Why YSK: A well cultivated critical thinker:
raises vital questions and problems, formulating them clearly and precisely;
gathers and assesses relevant information, using abstract ideas to interpret it effectively comes to well-reasoned conclusions and solutions, testing them against relevant criteria and standards;
thinks openmindedly within alternative systems of thought, recognizing and assessing, as need be, their assumptions, implications, and practical consequences;
and communicates effectively with others in figuring out solutions to complex problems.
Problem is how fast the person can connect the dots and how well they can internalize the computational process without discussion.
That might make you more efficient at the process, but anyone can derive value from even basic implementation of critical thought.
I mean more in the applied professional context where timing is important. I tend to be a wild card for stuff like this already.
Company: We need a massive social media presence.
Me: Can you prove that this has any impact on customers and sales?
Company: This is what everyone else is doing.
Me: The sales statistics don’t reflect any value correlated to social media outreach.
Company: This is just how things are done. You can’t test this. It just works.
Me: Try giving away something of high value, with no strings attached, using social media to see if you can influence a single person. If the item is still here at the end of the week, it is mine.
I was the Buyer for a chain of bike shops. That’s how I got my carbon wheels, and didn’t need to waste time with the company Facebook page any more because if you can’t even give away $900, you’re never going to sell it.
There are many times I have these types of ideas, but they take far too long to mull over for effective solutions when I need them.