don’t get wrapped around tactical competition. Think strategic all the time. — Jocko Willink 46

...there is no more strategic issue for a company, or any organization, than its ultimate purpose. For those who think business exists to make a profit, I suggest they think again. Business makes a profit to exist. Surely it must exist for some higher, nobler purpose than that. — Ray Anderson 26

Strategic management is not a box of tricks or a bundle of techniques. It is analytical thinking and commitment of resources to action. But quantification alone is not planning. Some of the most important issues in strategic management cannot be quantified at all. — Peter Drucker 22

Let's allow Poland and the Czech Republic to have that missile shield that they were entitled to by joining NATO. I think that's the right strategic response to Russian aggression. — Mike Pence 15

To be strategic in life is like any skill whether it's basketball or learning a language, it takes effort and practice and I think most people don't think that it's something that they could just do, you know, naturally. — Robert Greene 13

Reflective Thinking Quotes

Since everything is a reflection of our minds, everything can be changed by our minds. — Buddha 211

Life is a mirror and will reflect back to the thinker what he thinks into it. — Ernest Holmes 204

When I'm writing, I'm constantly thinking about myself, because it's the only experience I have to draw on. And I don't see an exact reflection of myself in every face in the audience, but I know that my songs have validity to them, and that's why the fans are there. — Chester Bennington 203

Without the ability to think about yourself, to reflect on your life, there’s really no awareness, no consciousness. Consciousness doesn’t come automatically; it comes through being alive, awake, curious, and often furious. — Maxine Greene 162

We are not taught to be thinkers, but reflectors of our culture. Let's teach our children to be thinkers. — Jacque Fresco 148

You know when you're young you think you will always be. As you become more fragile, you reflect and you realize how much comfort can come from the past. Hymns can carry you into the future. — Andy Griffith 89

The clear thinking comes from having time to reflect and to pursue your genuine intellectual curiosity. — Naval Ravikant 83

If we think everyone is a reflection of ourselves, we fail to see things as they are. We see things as we are. — Jay Shetty 83

I will think twice in the future about what I post. Probably three times. — Logan Paul 80

Think of your lover and his love, think of his actions and forget him. — Moroccan Proverbs 77

Deep Thinking Quotes

If you think down, you will go down. If you think up, you will go up. You’ll always travel in the direction of your thinking. — T. D. Jakes 314

As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives. — Henry David Thoreau 303

Great minds think alone. — Wiz Khalifa 180

Pain and suffering are always inevitable for a large intelligence and a deep heart. The really great men must, I think, have great sadness on earth. — Fyodor Dostoevsky 177

I really do think that any deep crisis is an opportunity to make your life extraordinary in some way. — Martha Beck 175

I not only think but also look and study things carefully. When I travel around, I look at things carefully, make comparisons of what I see. I don't accept things at face value, you cannot trust what you hear or see. Don't jump to conclusions without thinking. — Mahathir Mohamad 151

Some of the best people with whom you can have a relationship are the people who challenge your thinking. — T. D. Jakes 150

Kind words do not cost much. They never blister the tongue or lips. They make other people good-natured. They also produce their own image on men's souls, and a beautiful image it is. — Blaise Pascal 118

I think everybody's weird. We should all celebrate our individuality and not be embarrassed or ashamed of it. — Johnny Depp 107

The enemy is fear. We think it is hate; but, it is fear. — Mahatma Gandhi 101

Creative Thinking Quotes

The Toyota style is not to create results by working hard. It is a system that says there is no limit to people's creativity. People don't go to Toyota to 'work' they go there to 'think'. — Taiichi Ohno 248

I have great belief in the fact that whenever there is chaos, it creates wonderful thinking. I consider chaos a gift. — Septima Poinsette Clark 172

I think that sometimes almost the bigger tragedy in a weird way is all of the future imagined creative projects that could have happened that didn't. I feel the same way about lots of brilliant people who die young, kind of senselessly especially. — Chris Cornell 143

Let go of your attachment to being right, and suddenly your mind is more open. You're able to benefit from the unique viewpoints of others, without being crippled by your own judgment. — Ralph Marston 90

Creative thinking is not a talent, it is a skill that can be learned. It empowers people by adding strength to their natural abilities which improves teamwork, productivity and, where appropriate, profits. — Edward De Bono 85

I never made one of my discoveries through the process of rational thinking — Albert Einstein 84

If you think and act like a typical manager around creative people—with rules, policies, data on customer preferences, and so forth—you will quickly kill their talent. — Bernard Arnault 80

The number one benefit of information technology is that it empowers people to do what they want to do. It lets people be creative. It lets people be productive. It lets people learn things they didn't think they could learn before, and so in a sense it is all about potential. — Steve Ballmer 77

Positivity opens us. The first core truth about positive emotions is that they open our hearts and our minds, making us more receptive and more creative. — Barbara Fredrickson 75

If you think of negotiation as a creative challenge, you can see it as an opportunity. — William Ury 71

Critical Reflection Quotes

A democratic civilization will save itself only if it makes the language of the image into a stimulus for critical reflection - not an invitation for hypnosis. — Umberto Eco 48

Critical reflection on practice is a requirement of the relationship between theory and practice. Otherwise theory becomes simply "blah, blah, blah, " and practice, pure activism. — Paulo Freire 45

At a finite distance in the future, a critical state of encounter will occur, an ultimate co-reflective Center. A focused conspiration will allure individual persons to identify with others in profound affinity. Because of thinking altogether, love will grow into Divinity. — Pierre Teilhard de Chardin 19

The air we breathe, the water we drink, and the land we inhabit are not only critical elements in the quality of life we enjoy - they are a reflection of the majesty of our Creator. — Rick Perry 16

Constantly worrying about your reflection and criticizing your body, shape and size is an act of violence against yourself. — Emma Thompson 9

Behind the epistemological scholasticism of empirio-criticism one must not fail to see the struggle of parties in philosophy, a struggle which in the last analysis reflects the tendencies and ideology of the antagonistic classes in modern society. — Vladimir Lenin 7

Action and faith enslave thought, both of them in order not be troubled or inconvenienced by reflection, criticism, and doubt. — Henri Frederic Amiel 5

Unless criticism refuses to take itself quite so seriously or at least to permit its readers not to, it will inevitably continue to reflect the finicky canons of the genteel tradition and the depressing pieties of the Culture Religion of Modernism. — Leslie Fiedler 4

Repeatedly we question the necessity of our actions and evaluate critically the reasons for carrying them out. But in flow there is no need to reflect, because the action carries us forward as if by magic. — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi 3

It is impossible for the man of pious reflection not to perceive in it [the Constitution] a finger of that Almighty hand which has been so frequently and signally extended to our relief in the critical stages of the revolution. — James Madison 3

Rational Thinking Quotes

Gratitude is the first sign of a thinking, rational creature . — Solanus Casey 117

All progress depends on the unreasonable man. — George Bernard Shaw 90

The intuitive mind is a sacred gift. — Albert Einstein 87

I think 'vegan' is a beautiful word. It is more than just a description for our diet. I see it as a visible template for an ethical, healthy, responsible, and rational life. Because it describes our character, it says we do not take the life of another living being to satisfy our wants. — Philip Wollen 83

Emotions are one of the main things that derail communication. Once people get upset at one another, rational thinking goes out of the window. — Chris Voss 65

I think I got off on the wrong planet. Beam me up Scotty, there's no rational life here. — Robert Anton Wilson 50

If you attach your mind to any ideology, you're going to be on a road, and that road may or may not lead you in a good direction. But you're gonna stay on that road because you are attached to an ideology. It could be a terrible road, but you stick with it regardless of rational thinking. — Joe Rogan 44

In daily life, reality gives us material incentives to restrain our irrationality. But what incentive do we have to think rationally about politics? — Bryan Caplan 42

Not to be absolutely certain is, I think, one of the essential things in rationality. — Bertrand Russell 41

I seem to be thinking rationally again in the style that is characteristic of scientists. However, this is not entirely a matter of joy as if someone returned from physical disability to good physical health. — John Forbes Nash, Jr. 40

People Writing About Critical Thinking

More Critical Thinking Quotes

Before you speak, listen. Before you write, think. Before you spend, earn. Before you invest, investigate. Before you criticize, wait. Before you pray, forgive. Before you quit, try. Before you retire, save. Before you die, give. — William Arthur Ward 305

We are drowning in information, while starving for wisdom. The world henceforth will be run by synthesizers, people able to put together the right information at the right time, think critically about it, and make important choices wisely. — E. O. Wilson 130

Responsibility to yourself means refusing to let others do your thinking, talking, and naming for you; it means learning to respect and use your own brains and instincts; hence, grappling with hard work. — Adrienne Rich 124

Don't think for a minute that bad publicity and endless criticism don't leave their claw marks on everyone concerned. Your friends try to cheer you up by saying lightly, "I suppose you get used to it, and ignore it." You try. You try damned hard. But you never get used to it. It always wounds and hurts. — Ava Gardner 88

If the press really thinks Obama is Lincoln, they ought to treat him like they treated Bush, 'cause that's how they treated Lincoln. His critics compared Lincoln to an ape; they called him an illiterate baboon. — Ann Coulter 84

I think that most people underestimate the amount of effort that it takes to go from good to great, so they have this second voice that criticizes everything they do. — Alex Hormozi 71

If you eat, invest, and think according to what the ‘news’ advocates, you’ll end up bankrupt. — Naval Ravikant 71

Entertain the idea that what you’ve spent your entire life learning may not be entirely true. — Mo Gawdat 68

Simple probability and statistics should be taught in grades kindergarten through twelve and that analyzing games of chance such as coin matching, dice, and roulette is one way we can learn enough to think through such issues. — Edward O. Thorp 64

People who try to look smart by pointing out obvious exceptions actually signal the opposite. — Naval Ravikant 63

Think clearly from the ground up. Understand and explain from first principles. Ignore society and politics. Acknowledge what you have. Control your emotions. — Naval Ravikant 62

It is both possible (and even necessary) to simultaneously enjoy media while also being critical of its more problematic or pernicious aspects. — Anita Sarkeesian 61

I honestly do think that it is critical that we are continuously breaking records, because that represents us moving forward in exploration. — Peggy Whitson 59

Thinking again can help you generate new solutions to old problems and revisit old solutions to new problems. It’s a path to learning more from the people around you and living with fewer regrets. — Adam Grant 57

I do think we know that a teacher who knows what he or she is doing, knows their subject matter, and knows how to impart knowledge to kids is a critical piece of closing the achievement gap. — Margaret Spellings 56

I think of veganism humbly and holistically. It's about taking personal responsibility in a world so full of needless suffering. It's challenging one's self to open one's eyes and question society's assumptions and habits. It's about critical thinking and compassion and how we would like to see the world evolve. — Michael Greger 56

By following a strict prescriptive method, we become dumber, because we lose the ability to think for ourselves. — Mo Gawdat 52

Everyone is susceptible to groupthink. Thinking independently is difficult, and lonely. — Lex Fridman 52

The WHO saying meat causes cancer only demonstrates that many scientists do not understand the difference between correlation and causation. — Layne Norton 52

When people in a democracy are not educated in the art of living -- to strengthen their conscience, compassion, and ability to question and think critically -- they can be easily manipulated by fear and propaganda. A democracy is only as wise as its citizens, and a democracy of ignorant citizens can be as dangerous as a dictatorship. — Paul K. Chappell 51

The point of a liberal arts education is to learn how to think critically and independently, and to develop a sense of empathy for others. — Martha C. Nussbaum 51

The most used program in computers and education is PowerPoint. What are you learning about the nature of the medium by knowing how do to a great PowerPoint presentation? Nothing. It certainly doesnt teach you how to think critically about living in a culture of simulation. — Sherry Turkle 50

I think that a society cannot live without a certain number of irrational beliefs. They are protected from criticism and analysis because they are irrational. — Claude Levi-Strauss 50

I think especially in such an unstable economic environment, what people criticized him [Mitt Romney] for in 2008 his consistency, the fact that he was so strong, and I think people will find that appealing going into the 2012. That’s one of the things that I like about him — because he’s been consistent since he changed his mind. — Christine O'Donnell 48

I am the object of criticism around the world. But I think that since I am being discussed, then I am on the right track. — Kim Jong Il 48

Original thinkers doubt the default. — Adam Grant 48

I want to taste and glory in each day, and never be afraid to experience pain; and never shut myself up in a numb core of nonfeeling, or stop questioning and criticizing life and take the easy way out. To learn and think: to think and live; to live and learn: this always, with new insight, new understanding, and new love. — Sylvia Plath 47

I am unable to think of any critical, complex human activity that could be safely reduced to a simple summary equation. — Jerome Powell 47

You can't do extraordinary things in the world if you're spending time criticizing others because they don't look or behave the way you think they should. — Susan Elizabeth Phillips 44

What you need is a challenge network. I think of a challenge network as the group of your most thoughtful critics who are able to hold up a mirror so that you can see your blind spots and then know what you need to rethink. — Adam Grant 44

In Conclusion

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145 Thinking Quotes To Make You More Thoughtful

By Maxime Lagacé

Maxime is the founder of WisdomQuotes. He has been collecting quotes since 2004. His goal? To help you develop a calm and peaceful mind. Learn more about him on his about page .

Here are 145 of the most inspiring thinking quotes. And please keep in mind: if you think each day, you’ll solve 90% of your problems. The problem is that most people live on autopilot. So slow down, and think about these quotes. Enjoy!

If everyone is thinking alike, then no one is thinking. Benjamin Franklin

You were born with the greatest weapon in all of nature — the rational, conscious mind. Robert Greene

To think is easy. To act is difficult. To act as one thinks is the most difficult of all. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

The student reflects rarely and unconsciously. The smart reflects daily and consciously. The master let it go. Maxime Lagacé

Right thinking comes with self-knowledge. Without understanding yourself, you have no basis for thought. Jiddu Krishnamurti

There is no conversation more boring than the one where everybody agrees. Michel de Montaigne

Think for yourself, not of yourself. Think of others, not for others. Naval Ravikant

I insist on a lot of time being spent, almost every day, to just sit and think. Warren Buffett

We waste our time with short term thinking and busywork. Warren Buffett spends a year deciding and a day acting. That act lasts decades. Naval Ravikant

We like it when other people agree with us, which is why we rarely say what we are thinking. Shane Parrish

An opinion should be the result of thought, not a substitute for it. Jef Mallett

Writing is not the most important thing; thinking is. But writing is probably the best way to improve your thinking. Matt Mullenweg

Every deep thinker is more afraid of being understood than of being misunderstood. Friedrich Nietzsche

Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought. John F. Kennedy

If you can think and speak and write, you are absolutely deadly, nothing can get in your way. Jordan Peterson

• 65 Growth Mindset Quotes (To Improve Your Life)
• 75 Understanding Quotes To Bring Clarity Into Your Life
• 77 Intelligence Quotes (From The Best Minds Ever)

The Best Thinking Quotes

The best thinking is rethinking. Shane Parrish

As soon as you have made a thought, laugh at it. Lao Tzu

The person who consistently makes you think, is the most undervalued person in your life. Shane Parrish

Thinking is the ability to strip away what doesn’t matter from a situation so you can see what does matter. Shane Parrish

Spend at least one hour a day thinking . Just thinking, alone, in silence. No music. No book. No one. Your mind gets clearer. Your relationships get healthier. Your life gets better. @orangebook_

The snake which cannot cast its skin has to die. As well the minds which are prevented from changing their opinions; they cease to be mind. Friedrich Nietzsche

New opinions are always suspected, and usually opposed, without any other reason but because they are not common. John Locke

If you overthink you become stressed and confused. If you think too little they will think for you. Maxime Lagacé

Anxiety is thought without control. Flow is control without thought. James Clear

The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift. Albert Einstein

Few men think, yet all will have opinions. Hence men’s opinions are superficial and confused. John Locke

I think (too much), therefore I am (not there to live my life). Thich Nhat Hanh

Most people would sooner die than think; in fact, they do so. Bertrand Russell

Regular minds find similarities in stories (and situations); finer minds detect differences. Nassim Nicholas Taleb ( The Bed of Procrustes , Amazon book)

Think for yourself. Some people see warnings signs when they are alone. I see warning signs in a crowd. Maxime Lagacé

As a rule, you must always reserve the right to laugh the next day at your thoughts of the previous night. Napoleon Bonaparte

We only labor to stuff the memory, and leave the conscience and the understanding unfurnished and void. Michel de Montaigne

Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers. Voltaire

Thinking too little about things or thinking too much both make us obstinate and fanatical. Blaise Pascal

One of the painful signs of years of dumbed-down education is how many people are unable to make a coherent argument. They can vent their emotions, question other people’s motives, make bold assertions, repeat slogans – anything except reason. Thomas Sowell

Don’t just follow people because you agree with what they think. Follow them because you’re intrigued by how they think – and how they make you think. Adam Grant

The task is not so much to see what no one has seen, but to think what nobody has yet thought, about that which everybody sees. Erwin Schrödinger

If you’re overthinking, write. If you’re underthinking, read. Alex Wieckowski ( Source )

Learning how to think really means learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think. David Foster Wallace

It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. Aristotle

Good that you ask – you should always ask, always have doubts. Hermann Hesse

Part 2. Thinking Quotes That Are…

The most famous thinking quotes.

Go to table of contents

I think, therefore I am. René Descartes

To know what people really think, observe what they do, not what they say. René Descartes

The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud. Coco Chanel

Combinatory play seems to be the essential feature in productive thought. Albert Einstein ( Related : How To Boost Your Creativity The Einstein Way—With Combinatory Play , blog.trello.com)

We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them. Albert Einstein

People don’t like to think, if one thinks, one must reach conclusions. Conclusions are not always pleasant. Helen Keller

Think for yourself and let others enjoy the privilege of doing so too. Voltaire

Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t – you’re right. Henry Ford

In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual. Galileo Galilei

Take time to deliberate, but when the time for action comes, stop thinking and go in. Napoleon Bonaparte

All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking. Friedrich Nietzsche

I still live, I still think: I still have to live, for I still have to think. Friedrich Nietzsche

Always aim at complete harmony of thought and word and deed. Always aim at purifying your thoughts and everything will be well. Mahatma Gandhi

Knowledge is real knowledge only when it is acquired by the efforts of your intellect, not by memory. Henry David Thoreau

Five percent of the people think; ten percent of the people think they think; and the other eighty-five percent would rather die than think. Thomas A. Edison

Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains. Steve Jobs

Thinking is easy, acting is difficult, and to put one’s thoughts into action is the most difficult thing in the world. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

We more readily confess to errors, mistakes and shortcomings in our conduct than in our thought. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Hold your council before dinner; the full belly hates thinking as well as acting. Benjamin Franklin

I don’t care what people think, because people don’t think. Kanye West

What we think, we become. Buddha

Short Thinking Quotes

Schedule time to think. Shane Parrish

Rewriting is rethinking. David Perell

Learn to enjoy silence. Maxime Lagacé

Learn to enjoy not thinking. @orangebook_

Don’t outsource your thinking. Angela Jiang

Overthinking, a.k.a. underacting. Jack Butcher

The less men think, the more they talk. Montesquieu

Much learning does not produce thought. Heraclitus

The best way to minimize risk is to think. Shane Parrish

Build your own judgment, don’t rely on anyone. @AmuseChimp

Thinking is the talking of the soul with itself. Plato

For the busy mind it is painful to stop and think. Shane Parrish

Wise? No, I simply learned to think. Christopher Paolini

Calm? No, I simply learned to watch my thoughts. Maxime Lagacé

Writing is the art of thinking clearly — on paper. Julian Shapiro

Idiots ‘think’ alike, intelligent people different. @AmuseChimp

Thinking is difficult, that’s why most people judge. Carl Jung

A man has free choice to the extent that he is rational. Thomas Aquinas

Think for yourself, with humility and compassion. Lex Fridman ( Source )

The best way to improve your ability to think is to spend time thinking. Shane Parrish

My position on most things is this: I could be wrong, but I think I’m right. Jack Peach

Just think. Just be quiet and think. It’d make all the difference in the world. Fred Rogers

A clear mind is both confident and curious, calm and loving, courageous and humble. Maxime Lagacé

Inspirational Thinking Quotes

You can achieve anything you want if you just change the way you think. Will you? Maxime Lagacé

Genius is finding the invisible link between things. Vladimir Nabokov

We shouldn’t be looking for heroes, we should be looking for good ideas. Noam Chomsky

Your best thoughts will come from being in flow and not thinking at all. Dan Go ( Source )

Closed in a room, my imagination becomes the universe, and the rest of the world is missing out. Criss Jami

It’s the most powerful weapon you can possibly provide someone with. Jordan Peterson (On thinking and writing)

It becomes clear when you love silence, boredom and hard work. For the wise it’s play. For the ordinary it’s hell. Maxime Lagacé

Think not so much of what you lack as of what you have: but of the things that you have, select the best, and then reflect how eagerly you would have sought them if you did not have them . Marcus Aurelius

A thinker sees his own actions as experiments and questions – as attempts to find out something. Success and failure are for him answers above all. Friedrich Nietzsche

You must learn to master a new way to think before you can master a new way to be. Marianne Williamson

Deep understanding requires deep thinking which requires focused time alone, away from the chatter of people online and offline. It requires staying with a single thought for a long time, focusing on it and developing it. In solitude is the genesis of great ideas. @TheAncientSage

What you think constantly becomes your reality. The seed of thought is converted into action and eventually becomes the tree of your being. @TheAncientSage

It’s only by concentrating, sticking to the question, being patient, letting all the parts of my mind come into play, that I arrive at an original idea. By giving my brain a chance to make associations, draw connections, take me by surprise. William Deresiewicz

A truth, an insight, which you have slowly and laboriously puzzled out by thinking for yourself could easily have been found already written in a book; but it is a hundred times more valuable if you have arrived at it by thinking for yourself. Arthur Schopenhauer

If you want to get smart, the question you have to keep asking is why, why, why, why? Charlie Munger

Related : “You NEED to LEARN to THINK!” – Jordan B. Peterson (11-minute YouTube video)

Funny Thinking Quotes

Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again? Winnie the Pooh

Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try! Dr. Seuss

The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. Terry Pratchett

I’ll be more enthusiastic about encouraging thinking outside the box when there’s evidence of any thinking going on inside it. Terry Pratchett

There is nothing wrong with standing back and thinking. To paraphrase several sages: “Nobody can think and hit someone at the same time”. Susan Sontag

Evidence shows that we do much less thinking than we believe we do — except, of course, when we think about it. Nassim Nicholas Taleb

You’ll have better thoughts staring at a wall than watching 24-hour news. Michael ( @mmay3r )

Stop looking for angels, and start looking for angles. Ryan Holiday

Many a man fails as an original thinker simply because his memory it too good. Friedrich Nietzsche

Our heads are round so thought can change direction. Allen Ginsberg

Deep Thinking Sayings

To dare a thought is to risk being wrong. James Dale Davidson ( The Sovereign Individual , Amazon book)

The people who don’t think are the ones who never listen. Haruki Murakami

Our judgment is amongst the most subtle things that power corrupts. Naval Ravikant

Many a serious thinker has been produced in prisons, where we have nothing to do but think. Robert Greene

Your hard work and focus will give you speed. Your thoughts and judgments will give you direction. Maxime Lagacé

If people cannot write well, they cannot think well. And if they cannot think well, others will do their thinking for them. George Orwell

Controlling your life starts with controlling your thoughts. Dan Go ( Source )

Your mind is working at its best when you’re being paranoid. You explore every avenue and possibility of your situation at high speed with total clarity. Banksy

If you make people think they’re thinking, they’ll love you; but if you really make them think, they’ll hate you. Harlan Ellison

The challenge of our time is relearning how to concentrate. The past decade has seen an unparalleled assault on our capacity to fix our minds steadily on anything. To sit still and think, without succumbing to an anxious reach for a machine, has become almost impossible. Thibaut

Related : How To Clear Your Mind (4-minute YouTube video by SciShow Psych)

The thinker needs no one to refute him, for that he has himself. Friedrich Nietzsche

Each person is sitting alone in front of the tube, you know. It’s very hard to have ideas or thoughts under those circumstances. You can’t fight the world alone. Noam Chomsky

A truly independent thinker is neither with nor against the crowd. James Pierce ( Source )

Be careful what you put in. Those are seeds. Don’t water them. Those will grow. Clean your garden once in a while and go for a walk. Maxime Lagacé

In much of your talking, thinking is half murdered. For thought is a bird of space, that in a cage of words may indeed unfold its wings but cannot fly. Kahlil Gibran

The world is a tragedy to those who feel, but a comedy to those who think. Horace Walpole

Madness is the result not of uncertainty but of certainty. Friedrich Nietzsche

Wise Thinking Sayings

Stop thinking, and end your problems. Lao Tzu

The mark of a moderate man is freedom from his own ideas. Lao Tzu

In dwelling, live close to the ground. In thinking, keep to the simple . In conflict, be fair and generous. In governing, don’t try to control. In work, do what you enjoy. In family life, be completely present. Lao Tzu

Nothing in life matters quite as much as you think it does while you are thinking about it. Daniel Kahneman

Your thoughts shape the world you see. The world you see shapes the experiences you have. Your experiences shape your thoughts. Shane Parrish

Amateurs go with the first idea that comes into their head. Professionals realize the first idea is rarely the best idea. Shane Parrish

The true test of a long term thinker is whether you can think in decades, while your peers think in days. Anthony Pompliano ( Source )

Think through time – what do the consequences look like in 10 minutes? 10 months? 10 Years? Shane Parrish

Thinking clearly and rationally will bring you satisfaction. Listening to your heart will give you peace. Maxime Lagacé

Seek clearer thinking, not faster thinking. You acquire faster thinking on the way. @orangebook_

Just because you’ve been doing something a certain way doesn’t mean you have to continue to. Don’t let momentum make your decisions for you. Justin Kan

Related : Second-Order Thinking: What Smart People Use to Outperform (fs.blog)

Thinking is by far the most underrated activity. People consider it “unproductive” to sit on a bench and think. So they spend their lives doing things they never thought through. An hour of clear thinking can yield a conclusion that changes your life. Johnny Uzan

Twenty years after my own graduation, I have come gradually to understand that the liberal arts cliché about “teaching you how to think” is actually shorthand for a much deeper, more serious idea: Learning how to think really means learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think . It means being conscious and aware enough to choose what you pay attention to and to choose how you construct meaning from experience. Because if you cannot exercise this kind of choice in adult life, you will be totally hosed. David Foster Wallace ( This is Water )

Further Readings

• Topic: Education
• 100 Education Quotes That Will Inspire You To Keep Growing
• 100 Learning Quotes To Inspire You To Learn (Forever)
• 100 Knowledge Quotes That Will Change Your Perspective
• 100 Reading Quotes Every Book Lover Can Relate To
• 100 Curiosity Quotes To Increase Your Desire To Learn
• Why You’re Not Thinking Clearly (7-minute YouTube video by Nathaniel Drew)
• How to Think Clearly: 7 Tips for Success (euruni.edu)
• How To Learn Faster (Based on Science)

Hope you enjoyed these inspiring thinking quotes. If you did, please share them with a friend today!

Do you think often? What’s your favorite thinking quote? And remember: words can transform your life, if you find the right ones.

Video About Thinking (And Overthinking)

Table Of Contents

Part 1 Top 15 Images Best Quotes

Part 2 Thinking Quotes That ARE Famous Short Inspirational Funny Deep Wise

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103+ Critical Thinking Quotes that Stimulate Beautiful Minds

In some career paths blinding following instructions is what’s required for the job. The fast-food industry would be one example where following regimented cook times and cleaning processes without question is important. But if you hope to rise up through the ranks to become a people manager or want to operate a small business, you’ll need to develop critical thinking skills to achieve your goals.

But how can someone improve their thinking skills exactly? Fortunately, there are many ways you can enhance brain power that I share at the end of this blog post. I also share 103 quotes about that stress the importance of working out your mind on a daily basis.

Critical Thinking Quotes

Critical Thinking Quotes.

• “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we create them.” – Anonymous
• “The value of a college education is not the learning of many facts, but the training of the mind to think.” – Anonymous
• “If there was one life skill everyone on the planet needed, it was the ability to think with critical objectivity.” – Anonymous
• “Much of today’s education focuses on obedience skills rather than critical thinking skills.”- Bryant McGill
• “It is a mark of an intelligent mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” – Anonymous
• “The important thing is not to stop questioning.” – Anonymous
• “The opinion of 10,000 men is of no value if none of them know anything about the subject.” – Anonymous
• “Critical thinking and curiosity are the key to creativity.” – Anonymous

“The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks.” –

• “Critical thinking is what leads to the next breakthroughs in any area.” – Roberta Michnick Golinkoff
• “It is better to debate a question without settling it than to settle a question without debating it.” – Joseph Joubert
• “The conventional view serves to protect us from the painful job of thinking.” – John Kenneth Galbraith
• “Where there is no critical thinking, there is no progress. If the children are our future, then critical thinking must be their guide.” – Dale McGowan

Related Reading: 115+ Budgeting Quotes That Help You Save More Each Week 

• “Believe what you like but don’t believe everything you read without questioning it.” – Pauline Baynes
• “Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.” – Anonymous
• “How might we modify our beliefs in the light of additional information?” – Anonymous
• “Time given to thought is the greatest time saver of all.” – Norman Cousins
• “Children must be taught how to think not what to think.” – Margaret Mead
• “Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably why so few engage in it.” – Henry Ford

“Thinking is a skilled work. It is not true that we are naturally endowed with the ability to think clearly and logically – without learning how, or without practicing.” – A.E. Mander

• “How much easier it is to be critical than to be correct.” – Benjamin Franklin
• “Even a book that is made up for only untruths can greatly improve us intellectually.” – Mokokoma Mokhonoana
• “The insecure leader will interpret critical thinking as criticism.” – Andy Stanely
• “When your critical thinking doesn’t work, think emotionally and let your heart decide what’s right or wrong.” – Anonymous
• “We are approaching a new age of synthesis. Knowledge cannot merely be a degree or skill, it demands a broader vision, capabilities in critical thinking and logical deduction without which we cannot have constructive progress.” – Li Ka Shing
• “By allowing yourself to consider different perspectives, you might find yourself hitting upon solutions you hadn’t previously considered.” – Anonymous

How much easier it is to be critical than to be correct.

Funny Critical Thinking Quotes

• “Women spend more time thinking about men what men think than men actually spend thinking.” – Anonymous
• “Someday, I will solve my problems with critical thinking, but today it will be with chocolate.” – Anonymous
• “Common sense is a genius dressed in its working clothes.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
• “The best ideas come as jokes. Make your thinking as funny as possible.” – David Ogivly
• “I don’t think inside the box and I don’t think outside the box. I don’t even know where the box is.” – Anonymous
• “If everyone is thinking alike then somebody isn’t thinking.” – George S. Patton
• “Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe.” – Albert Einstein

Analytical Thinking Quotes

• “I tend to have a very analytical mind, I’m constantly thinking about how things can be better or different.” – Andy Biersack
• “Learn to be as analytical about things of which you are credulous as you are of those you criticize.” – Idries Shah
• “AI will do analytical thinking, while humans will wrap that analysis in warmth and compassion.” – Kai-Fu Lee
• “Languages are true analytical methods.” – Antoine Lavoisier
• “A lack of analytical skills could keep you from making progress in your career.” – Deborah Murray

“You can over analyze anything. I constantly have to tell myself, ‘Sabrina, stop thinking’. There are people who are just analytical. It’s part of your gene makeup or too much caffeine.” – Sabrina Lloyd

• “Even the most analytical thinkers are predictably irrational: the really smart ones acknowledge and address their irrationalities.” – Dan Ariely
• “Systems thinking is contextual, which is the opposite of analytical thinking. Analysis means taking something apart in order to understand it; systems thinking means putting it into context of a larger whole.” – Fritjof Capra
• “The advantage of an analytical approach is that it is widely applicable, and that it can provide a considerable amount of quantitative information even with a relatively poor resolving power.” – Christian de Duve
• “From an analytical perspective you’re thinking ‘2 percent sucks’ but it’s like the pink elephant in the room. Everyone knows it’s there.” – Paul Kim

“To be successful, suspend your worries and your analytical thinking and just concentrate on reading the script as it is without any judgement.” – Robbins Blair

• “My business is the analytical framework.” – Todd Gitlin
• “Why is it that our young kids across America can solve the most complex problems in a video game involving executive decision making and analytical thinking, yet we accept the fact that they can’t add or read?” – Naveen Jain
• “The need is not for the creation of new analytical techniques specially designed for the negotiation process, but rather for the creative use of analytical thinking that exploits existing techniques.” – Howard Raiffa
• “Creative and analytical thinking are not mutually exclusive. We should work to make them mutually supportive to engage the whole brains of our students.” – Amy Benjamin
• “They’re thinking. They’re getting more analytical of the game. It’s not whip the ball down field and chase after it. There’s a thought process to what they’re trying to do.” – Pam Edwards

Critical thinking means questioning the status quo.

Critical Thinking Slogans

• Critical Thinking Feeds The Mind
• You’ll Never Feel Stupid
• Critical Thinking Should Be Everyone’s Hobby
• It’s Not For Everyone
• It’s Only For The Few Chosen Ones
• It Opens Up A New World
• It Exercises The Mind
• Think Before You Judge Anything Or Anyone
• It’s A Game For The Geniuses
• It’s Fun While It Lasts
• Don’t Just Believe Everything
• Stop, Think Then Decide
• It’s A Skill Not Everyone Is Born With
• Lucky If You Have It In Your Blood
• Make An Effort To Do It
• Never Hold Judgement Before Questioning Things
• It’s The Way You Know Something Is Right Or Wrong
• Be One Of The Few Critical Thinkers
• It’s A Good Exercise For Your Mind

Related Reading: 159+ Quotes about Smiling and Moving on From Hardships with Grace 

• It Creates A Creative Process In Your Mind
• Always Analyzing Facts
• Not Afraid Of Facts
• Only Believe The Truth
• Always Think Before Judging
• Taking The Time To Analyze Things Before Judging Them
• Active Conceptualizing And Evaluating Information
• We Stick To The Truth
• Always Unbiased Analysis
• Reasoned Judgements All The Way
• Judging Things Based On Facts Only
• Deep Thinking And Studying Facts
• Creative Ways To Solve Problems
• Problem Solving With Critical Thinking
• You’re Not Always Right
• Not All Information Online Is Correct
• Researching Is Your Best Friend
• There’s No Harm In Questioning Facts Presented To You
• Knowledge Is Power
• Find Time To Enhance Your Critical Thinking Skills
• Keep An Eye For New Information

Think twice.

Critical Thinking Captions

• If critical thinking was breakfast, everyone would be geniuses.
• Some people are so lazy to think, what more critical thinking?
• It’s one thing that people lack these days.
• I wish doctors would subscribe critical thinking pills to those who need them.
• It’s in the blood.
• I love exercising my mind by critical thinking about almost everything that comes my way.
• Once in a while, everyone should spend time a day doing critical thinking.
• It doesn’t hurt to at least try and become a critical thinker.
• Some people work so hard to exercise their bodies but not their minds.
• Men who are critical thinkers are sexy.
• Before deciding to do something, please spend some time thinking about it.
• It can save you from embarrassment.
• Want to be unique? Be a critical thinker.
• Critical thinking should be formed a club with invite-only members.
• Lazy people are not critical thinkers.
• Critical thinking can help you solve problems.
• You don’t always have to prove to people you’re right. You just show and tell them about critical thinking.
• Don’t have a hobby? Then spend time improving your critical thinking skills.

What are critical thinking questions you can ask?

You can encourage critical thinking by asking the right questions. Here are some examples you can use. More often than not there are no specific right or wrong answers to these questions. But they do offer insights into the mind of someone being interviewed.

• How do you know this?
• Who can benefit from this?
• Do you agree or disagree about his?
• Who did you hear this information from?
• Who is greatly affected by this?
• How would you solve world hunger?
• Why is this important?
• Can how this affect the lives of people?
• How would you improve throughput in this restaurant?
• When is this acceptable?
• How can you solve this issue?
• What does the issue mean to you?
• How can we be affected by this issue?
• How does this harm others?
• Why is this a problem?
• How can we change this problem?
• What do we do to solve this problem?

Why is critical thinking important in your life?

Critical thinking is the practice of making reasoned judgments based on facts and information. By practicing critical thinking, you are able to make better decision in life and at work.

The skill of critical thinking helps you identify wrong or misleading information that results in bad life choices. It also allows us to be creative by not just thinking about how we can solve our problems, but also considering different ways to get a project done.

People without strong critical thinking skills are also less likely to reflect on their daily activities. They aren’t curious whether or not there is a better way to do things. They have a tendency to get stuck into a routine.

How can you improve critical thinking skills?

The good news is anyone can improve their critical thinking skills through practice. Here are different ways to  improve in this area of your life.

Question what you read.  Whether it’s an article online or a report from a newspaper, never believe anything at first glance. Always ask yourself “is this information accurate?” “How did they come up with this realization?”. Spend a little time researching the data and other information provided to get a sense of whether or not the conclusion is accurate.

Always consider more than one point of view.  It’s easy to be deceived and forced into an opinion by other people. Avoid that from happening by always considering the other side of the story. You might be surprised to find how logical the counter points are.

Related Reading: 97+ Critical Thinking Questions to Test Employee Decision Making 

Practice active listening.  When someone is sharing their opinion about something, listen to what they have to say to have a clear picture of their perspective and where they’re coming from. Listen without judgment and put yourself in another person’s shoes to help you have an open mind. Don’t rush to judgement.

Spot biased information.  We are surrounded by so much information. From news articles online to social media and newspapers… information is everywhere. To help improve your critical thinking skills, you must be able to spot biased or slanted content. This information may be shared through appealing emotions to the readers. Before believing anything, ask yourself “What is really the point of this information?”

Always ask questions.  Don’t just accept anything other people tell you. Question their claims. Asking questions can help you know more about a certain topic whether it’s about history, geography, or simple things such as sports and hobbies you’re not familiar with. It’s also a great start to a conversation with people who might be experts or more familiar with the topic at hand.

Always do your research.  When you’re not familiar with something, it’s no harm to go and do your own research. Research and note taking exercises helps the brain process and handle more information.

Critical thinking is a vital skill that can help people in so many ways. The way we make decisions in our lives have something to do with the way we decide on things. If you have no critical thinking skills that can help you make the right decision, you are more likely to be mislead.

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We interview successful founders and share the stories behind their food trucks, restaurants, food and beverage brands. By sharing these stories, I want to help others get started.

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10 Logical Quotes That Will Improve Your Critical Thinking

We are humans, which means we are emotional and social beings. We are not born with logic and rational thinking.

We develop it because it’s the only way we can make better decisions.

Decisions that are flawed with emotions are usually bad.

But we don’t understand how bad they are because our critical thinking is weak, and we are too attached to our emotions.

This is a really bad trait. Most successful people make their decisions based on critical thinking and logical thought.

Because the world doesn’t revolve around them, and making emotional-based decisions doesn’t get you anywhere.

That’s why I have collected these quotes.

Critical thinking doesn’t just help you in your work life, but also in your relationships and social life.

These quotes will challenge you to think deeply and logically about the world around you,

encouraging you to question assumptions and analyze situations in a rational and objective manner.

Here are the 10 Logical Quotes that will improve your Critical Thinking:

1. You have to train your mind to be stronger than your emotions or else you’ll lose yourself every time.

The truth is not always sweet; it can be harsh.

When reality is tough, lying may seem like a remedy, but the consequences can be really bad.

If you don’t train your mind to be stronger than your emotions, you are more likely to be manipulated and deceived.

However, if you use your mind in times when others are trying to use you, you will emerge victorious.

2. Don’t fear failure. Fear being in the exact same place next year as you are today.

The fear of failure has stopped many people from embarking on a journey that could have entirely changed their lives.

But here’s the thing: the worst situation you should fear is remaining the same person while others are progressing in their lives.

3. When people can’t control you, they try to control how people view you.

This is what losers and weak people often do.

When they are defeated, they use other means to convince themselves that they are right.

They usually have a victim mindset. Stand your ground against all lies.

4. Be teachable, you’re not always right.

Be an open-minded person. No one is always right.

Learn to change your mind when presented with new information based on proven scientific studies.

We live in an age of information; however, you have to protect yourself against misinformation.

But when the new information is proven to be correct, be teachable.

5. Don’t trust what people say, watch what they do.

Words are cheap, and you shouldn’t trust them.

Don’t buy into someone’s dream just because they are good at talking.

6. Stand up for yourself even if no one else is on your side.

People not standing up for you doesn’t mean you are wrong. Stand up for yourself even if no one else does.

7. Nothing will change until you change.

Change starts with you. If you want to change your life, start by changing your mindset, your habits, your environment, and your perspective.

Your life won’t change until you change yourself.

8. Don’t let people know too much about you. Be selective about what you share and who you share it with.

People don’t attract what they don’t know. Not everyone is your friend or wishes the best for you, so keep your circle small.

9. Sometimes the answer is in their behavior.

People may say different things, but their behaviors reveal their true character.

10. Learn to stay calm when things aren’t working in your favor. That’s how you turn the tide.

I've been in the world of Quotes for more than 3 years. Creative ideas and books enthusiast. Founder of Motivated Version.

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31 genius sci-fi quotes that offer real-world wisdom

• The 2024 book Damn You, Entropy! 1,001 of the Greatest Science Fiction Quotes by Guy P. Harrison curates some of the most insightful and memorable quotes from various sci-fi works.
• Great science fiction often explores deep philosophical and psychological themes, encouraging us to contemplate the kind of future we are collectively building.
• Science fiction often serves as a cautionary tale about the overreliance on technology and the need for critical thinking, while also offering hope for a rational and humane future.

Science fiction transcends mere entertainment. This genre reveals, predicts, warns, educates, and inspires unlike anything else. Many of its best stories are infused with just enough credibility and possibility to spark serious thinking on real issues. A thoughtful survey of great sci-fi quotes from the last few centuries readily demonstrates this and feels like a fantastic voyage through humankind’s greatest ideas, worst fears, and highest hopes. 

My new book, Damn You, Entropy! 1,001 of the Greatest Science Fiction Quotes (Rowman & Littlefield/Prometheus Books), is the book I worked on between other books. Without conscious consent or the original goal of a book, my lifelong love of science fiction and career as a journalist/author conspired to turn me into an obsessive curator of science-fiction gems. I imagine the finished product as a literary Dyson sphere that harnesses intellectual energy from novels, short stories, films, and television series. 

Setting aside the mad-scientist villain trope, science-fiction writers have given tremendous respect and praise for real science and scientific thinking. In only a handful of well-crafted words, many writers have illuminated scientific principles, amplified important knowledge, and promoted positive feelings about science.

• “Was there anything more exciting in life than seeking answers?”   — Isaac Asimov, Prelude to Foundation , 1988 novel
• “The ship of theory could set sail on tides of mathematical grandeur and hope alone, but only data could fill its sails.” — Gregory Benford, Cosm , 1998 novel
• “For all its beauty, honesty, and effectiveness at improving the human condition, science demands a terrible price—that we accept what experiments tell us about the universe, whether we like it or not.”   — David Brin, Existence , 2012 novel
• “Science is an attempt to remove our emotions and ego from reality.”   — Peter Cawdron, Losing Mars , 2018 novel
• “They’re not my truths. They belong to science.”   — David S. Goyer and Josh Friedman, “The Emperor’s Peace,” 2021 episode of Foundation
• “One thing about a science: it works.”  — Chad Oliver, “The Imperfect Machine,” 1955 short story

The genre has never been a blind cheerleader for science, however. Many writers have attempted to show through stories that, wonderful and productive as it is, science is not everything. Art, for example, is a key component of our humanity and some excellent writers have suggested that we may need it as much as science.

• “Science explains the world, but only Art can reconcile us to it.”   — Stanislaw Lem, “King Globares and the Sages,” 1965 short story
• “As civilization advances, so does indifference. It is a disease. Immunize yourself with art. And love.” — Matt Haig, The Humans , 2013 novel
• “There are few better ways to get to know how a species thinks than to learn their art.”   — Becky Chambers, A Closed and Common Orbit , 2016 novel

Many science-fiction characters explore space, travel time, and encounter aliens—while still in the grip of the human condition. This makes the genre particularly well-suited to address deep philosophical and psychological themes.

• “We’re only different from the bacteria because we are able to ask what the hell this is all about. Not answer, just ask.”  — Carolyn Ives, “Umbernight,” 2018 short story
• “What is beauty, or goodness, or art, or love, or God? We are forever teetering on the brink of the unknowable, and trying to understand what can’t be understood.” — Isaac Asimov, The Caves of Steel , 1954 novel
• “Will the mountains remain unmoved, and streams still keep a downward course towards the vast abyss; will the tides rise and fall, and the winds fan universal nature; will beasts pasture, birds fly, and fishes swim, when man, the lord, possessor, perceiver, and recorder of all these things, has passed away, as though he had never been?”   — Mary Shelley, The Last Man , 1826 novel
• “Why are we born needing impossible things? Why is it that we all have things we need to live that simply do not exist in the universe? A purpose in life. Unconditional love? Our emotional needs met? Ha.”   — Elizabeth Bear, Machine , 2020 novel

Many science-fiction stories, old and new, contain relevant warnings about societies sliding into madness and self-destruction after reason had eroded or been sacrificed in the name of comforting delusions and compelling lies. As one who has written many books and articles about the urgent need for improved critical thinking in contemporary society, I appreciate the many science-fiction writers who have called on us to become a more rational species.

• “His mind could be his salvation, as it had been his damnation.” —Richard Matheson, The Shrinking Man , 1956 novel
• “If Earth was ever to be saved, its people would have to be taught to believe in reason.”   —Robert Zubrin, The Holy Land , 2003 novel
• “You’re not even consciously aware of the world until your brain has filtered and censored and hammered it down into a mush of self-serving Darwinian dogma. The cataracts on your eyes are four billion years thick; it’s amazing you can see anything at all.”  — Peter Watts, “Kindred,” 2018 short story
• “Hope clouds observation.”  — Frank Herbert, Dune , 1965 novel
• “It’s always easier not to think for oneself. Find a nice safe hierarchy and settle in.”  — Ursula K. Le Guin, The Dispossessed , 1974 novel
• “Isn’t it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?”  — Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy , 1979 novel
• “It’s a strange thing: We humans pride ourselves on being ruled by reason, yet with human civilization at stake, we chose ideology and ignorance.”  — James Lawrence Powell, The 2084 Report: A Novel of the Great Warming , 2011 novel
• “In this age of enlightenment, the soothsayer and astrologer flourish. As science pushes forward, ignorance and superstition gallop around the flanks and bite science in the rear with big dark teeth.”  — Philip Jose Farmer, Riders of the Purple Wage , 1967 novel
• “We cannot reason ourselves out of our basic irrationality. All we can do is to learn the art of being irrational in a reasonable way .” — Aldous Huxley, Island , 1962 novel

Science is our most effective tool or process for discovering and understanding reality. It also enables us to create technologies with godlike powers. Unfortunately, this comes with the risk of placing too much trust in scientists and too much reliance on technology. The question of who gets to control and benefit most from deadly, invasive, or dehumanizing technology is a common science-fiction theme. 

• “When a population is dependent on a machine, they are hostages of the men who tend the machines.”  — Robert A. Heinlein, “The Roads Must Roll,” 1940 short story
• “Aren’t these the people who taught us how to annihilate ourselves? I tell you, my friends, science is too important to be left to the scientists.” — Carl Sagan, Contact , 1985 novel
• “It has undoubtedly occurred to you, as to all thinking people of your day, that the scientists have done a particularly abominable job of dispensing the tools they have devised. Like careless and indifferent workmen they have tossed the products of their craft to gibbering apes and baboons.”   — Raymond F. Jones, This Island Earth , 1952 novel

On the other hand, prominent astronomer Fred Hoyle wrote a science-fiction novel in the 1950s that contained the suggestion that scientists don’t have enough power. 

• “Has it ever occurred to you, Geoff, that in spite of all the changes wrought by science—by our control over inanimate energy, that is to say—we still preserve the same old social order of precedence? Politicians at the top, then the military, and the real brains at the bottom.”  — Fred Hoyle, The Black Cloud , 1957 novel

Outside of the apocalyptic visions it paints so well, one of science fiction’s greatest powers is the ability to give us hope. Numerous stories have presented optimistic outcomes for humanity. Issac Asimov’s Foundation novels, the H. G. Wells’ film Things to Come , Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek , Andy Weir’s resilient never-surrender individuals in The Martian and Project Hail Mary , Matt Haig’s The Humans , David Brin’s Uplift novels and many more great works tell us that we and our young civilization can not only survive but just might thrive deep into the future. 

• “We can grow up. We can leave the nest. We can fulfill the Destiny, make homes for ourselves among the stars, and become some combination of what we want to become and whatever our new environments challenge us to become.”  — Octavia E. Butler, Parable of the Talents , 1998 novel
• “It is possible to build a rational and humane culture completely free from the threat of supernatural restraints.”  — Arthur C. Clarke, The Songs of Distant Earth , 1986 novel
• “But Earth would never die, for there was a part of Earth in every man and woman who would go forth into space, part of Earth’s courage, part of Earth’s ideals, part of Earth’s dreams.”  — Clifford D. Simak, Empire , 1951 novel
• “It’s possible that man may lose knowledge, life, his planets and sun—but there’s still plenty of hope. We’re not finished yet.”  — John W. Campbell, The Black Star Passes , 1953 novel
• “Now I don’t pretend to tell you how to find happiness and love, when every day is just a struggle to survive. But I do insist that you do survive. Because the days and the years ahead are worth living for.”  — Harlan Ellison, D. C. Fontana, and Gene L. Coon, “The City on the Edge of Forever,” 1967 episode of Star Trek

Guy P. Harrison is an award-winning writer and author of nine books, including Damn You, Entropy!, At Least Know This, Good Thinking, and Think: Why you should question everything.

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Fiske Guide Touts Hollins: “Students Leave with Confidence, Critical Thinking Skills, and Intellectual Depth”

College Guide Rankings

July 12, 2024

Hollins University is among the more than 300 “best and most interesting” four-year schools in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, and Ireland according to the 2025 edition of the Fiske Guide to Colleges .

Created more than 40 years ago by former New York Times education editor Edward B. Fiske, the Fiske Guide to Colleges is updated annually and features lists of strong programs and popular majors at each college; financial aid stats and acceptance rates; academic, social, and quality-of-life ratings; and indexes that break down schools by state, price, and average debt.

In its profile of the university, Fiske quotes a Hollins senior who says, “A student should only attend Hollins if they want to be part of a close-knit community that fosters creative minds and ambitious spirits.”

The guide states that “academics are the priority at Hollins. Students leave with confidence, critical thinking skills, and intellectual depth, thanks to a solid grounding in the liberal arts.” Fiske also notes that “professors are well regarded.”

“We get lots of individual attention and extra help,” one student explains, while an environmental science major describes the opportunity to work with professors outside the classroom and in the field as “invaluable.”

A sophomore adds that at Hollins, “students are opinionated, passionate, and driven” but also supportive of one another.

The website CollegePlannerPro calls Fiske a “highly respected resource for students and their families and counselors as they navigate the college search and application process.”

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150 Quotes About Life That Will Inspire and Motivate You

These encouraging words are guaranteed to brighten your mood.

Maybe you’re looking for motivational quotes to get you through a tough work week, or you want to send friends words of encouragement to let them know you care. Quotes about life are perfect for these situations. Or perhaps you, yourself, will want to bookmark these words of wisdom to read at the start of your day to help set you up for success. If you’re more of an evening person, maybe reading some life quotes before bed will yield more pleasant dreams.

From trailblazing icons like Dolly Parton and Oprah Winfrey to actresses like Sofia Vergara and Drew Barrymore , these amazing sayings offer a fresh look at life. Read on and make sure to share these with friends, family, or even a stranger to brighten their day. And if you’re looking for something specific, check out our loneliness quotes , friendship quotes , and self-love quotes .

Inspirational life quotes

• “You have to believe in yourself when no one else does.” —Serena Williams
• “When you have a dream, you’ve got to grab it and never let go.” —Carol Burnett
• “The most important thing is to enjoy your life—to be happy—it’s all that matters.” —Steve Jobs
• “Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come without leaving happier.” —Mother Teresa
• “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” —Oscar Wilde
• “The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams.” —Oprah Winfrey
• “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” —Franklin D. Roosevelt
• “I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.” —Michael Jordan
• “You’ve got to be in it to win it.” —Tony Robbins
• “It does not matter how slowly you go, as long as you do not stop.” —Confucius
• “Find out who you are and do it on purpose.” —Dolly Parton
• “For me, becoming isn’t about arriving somewhere or achieving a certain aim. I see it instead as forward motion, a means of evolving, a way to reach continuously toward a better self. The journey doesn’t end.” —Michelle Obama
• “Confident people have a way of carrying themselves that makes others attracted to them.” —Sofia Vergara
• “If you can do what you do best and be happy, you are further along in life than most people.” —Leonardo DiCaprio
• “You can be everything. You can be the infinite amount of things that people are.” —Kesha
• “Always go with your passions. Never ask yourself if it’s realistic or not.” —Deepak Chopra
• “When you change your thoughts, remember to also change your world.” —Norman Vincent Peale
• “The more you know who you are, and what you want, the less you let things upset you.” —Stephanie Perkins
• “By being yourself, you put something wonderful in the world that was not there before.” —Edwin Elliot
• “Do one thing every day that scares you.” —Eleanor Roosevelt
• “It is never too late to be what you might have been.” —George Elliot
• “Find out who you are and be that person. That’s what your soul was put on this earth to be. Find the truth, live that truth, and everything else will come.” —Ellen DeGeneres
• “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” —Viktor E. Frankl
• “If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way.” —Napoleon Hill
• “Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later.” —Og Mandino
• “Get busy living or get busy dying.” —Stephen King
• “In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: It goes on.” ―Robert Frost
• “You can’t help what you feel, but you can help how you behave.” ―Margaret Atwood
• “No need to hurry. No need to sparkle. No need to be anybody but oneself.” ―Virginia Woolf
• “Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” —A. A. Milne

Motivational life quotes

• “Failure is a great teacher and, if you are open to it, every mistake has a lesson to offer.” —Oprah Winfrey
• “If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.” —Dolly Parton
• “Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today.”—Will Rogers
• “Keep smiling, because life is a beautiful thing and there’s so much to smile about.” —Marilyn Monroe
• “Be persistent and never give up hope.” —George Lucas
• “When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.” —Paulo Coelho
• “Believe and act as if it were impossible to fail.” —Charles Kettering
• “There are so many great things in life; why dwell on negativity?” —Zendaya
• “Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn’t know you left open.” —John Barrymore
• “Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else.” —Margaret Mead
• “Keep your face towards the sunshine and shadows will fall behind you.” —Walt Whitman
• “A problem is a chance for you to do your best.” —Duke Ellington
• “You don’t always need a plan. Sometimes you just need to breathe, trust, let go and see what happens.” —Mandy Hale
• “Nothing is impossible. The word itself says ‘I’m possible!’” —Audrey Hepburn
• “Life does not have to be perfect to be wonderful.” —Annette Funicello
• “It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.” —Aristotle
• “The best way out is through.” —Robert Frost
• “Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.” —John D. Rockefeller
• “Whether you think you can or you can’t, you’re right.” —Henry Ford
• “Don’t take yourself too seriously. Know when to laugh at yourself, and find a way to laugh at obstacles that inevitably present themselves.” —Halle Bailey
• “Love the life you live. Live the life you love.” —Bob Marley
• “The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson
• “I’m not going to continue knocking that old door that doesn’t open for me. I’m going to create my own door and walk through that.” —Ava DuVernay
• “If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” —Wayne Dyer
• “I believe that if you’ll just stand up and go, life will open up for you. Something just motivates you to keep moving.” —Tina Turner
• “Once you face your fear, nothing is ever as hard as you think.” —Olivia Newton-John
• “Next time, ask ‘What’s the worst that will happen?’ Then push yourself a little further than you dare.” —Audre Lorde
• “Dreams do not come true just because you dream them. It’s hard work that makes things happen. It’s hard work that creates change.” —Shonda Rhimes
• “Let us make our future now, and let us make our dreams tomorrow’s reality.” —Malala Yousafzai

Life quotes about the future

• “You will face many defeats in life, but never let yourself be defeated.” —Maya Angelou
• “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” —Eleanor Roosevelt
• “Take the time to enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” —Robert Brault
• “The future is not something we enter. The future is something we create.” —Leonard I. Sweet
• “Life has got those twists and turns. You’ve got to hold on tight and off you go.” —Nicole Kidman
• “The future belongs to those who prepare for it today.” —Malcolm X
• “Don’t wait around for other people to be happy for you. Any happiness you get you’ve got to make yourself.” —Alice Walker
• “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” —Wayne Gretzky
• “Life is a long lesson in humility.” —James M. Barrie
• “You define your own life. Don’t let other people write your script.” —Oprah Winfrey
• “We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us.” —Joseph Campbell
• “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” —Winston Churchill
• “Mistakes are a fact of life. It is the response to the error that counts.” —Nikki Giovanni
• “When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.” —Lao Tzu
• “Ignore your mistakes. The number one thing to worry about is: Am I doing what I’m good at?” —Max Levchin
• “If you are not willing to risk the usual, you will have to settle for the ordinary.” —Jim Rohn
• “Life has no limitations, except the ones you make.” —Les Brown
• “In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s life in your years.” —Abraham Lincoln
• “You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” —Maya Angelou
• “Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson
• “Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.” —Gloria Steinem
• “We become what we think about most of the time.” —Earl Nightingale
• “Life is very interesting…in the end, some of your greatest pains become your greatest strengths.” —Drew Barrymore
• “Life is a daring adventure or it is nothing at all.” —Helen Keller
• “I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.” —F. Scott Fitzgerald
• “Life is made of ever so many partings welded together.” —Charles Dickens
• “My interest is in the future because I am going to spend the rest of my life there.” —Charles Kettering
• “Life is what happens to you when you are busy making other plans.” —John Lennon
• “Yesterday is but today’s memory and tomorrow is today’s dream.” —Khalil Gibran
• “It’s amazing how a little tomorrow can make up for a whole lot of yesterday.” —John Guare

Life quotes about success

• “Success is falling nine times and getting up 10.” —Jon Bon Jovi
• “Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failures are two of the surest stepping stones to success.” —Dale Carnegie
• “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” —Arthur Ashe
• “Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.” —Alexander Graham Bell
• “Ambition is the path to success. Persistence is the vehicle you arrive in.” —Bill Bradley
• “If you don’t have any shadows you’re not in the light.” —Lady Gaga
• “There are no regrets in life. Just lessons.” —Jennifer Aniston
• “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” —Henry Ford
• “If you have knowledge, let others light their candles in it.” —Margaret Fuller
• “A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.” —Albert Einstein
• “How dare you settle for less when the world made it so easy for you to be remarkable?” —Seth Godin
• “Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.” —Joshua J. Marine
• “We cannot solve problems with the kind of thinking we employed when we came up with them.” —Albert Einstein
• “It’s always better to shock people and change people’s expectations than to give them exactly what they think you can do.” —Jonah Hill
• “And when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it.” —Paulo Coelho
• “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.” —Robert Louis Stevenson
• “It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.” —Herman Melville
• “Don’t worry about failure, you only have to be right once.” —Drew Houston
• “Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards.” —Vernon Sanders Law
• “Dream big and dare to fail.” —Norman Vaughan
• “Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm.” —Abraham Lincoln
• “I’m not going to continue knocking on that old door that doesn’t open for me. I’m going to create my own door and walk through that.” —W.P. Kinsella
• “For the great doesn’t happen through impulse alone, and is a succession of little things that are brought together.” —Vincent Van Gogh
• “It’s a good place when all you have is hope and not expectations.” —Danny Boyle
• “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” —Thomas A. Edison
• “Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.” —Babe Ruth
• “If you live long enough, you’ll make mistakes. But if you learn from them, you’ll be a better person.” —Bill Clinton
• “To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone, and a funnybone.” —Reba McEntire
• “You have succeeded in life when all you really want is only what you really need.” —Vernon Howard

Quotes about the meaning of life

• “Living might mean taking chances, but they’re worth taking.” —Lee Ann Womack
• “The simple things are also the most extraordinary things, and only the wise can see them.” —Paulo Coelho
• “Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson
• “There is no perfection, only life.” —Milan Kundera
• “I go to seek a Great Perhaps.” —François Rabelais
• “My wish for you is that you continue. Continue to be who you are, to astonish a mean world with your acts of kindness.” —Maya Angelou
• “The art of life is to know how to enjoy a little and to endure very much.” —William Hazlitt
• “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” —Mae West
• “There is no passion to be found playing small—in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” —Nelson Mandela
• “The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.” —Eleanor Roosevelt
• “The great courageous act that we must all do is to have the courage to step out of our history and past so that we can live our dreams.” —Oprah Winfrey
• “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” —George Bernard Shaw
• “If you love life, don’t waste time, for time is what life is made up of.” —Bruce Lee
• “We are here to add what we can to life, not to get what we can from life.” —William Osler
• “Be where you are; otherwise you will miss your life.” — Buddha
• “The purpose of life is a life of purpose.” —Robert Byrne
• “We pass through this world but once.” —Stephen Jay Gould
• “Life isn’t a matter of milestones, but of moments.” —Rose Kennedy
• “One of the deep secrets of life is that all that is really worth the doing is what we do for others.” —Lewis Carroll
• “Life is tough my darling, but so are you.” —Stephanie Bennett Henry
• “There’s love enough in this world for everybody, if people will just look.” —Kurt Vonnegut
• “Whatever we are, whatever we make of ourselves, is all we will ever have—and that, in its profound simplicity, is the meaning of life.” ―Philip Appleman
• “In the long run, the sharpest weapon of all is a kind and gentle spirit.” —Anne Frank
• “Living an experience, a particular fate, is accepting it fully.” —Albert Camus
• “So, what if, instead of thinking about solving your whole life, you just think about adding additional good things. One at a time. Just let your pile of good things grow.” —Rainbow Rowell
• “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain.” —Vivian Greene
• “The new dawn blooms as we free it. For there is always light if only we’re brave enough to see it, if only we’re brave enough to be it.” —Amanda Gorman
• “There is not one big cosmic meaning for all; there is only the meaning we each give to our life, an individual meaning, an individual plot, like an individual novel, a book for each person.” —Anais Nin
• “The mystery of life isn’t a problem to solve, but a reality to experience.” —Frank Herbert
• “To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.” —Oscar Wilde

Elissa Johnson is an editorial associate intern at Prevention . She is a communication student at Penn State University. When not writing about health and wellness trends for Prevention.com, you can find her searching for the best bubble tea, exploring NYC, or listening to SZA.

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Professors say they teach critical thinking. But is that what students are learning?

Suzanne Cooper. " Do we teach critical thinking? A mixed methods study of faculty and student perceptions of teaching and learning critical thinking at three professional schools . February 21, 2024

Faculty Authors

Suzanne Cooper

What’s the issue.

The ability to think critically is an essential skill for professionals, including doctors, government officials, and educators. But are instructors at professional schools teaching it, or do they just think they are? Approaches to teaching and assessing critical thinking skills vary substantially across academic disciplines and are not standardized. And little data exists on how much students are learning—or even whether they know their instructors are trying to teach them critical thinking. 

What does the research say? 

The researchers, including Suzanne Cooper, the Edith M. Stokey Senior Lecturer in Public Policy at HKS, compared instructors’ approaches to teaching critical thinking with students’ perceptions of what they were being taught. They surveyed instructors and conducted focus groups with students at three professional schools (Harvard Medical School, Harvard Kennedy School, and the Harvard Graduate School of Education). 

The researchers found that more than half (54%) of faculty surveyed said they explicitly taught critical thinking in their courses (27% said they did not and 19% were unsure). When the researchers talked to students, however, the consensus was that critical thinking was primarily being taught implicitly. One student said discussions, debates, and case study analyses were viewed as opportunities “for critical thinking to emerge” but that methods and techniques were not a specific focus. The students were also generally unable to recall or define key terms, such as “metacognition” (an understanding of one’s own thought process) and “cognitive biases” (systematic deviations from norms or rationality in which individuals create their own subjective reality). 

Based on their findings, the researchers recommend that faculty should be required to teach critical thinking explicitly and be given specific approaches and definitions that are appropriate to their academic discipline. They also recommend that professional schools consider teaching core critical thinking skills, as well as skills specific to their area of study.   

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