Introduction
Critical thinking is important for the decision-making process and effective communication between people. It may be applied to all spheres of people’s lives. Emotions, unwarranted assumptions, stereotyping, denial, poor communications skills, and other factors are barriers to critical thinking. Sally’s case shows that it is necessary to avoid biased opinion, dishonesty, over-reliance on feelings, and self-centered thinking in daily situations to make reasonable and weighed decisions.
Elements of Critical Thinking
The apparent barriers to critical thinking were conformism, unwarranted assumptions, and an over-reliance on feelings (“Barriers to critical thinking,” 2019). They were present in the situation when Sally did not agree with her colleagues but pretended that she did to avoid confrontation. The woman decided that she would not spend time with her coworkers again only because they had a different opinion and did not feel comfortable about it. Sally may not be a good critical thinker as she relied on her emotions a lot.
Reason, Emotion, and Communication
The concept of reason was mainly presented when Sally collected evidence to support her proposal and provide the basis for her argument. Sally’s critical thinking involved emotion too; the woman felt agitated and tired, which led to the inability to assess her coworkers’ viewpoints. Sally’s communication style was passive because she was quiet, did not admit that she disagreed with others, and tried to avoid conflict.
Fallacies and Argument
The scenario presents a fallacy in Sally’s thought process, which is shown in the situation at dinner. Sally concluded that she did not know enough about the topic to confront her colleagues. It was not possible to identify whether her coworkers had more knowledge than she did. The scenario does not provide an argument for this point of view as it is unreasonable.
Conclusion
Sally’s example shows that a lack of critical thinking may result in emotional distress and the individual’s inability to take weighed decisions. In the presented case, the barriers to critical thinking included unwarranted assumptions, conformism, and an over-reliance on feelings. They prevented Sally from making reasonable conclusions and being more open to her colleagues’ opinions. Moreover, a lack of critical thinking resulted in fallacies in the woman’s thought process.
Reference
Barriers to critical thinking. (2019). Web.