Critical Thinking: Strategies in Decision Making Critical thinking is a process of applying various skills to analyze information. Critical thinking uses rationality to distinguish between emotion and fact. This article will discuss the definition of critical thinking and the skills needed to think critically. It will also provide an example of critical thinking applied to my current work environment. Finally this article will discuss the importance and benefits of critical thinking in decision making. According to the Foundation for Critical Thinking (2007), "Critical thinking is, in short, self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored, and self-correcting thinking. It presupposes adherence to rigorous standards of excellence and a conscious mastery of their usage. It involves effective communication and problem-solving skills and a commitment to overcoming our native egocentrism (Foundation for Critical Thinking, 2007). Critical thinking is about gathering all the necessary information and using rational judgment to filter personal opinions and true facts. Rationality allows you to base information on evidence and find the best possible explanation. When thinking critically, it is important to weigh the pros and cons of the situation. Following this process will allow an individual to overcome biased personal opinions and. seeing the situation from all perspectives. This all ties into judgment. Critical thinking is best implemented when judgment is used so that new ideas and explanations can be considered. Critical thinking is about asking questions and exploring new ideas. Critical thinking allows individuals to facilitate a variety of non-personal analyzes or...... middle of paper ......2001). Ken Langdon (2001) states that “Decision makers will never leave the point of the decision without thinking about the steps needed to implement it successfully (Langdon, 2001).” It is critical that people who think critically to make decisions do so using the critical thinking skills they have adopted. No decision made is good if it is not made rationally. References Langdon, K. (2001). Smart things to know about decision making. Retrieved December 9, 2007, from eResourse.Rudd, R. (2007). Define critical thinking. Techniques: Linking Education and Career, 82(7) 46-49. Retrieved December 9, 2007, from the EBSCOhost database. The critical thinking community. (2007). Foundations for critical thinking. Retrieved December 7, 2007, from http://www.criticalthinking.org/aboutCT/define_critical_thinking.cfm