How to make the best decisions ever

Critical thinking

Author

Chandan Karkera
June 3rd, 2023 • Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes

“Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny.”

― Lao Tzu

After reading this article, you’ll learn:

  1. What is critical thinking?

  2. How you can use it to make the best decisions ever

The way we think - this is our greatest asset. . Everything is affected by the decisions we take. But not all decisions are important. e.g.:

  • What clothes should I wear today?

  • What should I make for breakfast tomorrow?

But there are big decisions which require us to think well. E.g.

  • Should I choose university A or B?

  • Should I buy a house now or after 5 years?

These require a logical way of thinking. Critical thinking is a good tool for this. Also, in today’s world of information overload, it is an important tool to separate signal from noise.

Critical thinking is a step- by - step way of thinking to make good decisions. This is the opposite of how we think daily. So, use it for the important stuff only.

To get started, here are the steps:

  1. Define the problem.

  • A well - defined problem will help a lot. If you’re not clear, don’t proceed.

  • Be specific e.g. should I buy X or Y? Should I do Z or not? Do I really need Phone ABC or not?

  1. Gather (high - quality) information.

  • Quality of your decision = quality of your information.

  • Listen to the experts - people actually working in the field, academics, research papers.

  • Can you experiment yourself e.g. trial - use the product. borrow from a friend?

  1. Evaluate information.

  • Most important step.

  • Ask a lot of questions.

  • Study the information.

  • Does anything look fishy?

  • Detach from your emotions.

  • Separate claims from facts. Look at numbers.

  1. Consider other perspectives.

  • Are you overlooking something?

  • Very important - why do some people disagree with your viewpoint?

  1. Arrive at a conclusion.

  • After going through a thorough evaluation of all facts, you will be confident about your decision.

I can tell you about one time I used critical thinking.

I love photography and after using a Canon system for 13 years, I was thinking of trying Sony. This is because I had heard about their good “eye auto focus”.

After the critical thinking exercise, I decided to drop Sony & go with Canon 🙂 

Let me know if this helps. And if so, share the article with your friends and family.

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