7 signs a person is lacking in critical thinking ability, according to psychology
We live in a paradoxical time, don’t we?
Thanks to technology, we’ve got so much information at our fingertips, and yet… research shows that due to technology as well, our ability to think critically has declined.
And that’s dangerous, because without critical thinking, we’re more likely to be swayed by misinformation, manipulated by false narratives, and unable to distinguish fact from opinion.
In today’s fast-paced world, where information is constantly flying at us from all directions, developing the ability to think critically has never been more important.
As Aristotle wisely said, “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.”
So today, let’s pause and consider what a lack of critical thinking skills looks like in reality.
Here are 7 signs that someone might be struggling with critical thinking, according to psychology.
1) Their logic is faulty or inconsistent
One of the clearest signs that someone lacks critical thinking skills is when their logic doesn’t hold up.
You might notice that their arguments are full of contradictions, or they’ll make sweeping statements that don’t quite make sense.
For instance, on a recent trip to NYC, a friend of mine made this hasty generalization about how New Yorkers are rude and unfriendly.
But I didn’t see it that way; in fact, almost every stranger I talked to there was kind enough to help me out with directions or recommendations.
So what she said didn’t make sense to me.
Faulty logic can take on many forms, such as:
…and many more.
But what it all shows is that the person doesn’t have the skills needed to think in a clear, reasoned way.
2) They blindly follow what other people say
Another sign – and this is a really obvious one – is when they don’t bother questioning what they hear.
They’re the type who’ll take politicians at their word.
Or if they see enough people spouting the same thing, they’ll jump on that bandwagon with not a single second thought.
If they’re told to invest in a “can’t-miss” business opportunity or that a certain diet will guarantee weight loss, they’re quick to try it without doing any research of their own.
Psychologist Rob Henderson has a great explanation for this, “There is a heuristic most of us use to determine what to do, think, say, and buy: the principle of social proof. To learn what is correct, we look at what other people are doing.”
Unfortunately, sometimes, this conformist tendency can get in the way of critical thinking.
And it can get so strong that we lose the curiosity to pause and ask questions.
This can lead to misguided decisions and beliefs that are shaped more by the influence of others than by any genuine, independent thought.
3) They are very rigid in their way of thinking
I had a coworker who’s a great example of this.
He was a huge fan of a certain candidate running for president, and he would proudly proclaim this to anyone within earshot.
The problem was, this candidate had a whole lot of pending cases in court, some of which raised serious ethical concerns.
But whenever someone would bring up these issues, my coworker would dismiss them outright, insisting it was all just a smear campaign.
He refused to even entertain the idea that he could be wrong.
This is a classic case of rigid thinking – sticking to a belief so firmly that no amount of evidence or reasoning can shake it.
And it’s a sign of a lack of critical thinking.
In fact, you could be super smart, but if you’re not flexible, then there’s still a lack of critical thinking there.
As psychologist Carol Wade points out, “People can be extremely intelligent, have taken a critical thinking course, and know logic inside and out. Yet they may just become clever debaters, not critical thinkers, because they are unwilling to look at their own biases.”
4) They jump to conclusions and make assumptions
You know what they say about assumptions – it makes an ass of you and me.
And what’s more, it shows we’re not exactly great at thinking.
That’s not a flattering look at all.
Very Well Mind describes this habit of jumping to conclusions and making assumptions as a cognitive distortion.
And obviously, any kind of distortion would be faulty.
Don’t get me wrong – even critical thinkers do jump to conclusions or make assumptions unintentionally; that’s just human nature.
The difference is, they’re very much aware of this tendency, and so they guard their thoughts and examine their biases so they can avoid doing it.
In contrast, a person with low critical thinking ability wouldn’t even recognize when they’ve done it.
They might cling to these conclusions as facts, then form decisions or beliefs based on this distortion.
5) They let their emotions cloud their judgment
Do you know someone who gets overly defensive when given feedback?
Or someone who insists on staying with a person despite all the red flags popping up?
Folks like that have trouble thinking critically because they’re letting their emotions control them.
Christopher Dwyer, author of “Critical Thinking: Conceptual Perspectives and Practical Guidelines”, says that there’s a clear link between critical thinking and emotional intelligence.
According to him, emotion acts as a barrier to critical thought.
It clouds our judgment and we end up making all sorts of conclusions based on how we feel.
That’s why, if you see someone who seems to operate from a place of emotion all the time, chances are, they lack critical thinking ability.
Of course, we can’t leave emotion out completely – we aren’t robots.
But we do need to be aware of its impact and ability to influence the way we think.
6) They can’t grasp both sides of an argument
I’ve always believed that being able to understand both sides of an argument is a sign of superior critical thinking skills.
Why? Because it shows open-mindedness and flexibility.
But someone who lacks critical thinking skills often can’t or won’t do this.
They’ll dig their heels in and only see their side as the “right” one.
This one-dimensional way of thinking also explains why…
7) They simplify complex issues into black-or-white thinking
Just the other day, I came across a Facebook post about systemic racism.
In the comment section, one guy said, “That’s just an excuse for slacking off. If they just worked harder, they wouldn’t have all these problems.”
That right there is an example of black-or-white thinking.
This person reduced a multi-layered issue into a singular, personal one, completely ignoring all the nuances within.
And that’s a sign that they don’t have what it takes to:
- Consider all the variables in a situation
- Acknowledge perspectives different from their own
- Engage in nuanced, thoughtful discussions
- Recognize the gray areas in reality
- Adapt their thinking when presented with new information
Real life isn’t always ordered in clear boxes of right and wrong.
What’s more, there’s the fact that we don’t know everything in life!
If you want to be a critical thinker, you have to have intellectual humility, first of all.
To know that you don’t know all the answers and that an issue could go so much deeper than what you can see on the surface.
In the end, developing strong critical thinking skills is all about being open-minded and recognizing when our logic might be flawed.
As English artist and writer Max Beerbohm once cleverly said, “The one real goal of education is to leave a person asking questions.”