Critical Thinking is an important process that human beings have to undertake in their everyday lives. However, the thinking process does not come naturally as it has to have a purpose. Sometimes, we choose to think about something and other times we choose to ignore it. Critical thinking is what inspires new ideas and new thoughts about new ideas that has involves analyzing, evaluating and reasoning in order to come up with an adequate understanding of a situation. There are many barriers to critical thinking, they can distort your train of thoughts in a great way. In my life I have come across several barriers to critical thinking that I will be discussing below.
The way we have been raised shapes our fears, the way we think our self- concept and also who we are as individuals. Barriers can range from the media, friends and family, and so many more. To successfully becoming a critical thinker you must face yourself and be completely honest with yourself, this will result in you figuring out exactly which barrier shapes the way you think.
Stress is one of my personal barriers. Too much stress can cause a lot of physical and psychological strain on your mind and body. Stress comes in numerous shapes and sizes. The leading cause of my stress stems from school, family issues, personal issues, and trying to balance my social life. I know it sounds silly, but stress obstruct our ability to make educated decisions. When I’m under stress I find myself making. When I am under stress, I have the tendency to make impulsive decisions that later affects me greatly.
I often find myself overcoming this emotional barrier by stepping back and looking positively at the bigger picture. When I feel like my emotions are getting out of hand, I listen to music, paint or meditate. This is a big relief as meditating has helped me in other areas such as having anxiety it has helped me to become a calmer and much more positive person. Listening to music, painting, and meditating has become my escape from all the stress factors in my life.