Critical Thinking Skills

Most people think critical thinking means “being smart.”

But it has nothing to do with your IQ.

Credits to Christian Rebernik, make sure to follow!

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It’s about using specific tools in your mind.

Tools that help you:
🧠 Handle the unknown
🧠 Spot hidden assumptions
🧠 Make better choices

These 5 skills form the foundation:

1. Analysis
↳ Breaking information into parts to see how it works.
✅ Spot the mechanics behind success
✅ Identify what truly drives results
✅ Separate noise from signal

2. Evaluation
↳ Judging whether sources are trustworthy.
✅ Protect yourself from misinformation
✅ Filter out bad advice quickly
✅ Recognize credible insights

3. Inference
↳ Drawing conclusions from the evidence you have.
✅ Anticipate likely outcomes
✅ Turn incomplete data into action
✅ Make connections others miss

4. Self-Regulation
↳ Checking your own thinking for mistakes and bias.
✅ Course-correct before it’s too late
✅ Stay humble and accurate
✅ Avoid costly blind spots

5. Explanation
↳ Clearly laying out your reasoning so others understand.
✅ Build trust through transparency
✅ Lead with logic, not authority
✅ Win buy-in for your ideas

Want to build these skills?

Try this:

Take your next big decision.
Write down what you assume is true.
Then actively look for evidence that proves you wrong.

This rewires how you think.

Most people defend their first idea.
Strong thinkers test it.

Every bad decision has warning signs.
This practice helps you see them.