Analytical And Critical Thinking

Maybe for those of you who like to read various types of books, you have read books and found some of the contents roughly like the following snippet:

Man in body, physical body and original instincts are not very different from those of animals. Let’s say that their organs, behavior and passions are not very different from animals. But in the course of evolution, man can survive not because of the ability of his organs alone, but more importantly because of his intellect and mental ability. So evolution does not make humans clawed or have teeth as sharp as predatory teeth, nor horned or horned. Hence, it is also known the term that man is a thinking animal.

With his mind, man creates technology, art and civilization, from instinct as a social being, and with his mind, man can make rules that govern himself and social interactions with fellow humans so that they do not harm each other and protect their rights, and sanction their violators, then create laws / societal norms that represent the interests of all members of the community, which in ancient times the practice was still mixed or based on on a culture of animist belief, worship of the forces of nature or any other abstract existence.

The Thought is “WILD”

Actually, when we think, then our mind can move anywhere according to boundaries or even without restrictions. Therefore, from the results of these thoughts, humans can create works of fiction or can create works of art, create abstract forms, can depict imaginary creatures such as winged angels, horned demons, can describe peerless beauty or terrible horror, fantasize about heaven and hell and much more.

The “wild” process of the mind (please do not interpret “wild” in the narrow sense), because the mind can move anywhere, the ability to imagine makes man capable of creating reality, reaching from the initially impossible to real. From man only as a thinking beast to man as the leader of civilization on earth, even able to trace the origins of the universe he occupies. The wildness of the mind will find the right direction with the right mindset.

What is a Mindset?

Mindset is a noun that means:

1. A sedentary mental attitude or disposition that becomes the beginning of the determination of a person’s response and interpretation to a situation.
2. A tendency or habit (in response) of a situation.
3. Way of thinking; opinion or attitude, especially those who get used to it.
4. Habits or characteristics of mental attitudes that determine how you interpret and respond to a situation or idea.

A mindset is a general assumption or mental attitude that has a great influence on the process and behavior of thinking. It can be seen as a thinking character who has a tendency towards something. Furthermore, if the mindset can give birth to opinions and conclusions that ultimately influence the action.

You may find examples of the mindset of children in war zones such as Afghanistan or other conflict areas in the Middle East. Say, for example, Palestine, those who have lost their parents to the victims of war, territorial disputes with Israel for example, then it is not waiting to grow up, they already think that they have to fight, bear arms, attack enemies and get into conflict, which sometimes they may not even understand their origins.

A person’s mindset tends to settle even though it can actually change. It can depend on mood, it can depend on the pressure of the situation or other supporting factors, for example, socioeconomic.

Basically, a person can try to change his mindset as a form of effort to improve his behavior and personality. For example, a person who is elected as the leader of a democratic process must change from the boundaries of his group mindset or group ego to a leader mindset that is also not only for his group but also for other more diverse groups.

The Example of Mindsets

Different types of examples of mindsets that are common and tend to be character:

1. A fixed mindset: the belief that talents and abilities are innate and a gift from God, so that when meeting failure means retreating.

2. Growth mindset: the belief that talent is acquired by effort and resilience so that failure is part of learning.

3. Scarcity mindset: the view that there are fixed resources, so you don’t get something if you don’t take something from someone else. Looking at the problem has only a single solution, and it is often gloomy.

4. Mentality of abundance: the view that there are abundant sources, having the belief that all problems can be solved, value can be created without taking from others.

5. Productive mindset: the belief that work is productive, and that productivity will be valuable.

6. Political mindset: the belief that work is about winning political battles and about raising political capital.

7. A win-win mindset: A win-win mindset that has the view that we can all move forward together, with a win-win approach.

8. Winning lose mindset: the winning lose mindset is the feeling that life is about how to be victorious at the expense of others.

9. Negativity: focusing on the negative, exaggerating risks and underestimating opportunities.

10. Positivity: focuses on the positives and potential in each situation.

11. Altruism: thinking about how you give is not what you get.

12. Victim Mentality: view yourself as if you were a victim, where you feel bitterness over minor misfortunes, insults or anything that does not match your expectations. It should not be confused with victims, such as victims of natural disasters.

13. Stoic mentality: the belief that adversity or luck is irrelevant to happiness, since only your benevolent response to each situation determines your life.

14. Freedom mindset: respect your freedom and respect the freedom of others.

15. The mindset of power: the view that the world should be strictly within the rules, and a severe dislike of freedom. Dealing with authoritarian power/leaders.

16. Taking risks: a person who is willing to take calculated risks in search of opportunities in every situation.

17. Avoiding risk: an individual who perceives that all risks are foolish, accepts only mediocrity, and considers risk-taking to be prevented.

18. Vulnerable: The view that anything that doesn’t kill you makes you weak. For example, the view that the event of misfortune must have traumatized many years

19. Anti-fragile: The view that anything that doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. For example, the view that adversity and failure are the basis for learning and development.

And there are many more examples of mindsets both positive and opposite, negative. To be able to try to change the mindset as self-improvement, then we must also understand how to think.

What is the thinking process?

Thinking is a process that uses reason to consider something, or to solve a problem. The process involves considering various aspects of the situation or idea that occurs, and finally, an opinion is formed and then a conclusion.

Like the above opinion that the human mind is “wild”, then we must have the right mindset that, if realized, is not only beneficial for us but also not harmful and causes damage to others. There are different types of thinking. Among the many things that we will discuss together and of great importance is critical thinking and analytical thinking.

Analytical Thinking and Critical Thinking

Some people assume that analytical thinking and critical thinking are one in the same. However, that is incorrect. Although there are similarities, there are distinct differences between the two.

Analytical thinking

Analytical thinking is the ability to breakdown complex problems or ideas into smaller, more manageable parts in order to gain better understanding of them. It involves using logic and reasoning to evaluate information and draw conclusions.

Analytical thinking is the mental process of breaking down complex information or comprehensive data into fundamental parts or basic principles.

Analytical thinking uses a step-by-step method to analyze a problem or situation by breaking it down into smaller parts in order to come to a conclusion.

With analytical thinking, you make conclusions by breaking down complex information into smaller parts and analyzing the parts. You look for patterns and trends as well a cause and effect within the information in order to find connections between the parts. In the end, you make draw a conclusion based on the available facts.

Critical thinking

Critical thinking is the ability to analyze information objectively and make a reasoned judgment. It involves looking at problems in a logical and systematic way in order to come up with the best solution. It also being able to identify, analyze and evaluate arguments as well as recognize any weakness or flaws in reasoning.

Critical thinking is the mental process of carefully evaluating information and determining how to interpret it in order to make a sound judgment.

Critical thinking employs logic and reasoning to come to a conclusion about how best to perceive and interpret information in order to make sound judgments.

With critical thinking, you make conclusions regarding your unique perception of the information. You look into other pieces of data that could be relevant. Then you combine your new information with your existing knowledge of the world in order to make the most accurate assessment. Essentially, you reflect upon information in order to form a sound judgment that reconciles scientific evidence with common sense. Ultimately, you make reasoned judgments that are logical and well thought out by assessing the evidence that supports a specific theory or conclusion.

For example, police officers face a whole lot of issues each day of their life. Amidst all these, they are expected to have an open mind, unbiased, and with excellent communication skills as well as interpersonal skills. In criminal justice, police officers employ critical thinking skills when determining whether a law has been broken or not, the response and if an arrest is necessary. Similarly, detectives and investigators use critical thinking skills in collecting evidence, determining the suspects, and solving a criminal case (Albanese, 2006)¹.

Ethics is correlated with criminal justice because it determines what is wrong and what is right. Open-mindedness and critical considerations when making decisions make one be at peace with him or herself. Therefore, ethics, critical thinking, and behavior are related to criminal justice when executing decisions in the three sections of criminal justice. Law enforcement, adjudication, and correctional programs should have ethical considerations and critical thinking skills to investigate, argue their cases, and set correctional measures in prisons and the criminal justice administration in general. Thus, ethics, critical thinking, and behavior have a relationship and impact on the criminal justice system (Albanese, 2008)².

Differences and Relations between Analytical Thinking and Critical Thinking

A basic difference between analytical thinking and critical thinking is analytical thinking involves breaking down complex information into smaller parts while critical thinking involves taking outside knowledge into account while evaluating information. Basically, analytical thinking seeks to review and breakdown the information gathered while critical thinking looks to make a holistic judgment using various sources of information including a person’s own existing knowledge.

Analytical thinking is more linear and step-by-step breakdown of information. On the other hand, critical thinking is more holistic as it seeks to assess, question, verify, infer, interpret, and formulate.

Analytical thinking is often used as a tool to support critical thinking, as it allows for more thorough examination of a problem or issues.

Analytical thinking can be thought of as a step in the critical thinking process. When you have a complex problem to solve, you would want to use your analytical skills before your critical thinking skills. Critical thinking does involve breaking down information into parts and analyzing the parts in a logical, step-by-step manner. However, it also involves taking other information to make a judgment or formulate innovative solutions.

Additionally, with analytical thinking, you use facts within the information gathered to support your conclusion. Conversely, with critical thinking, you make a judgment based on your opinion formed by evaluating various sources of information including your own knowledge and experiences.

Steps for Analytical Thinking

Analytical thinking begins by gathering all relevant information. You then break up large, complex data into smaller, more manageable sizes. You then examine each sub-part to understand its components and relationship to the larger more complex data. You compare sets of data from different sources by looking at the information through different points of view with the objective to understand how it connects to other information. You search for patterns, trends, and cause and effect. Finally, you draw appropriate conclusions from the information in order to arrive at appropriate solutions.

Analytical thinking involves:

1. Gathering relevant information
2. Focusing on facts and evidence
3. Examining chunks of data or information
4. Identifying key issues
5. Using logic and reasoning to process information
6. Separating more complex information into simpler parts
7. Sub-dividing information into manageable sizes
8. Finding patterns and recognizing trends
9. Identify cause and effect
10. Understanding connections and relationships
11. Eliminating extraneous information
12. Organizing Information
13. Drawing appropriate conclusions

Steps for Critical Thinking

Critical thinking involves gathering all relevant information, then evaluating the information to determine how it should be best interpreted. You evaluate information by asking questions, assessing value, and making inferences. You then formulate ideas and theories based on the evaluation. You consider outside information rather than sticking strictly with the information presented. You then consider alternative possibilities before reaching a well-reasoned conclusion. Finally, you test your conclusions in an attempt to verify if evidence supports your conclusions and make your judgment.

Critical thinking involves:

1. Gathering relevant information
2. Evaluating information
3. Asking questions
4. Assessing bias or unsubstantiated assumptions
5. Making inferences from the information and filling in gaps
6. Using abstract ideas to interpret information
7. Formulating ideas
8. Weighing opinions
9. Reaching well-reasoned conclusions
10. Considering alternative possibilities
11. Testing conclusions
12. Verifying if evidence/argument support the conclusions