Phl/458 Critical Thinking

Critical and Creative Thinking in Society Short Essay
PHL/458
University of Phoenix

Describe a situation of public interest in which critical and/or creative thought could have been used for a better outcome. Describe why it is important to think critically and creatively in similar situations.
A good example of a situation which lacked critical thinking was the case against pro football player Ray Rice. Rice had a physical altercation with his fiancé that he immediately reported to the NFL. The lack of critical thinking was not only on Rice’s part, but with the Baltimore Ravens camp. Rice was initially suspended for three games as a result of his actions. It was not until the situation became public that the NFL decided to take further aggressive action against Rice. This situation could have been handled much differently had the NFL thought out the potential impact Rice’s actions would have on the NFL, its fans,
and domestic violence camps. It’s important to think critically in these types of situations because it shows that action is being taken not only because complaints are made, but because it is truly unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Otherwise, you will find yourself justifying the actions of the offender as well as your organization.
Define free will, truth, knowledge, and opinion. Explain how we use them to form thoughts. What role does each play in critically assessing situations?
Free will can be defined as the “capacity to respond in ways that oppose even the strongest influences” (Ruggiero, 2009).
Free will determines what someone really wants without consequence rather then what they are forced to do. Truth is anything that can be proven, it is “the reality of the matter, as distinguished from what people wish so, believe to be so, or assert to be so” (Ruggiero, 2009). Truth is not opinion but rather facts that are waiting to be discovered. Facts may change, but the truth will always be just that, the truth. Knowledge is taught and is always evolving. Knowledge is what we are familiar with; “we can obtain authentic knowledge in any one of three ways: personal experience, observation, and report from others” (Ruggiero,2009) .Knowledge helps with understanding the topic in question and drawing educated conclusions when all the facts are not present. Opinions are subjective and “are intensely personal” (Ruggiero 2009). Opinions can be of taste or judgment but either way does not require explanation or
defending.
Identify three hindrances to the critical thinking process. Determine methods for overcoming these hindrances. Identify a time in which you experienced a hindrance in critical thinking. Describe a method you could use to overcome the hindrances.
Three hindrances in the critical thinking process are the mine-is-better habit, stereotyping, and resistance to change. “The mine-is-better habit hinders our thinking. It destroys objectivity and prompts us to prefer self-flattering errors to unpleasant realities. If you wish to be a good thinker, you must learn to control this habit and keep your ego from interfering with your search for truth” (Ruggiero 2009). Having an open-minded during the thinking process can help with the mind-is-better habit. Being open-minded removes any false notions that your way is better and allows for an accurate assessment of the current situation.
“Resistance to change is the tendency to reject new ideas and new ways of seeing or doing without examining them fairly” (Ruggiero 2009). In order to overcome this hindrance we must be willing to let go of the pass and give change a fair change before writing it off.
Stereotyping is another hindrance to the critical thinking process. It is a generalization of any group or class of people. “The most common stereotypes are racial, religious, and ethnic. There is the stereotype of the black, the fundamentalist Christian, the Italian. But there are many other types as well, no less firm for being less common—for example, stereotypes of homosexuals, the clergy, college dropouts, feminists, male chauvinists, New York City, singles’ bars, motherhood—even God” (Ruggiero 2009). The best way to over-come a stereotype is to conduct research and base your thinking from what is learned through first-hand research.
I experienced a hindrance in my thinking process when trying to decide whether I should enroll back into school. I was too focused on the change that going back to school would have on my daily routine. Once I stop focusing on the change and pay more attention to the pros, I successfully moved forward with my though process.
Identify a message in advertising. Describe how you perceive the message of the advertisement. Try to determine the reality of the advertisement. Distinguish between your perception and the reality of the message.
Samsung recently released a commercial advertising their new Galaxy Note 4 as the next big thing. My perception of the commercial is that this new phone is the best thing out on the market. However, the reality is, it is the newest addition to their product line. Whether it is the best thing out is a matter of opinion and user preference. The objective of their message is to out shine any competitors.

References
Ruggiero, Vincent R. (2009). The Art of Thinking. A Guide to Critical and Creative Thought [University of Phoenix Custom Edition eBook]. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Retrieved from Uniersity of Phoenix, PHL458 - Creative Minds and Critical Thinking website