10+ Best Articles on Critical Thinking
The most useful articles on critical thinking from around the web—beginners to advanced—curated by thought leaders and our community. We focus on timeless pieces and update the list whenever we discover new, must-read articles or videos—make sure to bookmark and revisit this page.
Top 5 Critical Thinking Articles
At a glance: these are the articles that have been most read, shared, and saved on critical thinking by Refind users in 2023 so far.
How to ...?
How to have better arguments
Arguing well isn’t just about winning. A philosophical approach will help you and the other person get much more out of it
«the one who loses in a philosophical dispute gains more the more he learns»
How to Improve Critical Thinking
The way we're taught critical thinking is terrible. Here's a different strategy to improving your ability to think clearly and make smart decisions.
Trending
These links are currently making the rounds on critical thinking on Refind.
Rapoport’s Rules: How to Criticise Constructively
A reflection on Rapoport's Rules. It's the most effective way to criticise you've never tried (and probably for good reasons).
«You should attempt to re-express your target’s position so clearly, vividly, and fairly that your target says, “Thanks, I wish I’d thought of putting it that way.”»
Short Articles
Short on time? Check out these useful short articles on critical thinking—all under 10 minutes.
Five Habits of the Master Thinker: How to Upgrade Your Mind
A breakdown of the five habits of the master thinker, practices worth cultivating proposed by a former CIA analyst.
«To channel James Clear: Every time we question an assumption, come up with alternative explanations or wonder what’s driving a problem, we’re casting a vote for our new identity as a master thinker.»
10 Propaganda Techniques: How to Manipulate the Masses (Part 1)
A reflection on propaganda techniques; methods used to manipulate perception and opinion to further an agenda. But it's not that simple.
Curse of Knowledge: How to Be an Approachable Genius
An exploration of the Curse of Knowledge, a phenomenon that makes us lose touch with those who lack the wisdom we acquired five minutes ago.
«get out of your own perception and into someone else’s perspective»
Master the 3 Basics of Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is a whole lot harder than it looks.
«If you can begin to see the patterns in causes and their effects, you can start thinking ahead with insight. Ultimately, that’s the key to better decision-making.»
Theory of mind: What chess and drug dealers can teach you about manipulation
From grandmasters to drug dealers, people who make deft use of "theory of mind" can remain several steps ahead of their rivals.
«Every social interaction is a game of chess, trying to get inside someone’s head to navigate what they are thinking or what they will do.»
Long Articles
These are some of the most-read long-form articles on critical thinking.
Top 25 Interesting Ideas and Concepts Everyone Should Know
A collection of the most interesting ideas on critical thinking, philosophy and storytelling to help you make better sense of the world.
«Black Swan events are characterised by their extreme rarity, their severe impact, and the widespread insistence they were obvious in hindsight.»
Evaluating Information: Find the Signal in the Noise
Richard Feynman offers a list of seven tricks that you can use to quickly sort important from irrelevant information and focus on what matters.
«Tests to determine whether people who go on the day that they are not supposed to go are worse off or not have never been made by the astrologers.»
We don’t have a hundred biases, we have the wrong model
Behavioral economics has identified dozens of cognitive biases that stop us from acting 'rationally'. But instead of building up a messier and messier picture of human behavior, we need a new model.
Old thinking will break your brain.
Why updating the way we look at the world is so critical now, and so hard, and how we can get better at doing it.
Why is Critical Thinking Important in Daily Life?
Critical thinking is vital in our daily lives because it allows us to spot what we don't know and thus helps us make better decisions.
Publications
We monitor hundreds of publications, blogs, newsletters, and news sources in Critical Thinking, including:
Aeon+Psyche
Aeon is a magazine of ideas and culture. Psyche is our sister magazine focused on the human condition. Visit http://aeon.co and http://psyche.co for more.
TeachThought
Innovation in education through the growth of #teachers. PD at https://www.wegrowteachers.com; Courses and ad-free reading at https://teachthought.university
Ness Labs
The learning community for ambitious knowledge workers. Join us to think better, learn faster, and work happier: http://nesslabs.com/membership 🧠✨
Nautilus Magazine
Cutting-edge science, unraveled in award-winning journalism by the very brightest living thinkers. Click the link to subscribe to the newsletter.
Greater Good
Your source for the Science of a Meaningful Life | Based @UCBerkeley | Home of the #happinesspod | Click link for more
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We monitor hundreds of sources on critical thinking, including Aeon+Psyche, TeachThought, Ness Labs, Nautilus Magazine, Greater Good, and many more.
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