Mistakes In Critical Thinking

Mistakes are inevitable, we all make them. Some of the biggest mistakes we make are when we have a lack of discernment. This lack of discernment is due to our inability to critical think. Dr. Gerald Nosich, a professor in the field of critical thinking, wrote the book: “Learning To Think Things Through: a guide to critical thinking across the curriculum.” In regard to critical thinking, Nosich states: “Two conditions are necessary for critical thinking. First, the thinking has to be reflective; it has to involve thinking-about-my-thinking. Second, this reflective thinking must meet high standards; it must be reflective reasoning that is done well” (Nosich 47). To affirm Nosich’s conditions, he employs “the elements of reasoning.” The elements …show more content…
Nosich states, “You can identify the purpose of anything that involves reasoning” (Nosich 50). The thinking behind my mistake involved no reasoning, as my mistake had no purpose. There was an indirect purpose that my attempted courtship would lead to a relationship, but there was no goal after that. In my mind, I had no desired outcome other than being together. However, just being together is not sustainable. If we had started a relationship, we would have gone nowhere without a purpose. Today, if someone asks me the purpose of a relationship I would say: the purpose of forming a relationship is to better oneself through the companionship of a significant other with the goal of finding true happiness. Had I formulated this definition prior to my mistake, I would have been less apt to just fall for a girl because I would possess a purpose in forming a …show more content…
According to Nosich, “every single thought you have is guided by concepts” (Nosich 57). The concept of a romantic relationship is giving yourself to someone wholeheartedly. I was prepared to start a relationship with this girl, every thought I had was guided by my affection to her. Ultimately, this lead to my mistake. Although I understood the concept of a relationship, I devoted all of my thinking to this one concept. Lacking wisdom, I suppressed other concepts dealing with relationships such as the concepts of infatuation and obsession. My devotion to the concept of a relationship led to an obsession. I was obsessed with my desire to have a relationship with her. My misjudgment in managing my fundamental concepts led to my ultimate mistake in becoming infatuated with this