Developing a Critical Thinking Mindset
57mIntermediate2025-02-24
Authors

Becki Saltzman
Author, Speaker, Founder of the Applied Curiosity Lab
Course details
Critical thinking is often cited as a desirable skill to have, but what exactly does it mean to be a critical thinker, and how does one achieve this mindset? The goal of critical thinking is to give ourselves time and tools for improving how we think, to see things closer to how they really are, and get a better sense of the world. But just understanding the concepts won’t get you there. As Becki Saltzman explains, developing a critical thinking mindset requires commitment and deliberate practice. Becki shows how to put critical thinking knowledge to work to create a mindset that enables you to examine information and determine how to assess information you can trust. She also shows how to develop mental agility to apply insights from one context to the next, ways you can avoid overthinking, and tips on how to balance rational, strategic, and even emotional thinking. After this course, you’ll be on your way to developing the mindset necessary for critical thinking to flourish.
Skills covered
Decision-MakingPersonal DevelopmentProfessional DevelopmentLeadership and ManagementDeep Dive (X:Y)
Concepts
0. Introduction
- 01 - A sharper sense of what's possible
- 02 - Origins of critical thinking
1. Moving from What to Think to How to Think
- 03 - Becoming a good thinker
- 04 - The three components of critical thinking
- 05 - Determining the reliability of evidence
- 06 - Weighing the relevance of evidence
- 07 - Evaluating the validity of your case
2. Understanding Mental Hygiene
- 08 - Developing intellectual courage
- 09 - Intellectual vs. emotional empathy
- 10 - Pursuing mental agility
- 11 - Getting the benefit of doubt
- 12 - Becoming a quantum thinker
- 13 - Avoiding overthinking
Conclusion
- 14 - Creating a practice of critical thinking