Goals

1. Describe thinking.
2. Describe critical thinking.

Thinking

Thinking is the mind’s way of working with information to make sense of things — to understand, decide, solve problems, imagine, interpret, create, evaluate, and even daydream.

Analysis: {mind, information, sense-making, varied outcomes}

Critical Thinking (CT)

All critical thinking is thinking, but not all thinking is critical thinking. CT is best called “careful thinking,” because the word “critical” here means careful as in careful not to make mistakes in judgment.

Critical Thinking is systematic, purposeful thinking aimed at making the best judgments in three domains and also justifying them.

1. Truth — What is most likely true or false?
   
2. Value — What is good, better, or best? What is worthwhile?
   
3. Action — What should be done? Who should do it? Why is this the best option?

CT is marked by its methods: questions, arguments, evidence, logic, research, and reflection. If these are missing, the thinking is not critical thinking.

CT can also be defined as the subject that equips actors (people and groups) to figure our truth, values, and best actions.

Analysis: {systematic, truth, values, best actions, evidence, arguments, logic, research, questions, reflective-thinking}

The Biology of Thinking

The biology of thinking refers to how thinking arises in the brain through neurons, electrical signals, and chemical messengers. Billions of interconnected neurons pass signals across synapses, shaping networks that allow us to recognize patterns, recall memories, imagine futures, and reason about possibilities.

Although the biology is extremely complex and not fully understood, simplified models can help explain the major patterns of how people think.

Type 1 and Type 2 Thinking

This model was popularized by psychologist Daniel Kahneman (building on work with Amos Tversky).

• Type 1 thinking — fast, automatic, intuitive. It happens without conscious effort (e.g., recognizing a face, finishing a familiar phrase, driving a well-known route).
  
• Type 2 thinking — slow, deliberate, effortful. It requires conscious attention (e.g., solving a math problem, checking an argument, weighing alternatives).

Type 1 is efficient and often accurate, but prone to bias and shortcuts.
Type 2 is more reliable for complex or unfamiliar problems but requires time and energy.

Critical Thinking is a form of Type 2 thinking: it slows us down, checks our intuitions, and tests ideas against evidence before drawing conclusions. When applied skillfully, CT transforms effort and time into better decisions, stronger arguments, and lasting payoffs.

The Elephant and the Rider

This model comes from Jonathan Haidt.

• The elephant represents our automatic processes — emotions, intuitions, and habits. It is powerful, moves quickly, and usually goes where it wants.
  
• The rider represents our controlled processes — deliberate reasoning and self-control. The rider can steer, but only if the elephant is willing.

Takeaways

1. The rider isn’t really in charge. We think our reasoning drives us, but most of the time it just explains what the elephant already decided. The rider is good at rationalizing after the fact.

2. The elephant leads automatically. Emotions, intuitions, and habits act first and fast, usually outside our awareness. The rider often shows up late to the scene.

3. Real power comes from alignment. The rider can’t overpower the elephant, but it can guide and train it — by shaping inner patterns (thinking, habits, emotions) and outer conditions (environments, cultures, processes). Critical Thinking (CT) is a primary tool in this shaping. Lasting change, however, depends on applying it consistently and reinforcing it through systematic practice — until the elephant’s strength becomes an ally rather than a force to resist.

Rationale for Brain Models

Models of the brain (like Slow/Fast Thinking or Elephant/Rider) help us understand how intuition and reasoning interact. This allows us to improve our own decisions, anticipate biases, and respond to others with empathy and understanding.

Here are some examples:

• Situation: Person A or myself is addicted to drugs.
  • Questions: Why? My best actions?
    
  • Brain Model Thinking: Addiction shows the elephant/fast system (automatic habits, cravings, emotional drives) overpowering the rider/slow system (deliberate reasoning, self-control). Knowing this, the best actions involve more than rational argument — they require shaping environments, building new habits, and appealing to motivation and emotion, not just willpower.
• Situation: Person A or myself strongly believes something that is false, as do most people in their group.
  • Questions: Why? My best actions?
    
  • Brain Model Thinking: Group identity and fast/automatic intuitions (elephant) drive belief more than evidence. The rider then rationalizes what the group already accepts. Understanding this, the best response is not to attack the belief head-on with facts but to build trust, show empathy, and slowly introduce alternative perspectives in a way that feels safe for the elephant.
• Situation: I feel an impulse buy urge when I see a flashy ad online.
  • Questions: Why? My best actions?
    
  • Brain Model Thinking: The fast system (elephant) reacts to visuals, emotions, and scarcity cues, while the slow system (rider) needs time to weigh real value. Knowing this, I can pause, let the rider catch up, and set rules (like waiting 24 hours before buying).
• Situation: Person A or myself gets angry during a heated conversation.
  • Questions: Why? My best actions?
    
  • Brain Model Thinking: The elephant reacts instantly with emotion, while the rider may be too late to stop the first reaction. Recognizing this, I can practice calming strategies (breathing, stepping back) to give the rider time to re-engage before responding.
• Situation: An experienced driver or athlete makes a “split-second” good decision.
  • Questions: Why? My best actions?
    
  • Brain Model Thinking: Years of practice train the elephant/fast system to act wisely without conscious effort. Here, the model shows that not all fast thinking is bad — expertise can turn the elephant into a powerful ally. My best action is to keep practicing fundamentals so automatic responses become trustworthy. actions?

TwFs (Tasks with Feedback)

Task

id: 1758212373

What is thinking?

Feedback

Approach (Skills)

1. Figure out the essential elements of thinking: {mind, information processing, sense-making, varied purposes or outcomes}
2. Craft an answer that has these elements.

Example Answer

Thinking is the mind working with information to make sense of things — for purposes such as solving problems, understanding, learning, creating, imagining, daydreaming, and so forth.

Task

id: 1758212389

When we talk about thinking, we say that this is what the mind does instead of what the brain does. Why is “mind” better than “brain”?

Feedback

Approach (Skills)

1. Define the terms: brain and mind
   • Brain: refers to the physical organ, the biological structure of neurons and synapses.
     
   • Mind: refers to the functional and experiential side — thoughts, awareness, meaning-making, imagination, and reasoning.
2. Support the claim.

• Why “mind” is better here: Thinking involves not just biology but also subjective experiences and cognitive functions. Using mind captures both the physical processes and the lived experience of thinking, making it the broader and more accurate term in this context.

2. Create an answer.

Example Answer

The mind captures what we think, how we feel, and what we value — the sum of our lived experience. The brain refers only to the biological organ and its processes, which doesn’t fully account for the richness of our total experience.

Task

id: 1758212389

What differentiates critical thinking from regular thinking?

Feedback

Approach (Skills)

1. Build an answer that incorporates the essential elements of CT: {systematic, 3-core purposes, specific methods}.
   
2. Bring out that CT is a special case of RT (Regular Thinking); it is not an either/or.

Example Answer

Critical Thinking (CT) is a form of regular thinking that:

1. Is systematic — careful, structured, and willing to slow down when needed.
   
2. Serves three core purposes — to clarify truth, evaluate values, and decide on the best actions.
   
3. Applies specific methods — questioning, researching, weighing evidence, using logic, forming arguments, and reflecting on assumptions.

In short, CT is regular thinking that meets these criteria; when it doesn’t, it remains regular but not critical.

Task

id: 1758212468

List the three domains critical thinking aims to address.

Feedback

Approach (Skills)

1. Start with the big picture (the 3 domains), then expand with details, then examples — like nested Matryoshka dolls.
   
2. Match your level of detail to the context: sometimes a quick acronym (TVA) is enough; sometimes fuller explanation is needed.

Example Answer

Big Picture: TVA — Truth, Value, Action.

Details:

1. Truth — What is (or is not) true? What evidence supports it? How reliable is the source?
   
2. Value — What is good, better, or best? What matters most? What is worthwhile?
   
3. Action — What should be done? Who should do it? Why is this the best option given the circumstances?

Task

id: 1758212445

Why are models of the brain (e.g. Slow/Fast Thinking, Elephant/Rider) useful?

Feedback

Approach (Skills)

• In Brief: They help us understand how real-world thinking actually happens by showing the push-and-pull between fast emotional reactions and slower rational reasoning.
  

• More Detail: Models like Slow/Fast Thinking or Elephant/Rider turn complex mental processes into simple images we can easily recognize. They highlight how intuition and emotion often drive our choices (System 1, Elephant), while reasoning (System 2, Rider) tries to guide, explain, or justify them.

• Clarity: They give us an easy way to talk about and visualize how the mind works.
  

• Application: They help us notice these patterns in ourselves and others, which improves decisions and empathy.

Example Answer

• Bad Habit: A person justifies smoking or drug use—the Elephant is running the show, while the Rider rationalizes.
  
• Anger: Someone explodes in traffic even though they know it won’t help—the Elephant reacts first, Rider explains after.
  
• Big Purchase: Emotions push for the shiny new product, while reasoning struggles to slow down and ask, “Do I need this?”

By recognizing these dynamics, we can anticipate mistakes, respond more wisely, and even guide others.

Task

id: 1758212486

Define Type 1 and Type 2 thinking as per Daniel Kahneman’s model.

Feedback

Example Answer

Type 1 thinking is fast, automatic, and intuitive, occurring without conscious effort. Type 2 thinking is slow, deliberate, and effortful, requiring conscious attention. Critical thinking is a form of Type 2 thinking, emphasizing careful evaluation and evidence-based conclusions.

Task

id: 1758212494

How does the “Elephant and the Rider” model explain our thinking process?

Feedback

Example Answer

The “Elephant and the Rider” model illustrates that our automatic processes (emotions, intuitions, habits) are like the powerful elephant, while the controlled processes (deliberate reasoning, self-control) are the rider. The rider can steer the elephant if the elephant is willing, highlighting the importance of aligning our intuitive and rational processes.

Task

id: 1758212505

Discuss why Type 2 thinking is more reliable for complex problems.

Feedback

Example Answer

Type 2 thinking is more reliable for complex problems because it involves deliberate and conscious effort. It allows for thorough evaluation, checking intuitions, and testing ideas against evidence, thereby reducing biases and errors common in Type 1 thinking.

Task

id: 1758212520

What role does critical thinking play in changing the “elephant’s” behavior according to Haidt’s model?

Feedback

Example Answer

Critical thinking acts as a tool to guide and train the “elephant” by shaping inner patterns like thinking, habits, and emotions, and by influencing outer conditions like environments, cultures, and processes. Consistent application and systematic practice are key to transforming the elephant’s strength into an ally.

Task

ts: 1758212529

List the names of some of the methods that are necessary for thinking to be classified as “critical thinking”

Feedback

Example Answer

• Questions
  
• Research
  
• Logic
  
• Arguments
  
• Evidence
  
• Values

Task

id: 1758212538

What is the biological basis of thinking in terms of neurons and synapses?

Feedback

Approach (Skills)

Analysis: {interconnected neurons, electrical signals, neurotransmitter chemicals regulating signal strength and influence}

Brief: Thinking arises from billions of neurons sending electrical signals across synapses. Neurotransmitters—like dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and adrenaline—tune these signals, shaping mood, focus, and motivation.

More Detail: The biological basis of thinking involves neurons, electrical signals, and chemical messengers in the brain. Billions of interconnected neurons pass signals across synapses, allowing for pattern recognition, memory recall, imagination, and reasoning. This intricate network forms the foundation for various cognitive processes. Neural chemicals—dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, adrenaline, and many others—profoundly influence thinking because they adjust the strength and speed of signals, shape mood and motivation, and bias what we pay attention to or ignore. In other words, neurotransmitters act like the brain’s “control knobs,” turning mental energy up or down, amplifying some thoughts while quieting others, and linking our biology directly to how we feel, decide, and behave.