In studying thinking in general, it is beneficial to know how the mind works. Discussing the functions of the main tool in analytical and critical thinking would be key to understanding, right? Being self-aware and intelligent, you probably know that there are two modes of thinking going on in your mind.
Most of the things you routinely do without really paying any attention to them, happen automatically. It is like you put yourself on autopilot and let things get done. It is an automatic and intuitive process that allows everyone to function normally. It is how people drive a car on the highway, do simple arithmetic like 2+2, and most routine things throughout the day. It is crucial to survival. When you hear a sudden sound that could signal danger, it is how you can orient to where it is coming from and evaluate the potential threat. For example, that honking horn snapping your attention into focus before you caused a car accident.
Then other times, your mind will engage in concentrated and attentive thinking to handle complex tasks. Those take more time and energy. Consider the math problem 19x26. Intuitively you can immediately see that it is a multiplication problem, but the answer is not readily apparent. You can almost as easily tell that 123 or 12,609 are not correct. However, can you tell if 574 is correct? Working out the actual math takes time and mental energy. You might even find your heart rate increases or temperature rises with the effort of solving without writing it out.
Other examples include backing your car into a narrow space, looking for a woman with white hair in a crowd, and checking the validity of a complex logical argument. How long can you continually work on these sorts of problems without becoming fatigued?
Both modes of thinking will continually interact while you are awake. Picture your intuitive thoughts cruising along for Sunday drive, automatically and handling situations routinely. Then as your mind encounters a difficulty like road construction and a detour causing heavy traffic, it switches to a more attentive mode of thinking. To navigate through this traffic, our mind engages in detailed and specific processing to resolve the challenges presented. However, the automatic generation of intuitions, feelings, impressions, and intentions will continue to influence the concentrated thinking to develop beliefs or initiate actions. Our minds desire to get back to the pleasure of cruising around again on that sunny Sunday afternoon, almost offering those shortcuts to resolve the complex problem.
To engage in Critical Thinking, it helps to understand how our mind functions and to recognize the two different modes. Many people reject the idea of structured analytical thinking. The effort of concentrated thinking is at odds with the intuitive thought processes and their subconscious mind wants to reject the alternative ideas. The mind enjoys cruising along for a pleasant drive. The idea of dismissing the use of objective analysis and techniques is not actually rooted in ignorance, but rather an unreasoned response without logic.
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