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As per the World Bank’s 2019 Report “The Changing Nature of Work,” most current jobs and many more soon will require specific technological know-how, problem-solving, critical thinking, and soft skills such as perseverance, collaboration, open-mindedness and empathy. The days of working for one employer for decades are ending.

Another report from the same year states that only 10 out of 100 software engineers in India have the essential skills and can effectively write codes. This is one of the biggest reasons for the IT sector’s huge demand and supply gap.

Does it mean that engineering colleges aren’t doing their jobs well? Is it because of how society works? Is critical thinking and reasoning only applicable in professional life? Is this crisis limited to India? How can we improve? We will discuss all this and more. However, let us first understand critical thinking and why this skill is essential.

What is Critical Thinking?

Thinking critically means the ability to reason, analyze, think logically and make a well-thought-out decision. It is one of the prerequisite skills to solve any problem, which means it is not just something you need to excel professionally. It is a crucial life skill that allows you to be objective and make decisions rationally, not because of your beliefs or emotions.

Have you ever thought about why fake news is so prevalent? It is becoming a global social evil in today’s digital era. No wonder people love to share fake news in India and even in developed nations like the USA. It’s easy to conclude that it is not about literacy or media literacy. It is more about self-regulation, taking a pause to cross-check the facts. 

What’s wrong, and why is this intellectual crisis when we live in this advanced age? 

Why Do We Lack Critical Thinking Skills?

Experts say that excessive dependency on technology is one of the reasons for the decline of critical thinking and reasoning skills among the US population. They also mention the flawed education system as the major cause. Comparing India with the USA may not be the best thing. However, we know that our education system relies heavily on memorizing instead of conceptualizing and thinking. Our education system rewards students who get full marks by memorizing and writing verbatim whatever they were taught in class. In contrast, if students question the teacher, they are termed a rebel or nuisance. We forget that memorizing is just a technique for learning; it is not the entire process.

The biggest reason, however, is how our society is set up. Thinking critically involves questioning everything before accepting it. Yet, we are taught to obey and follow orders, even if they don’t make sense. We teach our kids not to raise their voices in front of elders and never question their decisions. It is ironic how the parents don’t allow their children to make their choices and blame them for not being decisive and responsible once they grow up.

How Can We Become Better at Thinking Critically?

If you ask psychologists and experts, they would say that you should become aware of your mental processes and cognitive biases. This approach might work for an adult who wants to make self-improvement however if we’re going to become better as a society and nation. We need to make a long-term investment which means inculcating scientific intellect in kids.

Questioning Assumptions and the Authority

Asking questions is the core of reasoning. Be it questioning your self-beliefs and assumptions or the orders from authority. We need to start at home. Encourage kids to ask questions and tell them they shouldn’t believe everything they are told. Instead of shutting their questions down, reward them when they come up with questions, especially when they question what you are asking them to do. If you cannot convince them, perhaps it’s time to do a self-check and accept that you are at fault. It may require some unlearning on your end.

Education System Revamp

Undoubtedly, things have improved, and we are making good progress by fine-tuning our education system and processes. We need to keep moving towards a system where conceptualization and practicals have more weightage than just learning the theory. 

Let Them Read

Reading improves language skills, comprehension, imagination and critical thinking. The good news is that Indian kids are doing the right thing, and As per a 2020 Survey, around 92 percent of kids read at least once a week for fun. The stats highlight that people have become aware and focused on proper parenting. They want their kids to spend more time away from screens. Reading will make them curious and learn more, making them lifelong learners.

Wrapping up!

We all have faced the situation while leading a session or being part of any training session, and no one’s asking any questions. It happens all across, in schools, colleges, and even in offices. Remember the info share where you completed the session and couldn’t tell if people understood because of lack of participation. No one is at fault. It’s the society and culture of being passive instead of participative.

We are excellent at taking orders, which works in a few setups. However, we must start reasoning, thinking critically, and becoming better problem solvers if we want real growth. Hopefully, you don’t agree with everything written in this article and come up with counter-questions.