When we were younger we always asked “why?”. As kids, we wanted to know the answers to everything, even when the answer wasn’t as easy as a yes or no answer. Sometimes we wouldn’t even get an answer because the difficulty of the question. Adults thought our question were just curiosity and pushed it aside as a form of “cuteness”. In truth, the critical thinking questions we felt the need to ask were a scientifically way of thinking. In a way, us children were smart enough to wonder “why”.
Whether we know it or not the ability to wonder about these questions are an intellectual way of thinking. It’s extremely smart, yet we don’t associate little kids with critical thinking, rather we just assume they are trying to be cute. Or even regard it as annoying sometimes. As we get older these questions grow less and less. We become less interested in why certain things occur. Our curiosity is essentially diminished. Yet it causes me to wonder why do we abandon this critical way of thinking?
In high school, we always had those English problems in the textbook called “critical thinking problems”, and I remember completely hating them. I hated that they did not have a clear definite answer. That is because most “why” questions are more analytical and intellectual than simple yes or no questions. From that point on we become tired of deep thinking which sours our opinion of critical thinking. We learn from a young age that everything is black and white and there is only one answer. Sure, other answers are close, but only one will suffice. Yet, what about the grey area? What about the multiple answers that could also answer the question?
This past semester I was in a class called creative math, which is a critical thinking form of math. The problems look easy but working them out you have to use your brain in a way you never have before. The class was so difficult because as young adults we normally don’t think that way. We are programmed to have a formula and plug number in to get the answer. But instead this class teaches you how to find all the possible ways to can add three integers to get the sum one-hundred. Every day I asked myself, “What could I possibly do with kind of math?”. This math taught me to eliminate my possibilities by narrowing down my choices. It taught me that sometimes drawing a diagram is more helpful then trying to figure it out in your head. It taught me to always look for a pattern in things. Personally, I use creative math much more than I used the calculus I took in high school.
This thinking may seem kind of ridiculous, tedious even, but I now use this intellect more and more every day. Often I’m so curious about certain things I’ll look up my question on the internet and almost always find an answer. Using this way of thinking can open your mind in ways you did not know was possible. You not only look at everyday things differently but you often start to wonder “why?”.
