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 “Accuracy is unquestionably essential to critical thinking. In order to get at or closer to the truth, critical thinkers seek accurate and adequate information. They want the facts, because they need the right information before they can move forward and analyze it.”

Napoleon Hill refers to our minds as a piece of land that can be used to grow beautiful gardens or can be left alone to be overrun with weeds. 

If we want a beautiful garden, we must tend the soil, feed it nutrients, plant seeds that will grow into beautiful flowers and fruits. This takes work based on planning, skills, and tools. 

Using critical thinking skills takes work. Part of that work involves seeking accurate information by asking questions, comparing answers to determine relevancy to the question, and thorough analysis of the final answers to determine if they are, indeed, the factual and final answers.

What exactly is accurate thinking? How do we know we’ve received accurate information?

Accurate thinking is based on two types of reasoning:

1. Induction. This is the act of reasoning from the specific to the general, from the individual to the universal. It is based on experience and experimentation and you are able to draw conclusions.
2. Deduction. In this act of reasoning, specific conclusions are based on general logical assumptions.

To be an accurate thinker, you must take two important steps:

• Separate facts from opinions, fiction, unproved hypotheses, and hearsay.
• Separate facts into two categories: important and unimportant.

One area to apply this process is other people’s opinions. 

Opinions are everywhere and almost everyone is willing to share whether they’re asked for it or not. And more often than not, these opinions are worthless. 

They can also be dangerous and destructive, especially when they are shared with great enthusiasm and presented as factual. 

The accurate thinker, the critical thinker, will ask for facts to support the opinion expressed. Will want to know what that person is basing the opinion on and if there are no facts, written or otherwise, ask them to show examples of experience to support that opinions. The critical thinker won’t offer an opinion except when it can be shown to be based on facts. 

What you can do is to stop reacting to what other people are saying and begin questioning whether the information they share is accurate. 

The same is true of newspaper stories and reports and especially of gossip and rumor. Without asking for facts, you are relying on unproven information to influence how you make decisions in your life and business. 

Question ideas and assumptions other people put forth. You want to determine whether the idea, argument or finding that is stated represents the entire picture or if there is more that needs to be known. 

Try this exercise to help you to start thinking critically in response to someone’s statement or opinion.

Think of something that someone has recently told you. Then ask yourself the following questions (from SkillsYouNeed.com):

Who said it? Was it someone you know? Someone in a position of authority or power? Does it matter who told you this?

What did they say? Did they give facts or opinions? Did they provide all the facts? Did they leave anything out?

Where did they say it? Was it in public or in private? Did other people have a chance to respond an provide an alternative account?

When did they say it? Was it before, during, or after an important event? Is timing important?

Why did they say it? Did they explain the reasoning behind their opinion? Were they trying to make someone look good or bad?

How did they say it? Were they happy or sad, angry, or indifferent? Did they write it or say it? Could you understand what was said?

Action Steps

1. Write out the questions listed and recall an instance when someone shared an opinion with you. Review that instance with these questions. Can you answer them? If not, it’s time to review those questions and commit to asking them the next time someone shares an opinion.

2.  Make the decision, now, to ask at least two questions the next time someone shares an opinion or you learn of a news story.