The definition of the word "Definition" (limit) has been made very complex and confusing by Europeans. From an Afrocentric perspective to define a thing is to make clear what it is and distinguish it from what it is not--i.e. segregating it from all other look-alikes. But since things needing clarity can be on any plane of the Immaterial, Intangible, or Objective (Unbounded, Partially Bounded, and Concrete Tangible) realms, only concrete things can be made definite. But even concrete definitions--seen as a sample of a piece of Reality based on biases, inadequate and usually wrong interpretations--are "Hearsay" (authority consenses agreement on 'second-hand' "facts") and/or personal assertions by an "expert." Neither are true because people's vision is limited and the name they give it refers to only a piece of their misinterpretation. In progressing toward planes with less and less matter involved in the thing being "defined," much more descriptions/explanations are required to give a "ballpark" idea of what it does and how it appears. When one word tries to cover meanings of a thing spanning several planes (e.g. "Success"), I call that word an "Umbrella" term since it lacks a single realistic explanation, description, or definition.
But Europeans ignore all this while recklessly presenting conflicting "definite" opinions having little or no worthwhile meaning. One says: Critical Thinking (CT) "is developing thoughtful and well-founded beliefs that guide choices in every area of life." Second: CT is “an awareness of the assumptions under which we, and others, think and act.” Third: CT is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action." Fourth: CT is "purposeful, self-regulatory judgment which results in interpretation, analysis, evaluation, and inference, as well as explanation of the evidential, conceptual, methodological, criteriological, or contextual considerations upon which that judgment is based."
Actually, skilled CT is a mental state of living one uniquely fashions. "Critical" refers--not to "disapproval" or "negative" or "blame"--but to discerning insights into things. For example, it distinguishes things like: (1) the term “Critical Thinking”; (2) the person doing the CT; (3) the activities involved in CT; (4) the personal affect aspects of CT (e.g. one is afraid of it; one feels bad about it; one feels empowered from knowing one can handle any problem); (5) the effect on others of what CT does or its appearance; and (6) the consequences of what CT does ranging from the immediate to long-term. CT's other duties include skillful discernments; clarity of the Problem; historical complete awareness of its significant terms; Ordering of chaos by placement of information on proper planes of existence; analyses; understandings; manipulations and maneuvering of information for creative insights; classifications; prioritization to extract keystone issues; synthesis; comprehensive determination of options; specifically answering the problem's question; and dealing with "alligators" designed to generate losses, lacks, and obstructions. Its judgments concern the merit, suitability, and workability of decisions and solutions. Hence, my definition: CT is an “Umbrella” term for a group of skilled mental faculty activities which discern the hidden; attend to detail, order, accuracy, and precision in thinking; and locate, explore, establish, and maintain the truth. At foggy mental crossroads these skills fashion choices, decisions, or solutions. By partnering with and orchestrating Rational, Common Sense, and Creative Thinking so as to assess and extract meaningful lessons of the past, CT designs how those lessons apply in the present in order to predict and prepare for a thriving future. Its objective is to produce what all people desire--"5S's of Safety, Security, Sureness, Stability, and Strength (Bailey, Afrocentric Critical Thinking).
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