Criticism and Critical Thinking

Being critical isn't a bad thing, and it isn't even necessarily negative. The concept is to judge deeply, to analyze, to find any flaws and examine them, and to really think about it. There's a strong element of logic to the exercise, of applying principled thought and detailed analysis to determine the worth of something. So, being critical of say a slice of cheese is to determine if it is a good representation of that brand, but it also entails noticing if it is spoiled or not.

Critical thinking is training your mind to be critical, to analyze, and to examine any evidence with a mind searching for truth. It doesn't come naturally to many people, and added training is always useful. This is particularly useful in scientific pursuits, but logical analysis will help you in nearly any area of life. It's good to be logical about things. That's one reason why debate is good, or games like chess, and, yes, even critics.

I believe one reason people are afraid of these concepts is because it's difficult to hear it addressed to yourself, like someone saying your cooking is bad. Especially if it's true. Yes, good manners comes into play as there's no reason to be offensive. Still, why should the truth be ignored? We should learn to accept constructive criticism as well as constructive praise. Both are necessary parts of logic.

- M