Critical thinkers are:
- curious about the world.
- creative questioners.
- frequently asking "why?" and seeking reasons to defend a position.
- interested only in credible sources of information.
- able to take into account the total situation or context when interpreting something.
- relevant thinkers who stick to the main point.
- always looking for alternative explanations, positions, or arguments.
- open-minded and who seriously consider points of view other than their own.
- willing to change a position when the evidence is sufficient to make them do so.
- able to withhold judgement when the evidence is insufficient.
- eager to seek precision.
- able to realize the limits of knowing; hence they look for probability rather than proof.
- able to realize the role of personal bias in the process of knowing something.
- able to deal in an orderly manner with the parts of a complex whole and anticipate the next step in a process.
- sensitive to the feelings, levels of knowledge, and degree of sophistication of others when presenting their findings.
- able to apply critical thinking abilities to a wide variety of subjects.