best critical thinking lines

40 Of The Best Quotes About Critical Thinking

These quotes about critical thinking can be used to generate reflection, writing & discussion about critical thinking’s value in a society.

Here Are The Best Quotes About Critical Thinking

If we were to step inside 1,000 classrooms across the United States, how much critical thinking would we see?

We see ‘critical thinking’ name-dropped and splattered across school mission statements throughout the country. Elementary, middle, and high schools proclaim their commitment to cultivating critical thinkers, and recognize the importance of critical thinking skills that employers look for in potential employers. But to what extent are schools and teachers and curricula actually accomplishing the goal of developing lifelong learners who think critically?

Of all the dialogue spoken in a single class period, what percentage of it is worded in the form of questions, versus statements or directions?

Of the questions asked, to what degree do they promote, require, allow for, or otherwise nurture higher-level thinking?

We’ve curated a list of 40 quotes about critical thinking — the purpose of compiling this collection is to provide perspective on what critical thinking looks, sounds, and feels like (and what it doesn’t) so that educators and education leaders can cross-reference their curricular and instructional materials. In addition to inspiring teachers, these quotes about critical thinking might also be used as prompts to generate reflection, writing, and discussion among students about the value of critical thinking to a society, and what happens in a society where critical thinking is diminishing.

A. A. Milne: “The third-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking with the majority. A second-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking with the minority. A first-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking.”

Adrienne Rich: “Responsibility to yourself means refusing to let others do your thinking, talking, and naming for you; it means learning to respect and use your own brains and instincts; hence, grappling with hard work.

Albert Einstein: “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.”

Anaïs Nin: “When we blindly adopt a religion, a political system, a literary dogma, we become automatons. We cease to grow.”

Anatole France: “An education isn’t how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It’s being able to differentiate between what you know and what you don’t.”

Aristotle: “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.”

Bell Hooks: “Critical thinking requires us to use our imagination, seeing things from perspectives other than our own and envisioning the likely consequences of our position.”

Bertrand Russell: “The opinions that are held with passion are always those for which no good ground exists; indeed the passion is the measure of the holder’s lack of rational conviction.”

Carol Wade: “People can be extremely intelligent, have taken a critical thinking course, and know logic inside and out. Yet they may just become clever debaters, not critical thinkers, because they are unwilling to look at their own biases.”

Christopher Hitchens: “The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks.”

Confucius: “Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous.”

Daniel Levitin: “Critical thinking is not something you do once with an issue and then drop it. It requires that we update our knowledge as new information comes in.”

Desmond Tutu: “My father used to say, ‘Don’t raise your voice, improve your argument.”

Duke Ellington: “A problem is a chance for you to do your best.”

Elon Musk: “I think it’s important to reason from first principles rather than by analogy. The normal way we conduct our lives is we reason by analogy. [With analogy] we are doing this because it is like something else that was done, or it is like what other people are doing. [With first principles] you boil things down to the most fundamental truths…and then reason up from there.”

Howard Zinn: “We all have an enormous responsibility to bring to the attention of others information they do not have, which has the potential of causing them to rethink long-held ideas.”

James Baldwin: “The paradox of education is precisely this—that as one begins to become conscious one begins to examine the society in which he is being educated. The purpose of education, finally, is to create in a person the ability to look at the world for himself, to make his own decisions, to say to himself this is black or this is white, to decide for himself whether there is a God in heaven or not. To ask questions of the universe, and then learn to live with those questions, is the way he achieves his own identity. But no society is really anxious to have that kind of person around. What societies really, ideally, want is a citizenry which will simply obey the rules of society. If a society succeeds in this, that society is about to perish. The obligation of anyone who thinks of himself as responsible is to examine society and try to change it and to fight it—at no matter what risk. This is the only hope society has. This is the only way societies change.”

Jean Piaget: “The principal goal of education in the schools should be creating men and women who are capable of doing new things, not simply repeating what other generations have done; men and women who are creative, inventive, and discoverers, who can be critical and verify, and not accept, everything they are offered.”

John Dewey: “Conflict is the gadfly of thought. It stirs us to observation and memory. It instigates to invention. It shocks us out of sheep-like passivity, and sets us at noting and contriving…conflict is a sine qua non of reflection and ingenuity.”

Jonathan Haidt: “We should not expect individuals to produce good, open-minded, truth-seeking reasoning, particularly when self-interest or reputational concerns are in play. But if you put individuals together in the right way, such that some individuals can use their reasoning powers to disconfirm the claims of others, and all individuals feel some common bond or shared fate that allows them to interact civilly, you can create a group that ends up producing good reasoning as an emergent property of the social system. This is why it’s so important to have intellectual and ideological diversity within any group or institution whose goal is to find truth (such as intelligence agency or a community of scientists) or to produce good public policy (such as a legislature or advisory board)..”

J. William Fulbright: “We must dare to think about ‘unthinkable things’ because when things become ‘unthinkable,’ thinking stops and action becomes mindless.”

Lawrence Balter: “You want to prepare your child to think as they get older. You want them to be critical in their judgments. Teaching a child, by your example, that there’s never any room for negotiating or making choices in life may suggest that you expect blind obedience, but it won’t help them, in the long run, to be discriminating in choices and thinking.”

Leo Tolstoy: “Freethinkers are those who are willing to use their minds without prejudice and without fearing to understand things that clash with their own customs, privileges, or beliefs. This state of mind is not common, but it is essential for critical thinking.”

Marie Curie: “Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.”

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: “To think incisively and to think for one’s self is very difficult. We are prone to let our mental life become invaded by legions of half-truths, prejudices, and propaganda. At this point, I often wonder whether or not education is fulfilling its purpose. A great majority of the so-called educated people do not think logically and scientifically. Even the press, the classroom, the platform, and the pulpit in many instances do not give us objective and unbiased truths. To save man from the morass of propaganda, in my opinion, is one of the chief aims of education. Education must enable one to sift and weigh evidence, to discern the true from the false, the real from the unreal, and the facts from the fiction. The function of education, therefore, is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically.”

Mason Cooley: “The critical spirit never knows when to stop meddling.”

Max Beerbohm: “The one real goal of education is to leave a person asking questions.”

Naomi Wolf: “Obstacles, of course, are developmentally necessary: they teach kids strategy, patience, critical thinking, resilience, and resourcefulness.”

Noam Chomsky: “I try to encourage people to think for themselves, to question standard assumptions…Don’t take assumptions for granted. Begin by taking a skeptical attitude toward anything that is conventional wisdom. Make it justify itself. It usually can’t. Be willing to ask questions about what is taken for granted. Try to think things through for yourself.”

Oliver Wendell Holmes: “A mind stretched by new ideas never goes back to its original dimensions.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path, and leave a trail.”

Randi Weingarten: “Standardized testing is at cross purposes with many of the most important purposes of public education. It doesn’t measure big-picture learning, critical thinking, perseverance, problem-solving, creativity, or curiosity; yet, those are the qualities great teaching brings out in a student.”

Richard Dawkins: “Do not indoctrinate your children. Teach them how to think for themselves, how to evaluate evidence, and how to disagree with you.”

Richard Feynman: “We are trying to prove ourselves wrong as quickly as possible, because only in that way can we find progress.”

Robert Grudin: “To act vulgarly we must be ignorant not only of other people but of ourselves, not only of the nature of our action but of its ramifications in the world at large. To act vulgarly, we must indulge our own ignorance in large, mutually supportive groups. By vulgarity, I mean a comprehensive cultural laxity that spawns monstrosities and is fed by a corporate system that has abandoned long-term development in favor of quarterly profits, by media whose moral standards are based on viewer share, and by a system of higher education that has sold out its image of the humanities and critical thinking as the main bases for consciousness and values.”

Sadhguru: “When your mind is full of assumptions, conclusions, and beliefs, it has no penetration, it just repeats past impressions.”

Stanley Kubrick: “If chess has any relationship to film-making, it would be in the way it helps you develop patience and discipline in choosing between alternatives at a time when an impulsive decision seems very attractive.”

Steve Jobs: “Simple can be harder than complex: you have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.”

Terry Heick: “Critical thinking is certainly a ‘skill’ but when possessed as a mindset–a playful and humble willingness–it shifts from a labor to an art. It asks, ‘Is this true? By what standard?”

How about a quote for those considering a teaching job ? Thomas J. Watson, Sr.: “Follow the path of the unsafe, independent thinker. Expose your ideas to the danger of controversy. Speak your mind and fear less the label of crackpot than the stigma of conformity.”

Sir William Bragg: “The important thing in science is not so much to obtain new facts as to discover new ways of thinking about them.”

William James: “A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices.”

After reading the quotes about critical thinking, which ones most resonate with you? Which quotes about critical thinking embody what you’re already doing well in the classroom? Which ones signal a need to revise your current approach or strategies?

TeachThought is an organization dedicated to innovation in education through the growth of outstanding teachers.

25 Powerful Critical Thinking Quotes

Legendary physicist Richard Feynman famously warned that when it comes to thinking, not fooling yourself should be at the top of your mind. His reason was simple: “You are the easiest person to fool”. Critical thinking is often hailed as the antidote to our tendency to self-deception. But it’s hard to pinpoint what people mean when they use the term. I’ve previously described it as the art of thinking and thinking about thinking to make judgements while improving the quality of the thought process itself. To illustrate the elusive concept further I’ve put together 25 quotes on critical thinking and added some personal reflections.

1. What Is Thinking?

Thinking — or reasoning — involves objectively connecting present beliefs with evidence in order to believe something else. David T. Moore, Critical Thinking and Intelligence Analysis

If your thinking doesn’t get you into a different state of mind, even if it only means your existing convictions become more high-resolution, you were probably just ruminating; that is turning over the same thoughts without making progress.

2. Writing Is Thinking

If people cannot write well, they cannot think well, and if they cannot think well, others will do their thinking for them. George Orwell

Skilful writing is indistinguishable from critical thinking as it forces you to clarify and reorganise your thoughts. But it also means that lazy writing leads to sloppy thinking, a bad habit George Orwell tried to address with his six writing rules .

3. Death of Ideas

The purpose of thinking is to let the ideas die instead of us dying. Alfred North Whitehead

Thinking is akin to running simulations in our heads to test assumptions and predict outcomes. This allows us to pick the best courses of action. It’s superior to trying out hypotheses in the real world due to something called self-preservation.

4. Belief Confidence

The confidence people have in their beliefs is not a measure of the quality of evidence but of the coherence of the story that the mind has managed to construct. Daniel Kahneman

We don’t naturally process ideas in terms of reasons, logic and arguments. We think in stories . So if you want to question the validity of your beliefs, start by questioning the story you’ve constructed around them.

5. Sagan’s Dragon

What’s the difference between an invisible, incorporeal, floating dragon who spits heatless fire and no dragon at all? If there’s no way to disprove my contention, no conceivable experiment that would count against it, what does it mean to say that my dragon exists? Your inability to invalidate my hypothesis is not at all the same thing as proving it true. Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World

Falsifiability is a cornerstone of critical thinking. If you encounter a statement or an idea that cannot be scrutinised let alone proven false, scepticism is in order. Thankfully, Sagan left us his Baloney Detection Kit , a set of cognitive tools for detecting falsehoods.

6. Dangerous Knowledge

Assumptions have been described as the most dangerous form of knowledge. Why? Because an assumption carries with it unconsidered information, knowledge that is not subject to thought or critique. However, assumptions are a fact of life; we all have them and we all rely on them. […] The best that we can do is identify them and make them explicit. Charles Vandepeer, Applied Thinking for Intelligence Analysis

Another way to improve your critical thinking skills is to identify and question the underlying assumptions of a cherished belief you hold. For example by using Structured Analytic Techniques .

7. Passionate Opinions

The opinions that are held with passion are always those for which no good ground exists; indeed the passion is the measure of the holder’s lack of rational conviction. Opinions in politics and religion are almost always held passionately. Bertrand Russell

The default state of our mind is to think about things intuitively and emotionally . While this helps us to solve complex problems quickly using heuristics , it requires a deliberate effort to consider an issue rationally and logically. But the effort is worth it.

8. Building Blocks

When it comes to the ideas and opinions you hold, see them as toys or building blocks that you are playing with. Some you will keep, others you will knock down, but your spirit remains flexible and playful. Robert Greene, The Daily Laws

For bad ideas to die, we have to see them less as precious possessions and more as means to the end of getting us closer to the truth.

9. The Utility of Scepticism

Science is more than a body of knowledge. It’s a way of thinking. A way of skepticely interrogating the universe with a fine understanding of human fallability. If we are not able to ask skeptical questions, to interrogate those who tell us that something is true, to be skeptical of those in authority, then we’re up for grabs for the next charlatan — political or religious — who comes ambling along. Carl Sagan

A healthy scepticism is a civil necessity. But it’s worth remembering that the number one charlatan to look out for is still yourself.

10. Beware of Your Biases

People can be extremely intelligent, have taken a critical thinking course and know logic inside and out. Yet they may just become clever debaters, not critical thinkers, because they are unwilling to look at their own biases. Carol Wade

Critical thinking without questioning and refining your assumptions, beliefs and ways of making judgements is not critical thinking. An integral part is becoming aware of your biases such as motivated reasoning .

11. Pseudo-Critical Thinking

Critical thinking, as has been noted, focuses on both the process and the results of reasoning. However, the term is also used in reference to reasoning that is not reflective. The application of formal logic is sometimes (incorrectly) equated to critical thinking. So too are problem solving and structured methods of analysis. Developers of school curricula and other exponents of “sound thinking” often lay claim to the mantel of critical thinking but are really leveraging their coverage of logic or problem solving to capitalize on an uncritical understanding of what critical thinking is. Problem solving, for example, focuses on answers and not on the process by which an answer is obtained. Additionally, logic or problem solving, being goal oriented, offer little means by which a person can improve the process of her thinking. David T. Moore, Critical Thinking and Intelligence Analysis

Genuine critical thinking offers dual benefits. First, it allows you to make sound judgements and second, you improve your thinking in such a way that it’ll be easier for you to make sound judgements next time around.

12. The Intelligence Trap

Unintelligent people are more easily misled by other people, intelligent people are more easily misled by themselves. Gurwinder Bhogal

The sharp-minded can rationalise their way to any bogus conclusions, crediting it to their critical thinking. The simple-minded adopt their views unquestioned while slamming others for their supposed lack of critical thinking.

13. Fruitless Philosophising

It is lacking in critical thinking to think that studying philosophy will improve your critical thinking. Nassim Nicholas Taleb, The Bed of Procrustes

Merely curating a list of critical thinking quotes is unlikely to improve someone’s critical thinking skills. Like any skill, they have to be practised with a certain amount of skin in the game; that is a personal stake or risk exposure in the outcomes of their decisions or actions.

14. Overthinking

Most of us think compulsively all the time. That is to say we talk to ourselves. And I remember when I was a boy we had a common saying: ‘Talking to yourself is the first sign of madness.’ Now obviously, if I talk all the time I don’t hear what anyone else has to say. And so in exactly the same way, if I think all the time, that is to say I talk to myself all the time, I don’t have anything to think about except thoughts. And therefore I’m living entirely in the world of symbols and I’m never in relationship with reality. Alan Watts

Overthinking poses a cognitive hazard that can make you lose touch with reality. British philosopher Alan Watts knew that at some point, you have to put your stake into the ground and act.

15. Tragic Wisdom

The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts. Bertrand Russell

For all its benefits, an obsession with critical thinking can paralyse and make you second-guess every decision or action.

16. Intellectual Humility

Intellectual humility is the recognition that our reasoning is so flawed, so prone to bias, that we can rarely be certain that we are right. Greg Lukianoff & Jonathan Haidt, The Coddling of the American Mind

We may not be able to overcome our biases but we should at least be aware of them.

17. Thinking for Yourself

You think for yourself first by learning a lot of the thoughts of other people. Other thoughts and ideas don’t pollute originality and independence, they create the preconditions for it. The person who claims to think for himself, yet scorns learning from other sources, invariably is under the hidden influence of a source he doesn’t recognize. The only way to truly think independently is to have enough knowledge to spot the hidden assumptions that underwrite your current views. Scott H. Young

In order to think critically you need something to think about. And this something tends to be thoughts, ideas or beliefs brought forward by other people, some of which you may even disagree with.

18. Intellectual Instruments

Everything we know has its origins in questions. Questions, we might say, are the principal intellectual instruments available to human beings. Neil Postman

Good questions are the driving force of critical thinking, whether you ask them of others or pose them to yourself. The great thing about them is that they’re available to anyone.

19. The Critical Thinking Trap

People want you to think critically until you actually do it. Chris Meyer

On the one hand, critical thinking is encouraged as a valuable skill because it leads to better understanding and decision-making. But when people apply critical thinking to commonly held beliefs or societal norms, it can challenge established perspectives. Truth is a virtue and the search for it demands non-conformist thinking. The fact that it can be at odds with the pressure of conformity is a feature, not a bug.

20. Freethinking

Freethinkers are those who are willing to use their minds without prejudice and without fearing to understand things that clash with their own customs, privileges, or beliefs. This state of mind is not common, but it is essential for critical thinking. Leo Tolstoy

Freethinkers are often considered troublemakers challenging and disrupting the status quo. But it requires an open-mindedness that first and foremost causes trouble to their own values and opinions.

21. Downsides of an Open Mind

The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. Terry Pratchett

Having an open mind is generally considered a virtuous trait. But it also means you’re vulnerable to the influence of others who may attempt to indoctrinate your mind with their own agendas.

22. Indoctrination

Do not indoctrinate your children. Teach them how to think for themselves, how to evaluate evidence, and how to disagree with you. Richard Dawkins

Despite being the antidote to indoctrination, critical thinking is useless without the knowledge and skills on how to disagree .

23. Cognitive Risk Taking

Take the risk of thinking for yourself, much more happiness, truth, beauty and wisdom will come to you that way. Christopher Hitchens

Engaging in fearless critical thinking may be uncomfortable in the short term but is the better long-term strategy. However, that’s easier said than done if you haven’t set up your life to make a living as a gifted, chain-smoking and hard-drinking disagreeable contrarian. (We miss you Hitch).

24. Gramophone Mind

To exchange one orthodoxy for another is not necessarily an advance. The enemy is the gramophone mind, whether or not one agrees with the record that is being played at the moment. George Orwell

A willingness to listen to other perspectives and change our opinions are the hallmarks of open-mindedness. But it’s not to be confused with passively accepting and repeating a different set of ideas without independent thought.

25. Changing Your Mind

Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything. Bernard Shaw

Those who are resistant to changing their views or beliefs will find it challenging to adapt to new circumstances.

BONUS: The Power of Your Mind

You have power over your mind — not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength. Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

There are few things over which you have control in this world. Your mind is one of them. So developing your critical thinking skills to influence your thoughts and actions is one of the best things you can do.

Closing Thoughts

Critical thinking is an elusive concept that is often diluted to mean “having opinions with which I agree”. In truth, it is self-reflective and deliberate thinking and thinking about thinking with the primary goal of not fooling yourself. For a deeper dive into the art of navigating the world of ideas to figure out what to believe, check out my post with 5 Books on Critical Thinking to Help You Develop a Reflective Mind and subscribe to the 3 Ideas in 2 Minutes newsletter .

Chris Meyer

I'm a writer, teacher & analyst with a background in languages, martial arts & failing at things. I collect and connect ideas while attempting humour. Here are 50 unbelievable facts about me .

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The Power of Critical Thinking: 56 Critical Thinking Quotes

Critical thinking is an invaluable skill that empowers individuals to assess information, challenge assumptions, and make reasoned judgments. It is a cognitive process that goes beyond memorization and regurgitation of facts, encouraging individuals to explore different perspectives, evaluate evidence, and arrive at independent conclusions.

In today’s fast-paced and information-rich world, the ability to think critically is essential for making informed decisions, solving complex problems, and navigating the complexities of modern society. This article explores the significance of critical thinking, its benefits, and practical strategies to cultivate this skill in our lives.

Read: What Critical Thinking Skills We Require To Win At Our Careers: 5 Major Ones

The Importance of Critical Thinking

Critical thinking serves as a compass for the mind, enabling individuals to discern between fact and fiction, identify biases, and evaluate the credibility of sources. In an era characterized by the proliferation of misinformation and the manipulation of public opinion, critical thinking provides a powerful tool to navigate through the noise and arrive at well-informed conclusions.

Moreover, critical thinking equips individuals with the ability to analyze complex problems systematically. It fosters creativity, enabling the exploration of innovative solutions by challenging conventional wisdom and exploring alternative perspectives. It also encourages open-mindedness and intellectual humility, as critical thinkers recognize the limits of their knowledge and remain receptive to new information and ideas.

Related: 10 Best Critical Thinking Movies With Interesting Endings

Benefits of Critical Thinking

Developing critical thinking skills has numerous advantages that extend beyond individual decision-making. In educational settings, critical thinking fosters a deep understanding of subjects, encourages active engagement, and prepares students for lifelong learning. It equips them with the ability to ask probing questions, engage in meaningful discussions, and evaluate information critically, rather than accepting it at face value.

In professional contexts, critical thinking is highly valued by employers. It enables employees to analyze complex situations, consider multiple variables, and make informed decisions. Critical thinkers are also more adept at problem-solving, as they approach challenges with a systematic and analytical mindset, breaking down problems into manageable components.

Furthermore, critical thinking plays a vital role in democratic societies. Citizens who think critically are more likely to question authority, hold leaders accountable, and actively participate in public discourse. They are better equipped to analyze political arguments, distinguish between valid reasoning and fallacies, and make informed choices during elections.

Recommended: Interview Questions For Critical Thinking No One Tells About

Critical Thinking Quotes

• “Critical thinking is the ability to think for yourself and independently evaluate information, rather than simply accepting what you hear or read.” – Diane Halpern
• “Critical thinking is a survival tool, not just for our species but for our planet.” – Carl Sagan
• “Critical thinking is thinking about your thinking while you’re thinking in order to make your thinking better.” – Richard W. Paul
• “The first rule of critical thinking is to ask questions. Be willing to wonder.” – Unknown
• “Critical thinking is seeing things as they are, not as you want them to be.” – Unknown
• “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
• “The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance; it is the illusion of knowledge.” – Daniel J. Boorstin
• “The world we have created is a product of our thinking; it cannot be changed without changing our thinking.” – Albert Einstein
• “Critical thinking is the ability to think independently and evaluate information objectively and accurately. It is an essential skill in a world filled with quick opinions, sound bites, and misinformation.” – Edwidge Danticat
• “I am not a teacher, but an awakener.” – Robert Frost
• “A problem well-stated is a problem half-solved.” – Charles Kettering
• “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” – Marcel Proust
• “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existence.” – Albert Einstein
• “The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled.” – Plutarch
• “Wisdom is not the product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it.” – Albert Einstein
• “Critical thinking is the ability to think clearly and rationally, understanding the logical connection between ideas.” – Peter A. Facione
• “The value of critical thinking is not only in the answers it produces, but also in the questions it uncovers.” – Unknown
• “To think critically is to embrace uncertainty and ambiguity, and to be comfortable with asking challenging questions.” – Unknown
• “A critical thinker is someone who thinks with reason and objectivity, not influenced solely by emotions or personal biases.” – Unknown
• “Critical thinking is the art of analyzing and evaluating information to reach informed conclusions.” – Unknown
• “The greatest skill a critical thinker can possess is the ability to change their mind in the face of new evidence and reasoning.” – Unknown
• “Critical thinking is not about being right; it’s about being open to new perspectives and adjusting our beliefs accordingly.” – Unknown
• “Critical thinking is a process of continuous learning and improvement, honing our intellectual abilities to make sound judgments.” – Unknown
• “Critical thinking is like a mental muscle that needs to be exercised regularly to stay strong and agile.” – Unknown
• “The path of critical thinking is paved with curiosity, skepticism, and a commitment to truth-seeking.” – Unknown
• “The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.” – Plutarch
• “Critical thinking is the ability to think independently, solve problems creatively, and make rational decisions based on evidence and logic.” – Unknown
• “The mark of a well-educated mind is the ability to entertain a thought without accepting it.” – Aristotle
• “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” – Aristotle
• “The essence of critical thinking is suspended judgment; the essence of this suspense is inquiry to determine whether or not the judgment is well-founded.” – John Dewey
• “Critical thinking is not just thinking, but thinking which entails self-improvement.” – Unknown
• “Critical thinking is the ability to think independently, analyze information objectively, and make rational decisions.” – Unknown
• “The first rule of critical thinking is to question everything.” – Unknown
• “Critical thinking is a skill that enables you to analyze and evaluate information objectively and make reasoned judgments.” – Unknown
• “Critical thinking is the key to unlocking the doors of understanding and knowledge.” – Unknown
• “Critical thinking is a self-directed, self-monitored, and self-disciplined thinking that strives to be fair, clear, and accurate.” – Linda Elder
• “Critical thinking is the mental process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating information to reach an answer or conclusion.” – Unknown
• “The role of critical thinking is to break down problems into their component parts, analyze them, and develop creative solutions.” – Unknown
• “Critical thinking is like a compass that guides us through the maze of information and helps us make informed choices.” – Unknown
• “Critical thinking is the art of being able to evaluate and analyze information objectively, rather than accepting it at face value.” – Unknown
• “The hallmark of a critical thinker is intellectual humility – the willingness to accept that one’s beliefs may be incorrect.” – Unknown
• “Critical thinking is the ability to ask the right questions and challenge the status quo.” – Unknown
• “The essence of critical thinking is to suspend judgment, seek multiple perspectives, and examine the evidence before arriving at a conclusion.” – Unknown
• “Critical thinking is not a single skill, but a set of skills that work together to help us navigate the complexities of the world.” – Unknown
• “Critical thinking is not about being negative; it’s about being discerning and questioning what we are told.” – Unknown
• “Critical thinking is the ability to think independently and make reasoned judgments based on evidence and logical reasoning.” – Unknown
• “The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, but the illusion of knowledge.” – Stephen Hawking
• “Critical thinking is the bridge between knowledge and wisdom.” – Unknown
• “Critical thinking is the intellectual discipline of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating information.” – Unknown
• “The mind is like a parachute; it works best when it’s open.” – Unknown
• “Critical thinking is the foundation of rationality and the cornerstone of progress.” – Unknown
• “In a world of information overload, critical thinking is the key to sifting through the noise and finding the signal.” – Unknown
• “Critical thinking is not just about finding flaws in others’ arguments; it’s about critically examining our own beliefs and biases.” – Unknown
• “The purpose of critical thinking is to empower individuals to think for themselves, question authority, and arrive at their own informed conclusions.” – Unknown
• “Critical thinking is the art of asking the right questions, challenging assumptions, and seeking evidence to support or refute claims.” – Unknown
• “Critical thinking is not a destination; it’s a lifelong journey of intellectual growth and development.” – Unknown

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Critical Thinking Quotes

The ability to think critically is the key to unlocking the door to new possibilities.

Critical thinking is not just about finding the right answers, but also asking the right questions.

Don’t be afraid to challenge your own beliefs and assumptions – that’s where critical thinking begins.

The more you use your critical thinking skills, the stronger they become.

Don’t be satisfied with surface-level answers – dig deeper and think critically.

Critical thinking is like a muscle – it needs exercise to grow stronger.

Question everything – even your own thoughts and opinions.

Critical thinking is the pathway to innovation and progress.

Don’t follow blindly – think critically and forge your own path.

Critical thinking is about examining information from multiple perspectives.

Don’t rely on intuition alone – use critical thinking to make informed decisions.

Critical thinking is not about being right all the time, but about being willing to admit when you’re wrong.

The best ideas come from a place of critical thinking and open-mindedness.

Don’t accept information at face value – think critically and evaluate its credibility.

Thinking critically is not about being negative, but about being objective.

Be curious – critical thinking begins with a genuine desire to learn.

Critical thinking is the antidote to ignorance and prejudice.

Critical Thinking Quotes part 2

Don’t be afraid to question authority – critical thinking requires independent thought.

Embrace complexity – critical thinking thrives in the midst of uncertainty.

Don’t settle for easy answers – critical thinking demands intellectual rigor.

Critical thinking is like a compass – it helps navigate the sea of information.

Don’t let your emotions cloud your judgment – critical thinking requires a clear mind.

The power of critical thinking lies in its ability to challenge the status quo.

Don’t be afraid of disagreement – critical thinking thrives in the marketplace of ideas.

Critical thinking is the engine that drives progress and innovation.

Don’t be swayed by popularity – critical thinking demands independent thought.

Question the source – critical thinking requires skepticism.

Don’t be afraid of complexity – critical thinking is a tool for unraveling it.

Critical thinking is not about finding faults, but about seeking truths.

Don’t settle for black and white – critical thinking thrives in shades of gray.

Question your assumptions – critical thinking demands intellectual honesty.

Don’t fear uncertainty – critical thinking embraces ambiguity.

Critical thinking is not about winning arguments, but about seeking understanding.

Don’t be afraid to change your mind – critical thinking requires intellectual flexibility.

Question everything, especially your own biases – critical thinking is about self-reflection.

Don’t accept mediocrity – critical thinking strives for excellence.

Critical thinking is not about being right all the time, but about being willing to learn.

Don’t let fear hold you back – critical thinking requires courage.

Question authority – critical thinking challenges the status quo.

Don’t be satisfied with superficial knowledge – critical thinking demands depth.

Critical thinking is the spark that ignites the fire of curiosity.

Don’t be afraid to admit when you don’t know – critical thinking values intellectual humility.

Question your own biases – critical thinking demands self-awareness.

Don’t be swayed by charismatic speakers – critical thinking requires independent thought.

Critical thinking is the compass that guides us through the maze of information.

Don’t let others do the thinking for you – critical thinking requires independent thought.

Question everything, especially your own assumptions – critical thinking demands self-reflection.

Don’t settle for easy answers – critical thinking requires intellectual rigor.

Critical thinking is not about finding faults, but about seeking solutions.

Don’t be satisfied with surface-level understanding – critical thinking delves deeper.

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Governments don't want a population capable of critical thinking, they want obedient workers, people just smart enough to run the machines and just dumb enough to passively accept their situation.You have no choice. You have owners. They own you. They own everything. They own all the important land. They own, and control the corporations. They've long since bought, and paid for the Senate, the Congress, the state houses, the city halls, they got the judges in their back pockets and they own all the big media companies, so they control just about all of the news and information you get to hear.

Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it.

It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.

Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.

Learn to use your brain power. Critical thinking is the key to creative problem solving in business.

Too often we... enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.

Responsibility to yourself means refusing to let others do your thinking, talking, and naming for you; it means learning to respect and use your own brains and instincts; hence, grappling with hard work.

It is not enough to have a good mind. The main thing is to use it well.

If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking.

The capacity to innovate - the ability to solve problems creatively or bring new possibilities to life - and skills like critical thinking, communication and collaboration are far more important than academic knowledge.

A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices.

The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks.

Critical thinking relies on content, because you can't navigate masses of information if you have nothing to navigate to.

Do not indoctrinate your children. Teach them how to think for themselves, how to evaluate evidence, and how to disagree with you.

Critical thinking is what leads to the next breakthroughs in any area.

The most fundamental attack on freedom is the attack on critical thinking skills.

To every complex question there is a simple answer and it is wrong.

The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out for himself.

Imagination is more important than knowledge.

We are approaching a new age of synthesis. Knowledge cannot be merely a degree or a skill... it demands a broader vision, capabilities in critical thinking and logical deduction without which we cannot have constructive progress.

The purpose of education is to replace an empty mind with an open one.

Governments don't want a population capable of critical thinking, they want obedient workers, people just smart enough to run the machines and just dumb enough to passively accept their situation.

It is especially important to encourage unorthodox thinking when the situation is critical

Think for yourselves and let others enjoy the privilege to do so, too.

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Inspiring Critical Thinking Quotes to Stimulate Intellectual Curiosity

Annie Walls

Critical thinking is an essential skill that allows individuals to analyze information, evaluate arguments, and make informed decisions. It is a process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating information to reach well-founded conclusions. In this article, we will explore the importance of critical thinking, share inspiring quotes to stimulate intellectual curiosity, and discuss how to apply critical thinking in everyday life.

Key Takeaways

• Developing analytical skills is crucial for enhancing critical thinking.
• Enhancing problem-solving abilities is a key outcome of critical thinking.
• Promoting effective decision making is a result of applying critical thinking.
• Encouraging curiosity is essential for fostering critical thinking.
• Challenging assumptions is a fundamental aspect of critical thinking.

The Importance of Critical Thinking

Developing analytical skills.

Developing analytical skills is crucial for success in today's complex and data-driven world. Analytical skills refer to the ability to collect, analyze, and interpret information to make informed decisions and solve problems. These skills involve critical thinking, logical reasoning, and attention to detail. Analytical skills are highly valued in various industries, including finance, consulting, and technology. They enable individuals to identify patterns, uncover insights, and make data-driven recommendations. By honing analytical skills, individuals can enhance their problem-solving abilities and contribute to the success of their organizations.

Enhancing Problem-Solving Abilities

Enhancing problem-solving abilities is a crucial aspect of critical thinking. It involves the ability to analyze complex situations, identify potential solutions, and make informed decisions. Problem-solving requires a combination of logical reasoning, creativity, and open-mindedness. By developing this skill, individuals can effectively navigate challenges and find innovative solutions.

One effective way to enhance problem-solving abilities is by using a structured approach . This involves breaking down the problem into smaller components, analyzing each component individually, and then integrating the findings to develop a comprehensive solution. Additionally, collaboration with others can provide different perspectives and insights, leading to more effective problem-solving.

To further improve problem-solving abilities, it is important to embrace failure as a learning opportunity. By viewing failures as stepping stones to success, individuals can develop resilience and perseverance. This mindset allows for experimentation, exploration, and the willingness to take risks in order to find optimal solutions.

In summary, enhancing problem-solving abilities is a key aspect of critical thinking. By using a structured approach, collaborating with others, and embracing failure, individuals can develop the skills necessary to effectively solve complex problems and make informed decisions.

Promoting Effective Decision Making

Promoting effective decision making is crucial in both personal and professional settings. Making informed choices based on careful analysis and critical thinking can lead to better outcomes and minimize the risk of making hasty or irrational decisions.

One effective way to promote effective decision making is by using a decision matrix. A decision matrix is a structured tool that helps evaluate different options based on multiple criteria. By assigning weights to each criterion and scoring each option, individuals or teams can objectively compare and prioritize choices.

Another strategy for promoting effective decision making is to seek diverse perspectives. By actively seeking out different viewpoints and considering alternative opinions, individuals can gain a more comprehensive understanding of the situation and make more well-rounded decisions.

Remember, effective decision making is not just about making the right choice, but also about the process of decision making itself. Taking the time to gather relevant information, analyze the pros and cons, and consider the potential consequences can greatly enhance the quality of decisions made.

Quotes to Inspire Critical Thinking

Encouraging curiosity.

Encouraging curiosity is essential for developing critical thinking skills. By fostering a sense of wonder and inquisitiveness, individuals are more likely to explore new ideas and perspectives. Curiosity fuels the desire to seek knowledge and understand the world around us. It pushes us to ask questions and challenge assumptions, leading to deeper insights and innovative solutions.

To cultivate curiosity, it can be helpful to:

• Engage in active learning : Actively participate in discussions, ask thought-provoking questions, and seek out new information.
• Embrace uncertainty : Embracing uncertainty allows for open-mindedness and the willingness to explore different possibilities.
• Encourage exploration : Encourage individuals to explore diverse topics, engage in new experiences, and pursue their interests.

As Albert Einstein once said, 'The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.' By embracing curiosity, we can unlock our full potential for critical thinking and intellectual growth.

Challenging Assumptions

Challenging assumptions is a crucial aspect of critical thinking. It involves questioning the underlying beliefs and ideas that we often take for granted. By challenging assumptions, we open ourselves up to new perspectives and possibilities. It allows us to break free from the constraints of conventional thinking and explore innovative solutions. Questioning our assumptions can lead to breakthrough insights and help us overcome biases that may hinder our ability to think critically.

Embracing Different Perspectives

Embracing different perspectives is a crucial aspect of critical thinking. It allows us to broaden our understanding and challenge our own assumptions. By considering alternative viewpoints, we can gain new insights and develop a more well-rounded perspective. This openness to different perspectives fosters creativity and innovation, as it encourages us to think beyond our own limited experiences and beliefs.

Questioning Authority

Questioning authority is a fundamental aspect of critical thinking. It involves challenging the status quo and not accepting information or decisions blindly. By questioning authority, individuals can uncover hidden biases, explore alternative perspectives, and promote a culture of intellectual curiosity. It is important to approach authority with a healthy skepticism and seek evidence-based justifications for their claims. Questioning authority encourages independent thinking and helps prevent the spread of misinformation.

Applying Critical Thinking in Everyday Life

Evaluating information sources.

When evaluating information sources, it is important to consider the credibility and reliability of the information. Accuracy is key, as misleading or false information can lead to incorrect conclusions. Additionally, verifiability is crucial, as information that can be independently confirmed is more trustworthy. It is also important to consider the objectivity of the source, as biased information may present a skewed perspective. Finally, currency is important, as outdated information may no longer be relevant or accurate.

To assist in evaluating information sources, a table can be used to present structured, quantitative data. This allows for easy comparison and analysis. Alternatively, a bulleted list can be used for less structured content, such as qualitative points or a series of related items.

Remember to critically analyze the information presented and question its validity. Trustworthy sources are essential for making informed decisions and avoiding misinformation.

Making Informed Choices

When it comes to making informed choices, it is crucial to gather reliable and accurate information. Research plays a vital role in this process as it allows us to explore different perspectives and evaluate the credibility of sources. Additionally, critical thinking skills enable us to analyze the information we have gathered and make logical and well-informed decisions. It is important to consider multiple factors and weigh the pros and cons before making a choice. By applying critical thinking, we can avoid hasty decisions and ensure that our choices align with our goals and values.

Solving Complex Problems

When faced with complex problems, critical thinking becomes even more crucial. It requires the ability to analyze information from multiple sources, evaluate different perspectives, and consider various solutions. Creativity is also an important aspect of solving complex problems, as it allows for innovative thinking and the exploration of unconventional ideas. Additionally, collaboration plays a significant role in problem-solving, as it enables individuals to leverage the diverse skills and knowledge of a team. By applying critical thinking skills and utilizing creativity and collaboration, individuals can effectively tackle complex problems and find optimal solutions.

Avoiding Cognitive Biases

When it comes to critical thinking, it is important to be aware of and avoid cognitive biases. Cognitive biases are inherent tendencies to think in certain ways that can lead to errors in judgment and decision-making. By understanding and recognizing these biases, we can make more objective and rational choices.

One way to avoid cognitive biases is to evaluate information from multiple sources. This helps to minimize the impact of confirmation bias, which is the tendency to seek out information that confirms our existing beliefs. By seeking diverse perspectives and considering different viewpoints, we can gain a more comprehensive understanding of a topic.

Another strategy is to be mindful of our own biases and assumptions. It is natural for our experiences and beliefs to shape our thinking, but it is important to challenge these assumptions and consider alternative explanations. By being open-minded and willing to question our own beliefs, we can overcome biases and make more informed decisions.

In addition, it is helpful to be aware of common cognitive biases, such as the availability heuristic and the anchoring effect. These biases can influence our judgment and lead to faulty reasoning. By understanding these biases, we can be more vigilant in our thinking and avoid making decisions based on flawed logic.

Remember, critical thinking requires us to be aware of our own biases and to actively seek out diverse perspectives. By doing so, we can overcome cognitive biases and make more informed and rational choices.

Applying Critical Thinking in Everyday Life is an essential skill that can greatly enhance decision-making and problem-solving abilities. Whether it's analyzing information, evaluating arguments, or challenging assumptions, critical thinking allows individuals to approach situations with a rational and logical mindset. By applying critical thinking in everyday life, individuals can make more informed choices, avoid biases, and navigate complex situations with clarity and confidence. To learn more about the power of critical thinking and how it can transform your life, visit our website.

In conclusion, critical thinking is an essential skill that allows individuals to analyze information, evaluate arguments, and make informed decisions. The quotes presented in this article serve as a reminder of the importance of intellectual curiosity and the power of questioning. By embracing critical thinking, we can expand our knowledge, challenge assumptions, and contribute to a more informed and innovative society. So, let's embrace the spirit of curiosity and continue to question, explore, and think critically.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is critical thinking.

Critical thinking is the ability to analyze and evaluate information objectively, using logic and reasoning to make informed decisions and solve problems.

Why is critical thinking important?

Critical thinking is important because it helps individuals develop analytical skills, enhance problem-solving abilities, and promote effective decision making.

How can critical thinking be developed?

Critical thinking can be developed through practice and exposure to diverse perspectives. Engaging in activities that require analysis, evaluation, and problem-solving can also help enhance critical thinking skills.

What are some strategies for applying critical thinking in everyday life?

Some strategies for applying critical thinking in everyday life include evaluating information sources, making informed choices, solving complex problems, and avoiding cognitive biases.

How does critical thinking encourage curiosity?

Critical thinking encourages curiosity by promoting questioning, exploration, and a desire to seek knowledge and understanding. It challenges individuals to question assumptions and explore different perspectives.

What is the role of critical thinking in decision making?

Critical thinking plays a crucial role in decision making by helping individuals evaluate options, consider potential consequences, and make informed choices based on logical reasoning and evidence.

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40 Of The Best Quotes About Critical Thinking

• December 6, 2021

Time To Teach

• Education Related

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The following is a new blog post related to education and teaching and relevant to our website visitors. The blog post is not based on the opinions or values of our company but is related to education and teaching, so we wanted to share it with YOU! If you ever have any questions please let us know. Now… on to the post!

These quotes about critical thinking can be used to generate reflection, writing & discussion about critical thinking’s value in a society.

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12 Inspiring Critical Thinking Quotes For Students

A birdie flies sans inhibitions, and so must you. But first, you must know where you wish to fly. One’s moods and behaviors are both influenced by one’s thinking. Whether you’re shaping a student’s moments or a lifetime, thinking is a powerful tool. The actual fun is that you can learn to think better throughout the course of your lifetime since it is a skill.

We can learn from the age-old knowledge and the contemporary sages to improve our thinking abilities. And one of the finest ways to achieve that is using “ quotes ”. There are a lot of wise words and proverbs that get us thinking, whether they be positive thinking quotes or critical thinking quotes. Perhaps one of the most powerful thoughts on thinking is this… “Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Watch your words, for they become actions. Watch your actions, for they become habits. Watch your habits, for they become who you are.”

Critical thinking for students – Who’s job is it?

Research reveals several essential findings. Despite widespread agreement that critical thinking is important, most individuals feel that schools do not do enough to help students develop their critical thinking skills.

Nearly 95% of people agree that critical thinking abilities are vital in today’s world, and favor more critical thinking across nearly every demographic characteristic. Nevertheless, many individuals are concerned that our schools do not teach sophisticated ways of thinking, and nearly 80% of respondents believe that young people lack the capacity for critical thought. Only 29% of respondents claim to have categorically studied critical thinking at school.

It’s unclear when, when, and even how critical thinking instruction should take place. A little over half of the parents surveyed believe that it is their responsibility to instill critical thinking in their children. Another 41% think that educators should be in charge of imparting critical thinking skills to young people. Another 22% think that kids should be in charge of their own behavior.

Critical thinking at school

A teacher’s influence on a student extends beyond just imparting a top-notch education.

You serve as a leader, mentor, coach, advisor, and promoter of growth. Since students spend so much time in your classroom, it is up to you and your co-workers in education to create an environment where students can be themselves and accomplish their best work.

Posters with inspirational quotes are a great approach to make your classroom immediately seem more upbeat. Famous writers, innovators, and other personalities have left us with a wealth of inspiring quotations on learning and achievement. After choosing your favorite motivational sayings, you can utilize them to make your own low-cost classroom posters.

What words weigh

The proverb “actions speak louder than words” is certainly familiar to you, but it’s not always the case. Each of us has the ability to sway someone with our words.

Numerous research has revealed the advantages and disadvantages associated with particular terms. Dr. Susan Smalley, a professor of psychiatry and biobehavioural sciences at UCLA, stated that “individuals [who] read words of ‘loving kindness’ showed an increase in self-compassion, improved mood, and reduced anxiety.”

If we think back to times we’ve heard inspirational words, we remember how good and motivated we felt after. To get in the habit of choosing our words wisely and with positive intent, we can put reminders around us.

Below is a rundown of some thought-provoking critical thinking quotes that are fit and fun to read for students and mentors alike:

Critical thinking quotes for students

1. “the important thing is not to stop questioning. curiosity has its own reason for existing.” — albert einstein.

Few men in history have had the critical thinking skills of Albert Einstein. One of the characteristics of extremely competent critical thinkers is their inherent curiosity. With that curiosity comes the practice of questioning to explore, discover, and reveal. This is why through using essential and herding questions in our teaching, we drive learners’ curiosity by engaging them in exploring a topic through questions that begin big and get increasingly specific as more discoveries are made. This piece of wisdom is a pearl for dyslexic and non-dyslexic students alike.

2. “To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.” – Oscar Wilde

No, narcissism doesn’t say that. According to the saying, you must reawaken your love for yourself so that it last forever. To teach students anything , it is essential you teach them to love themselves first. Once you can do that, no one will be able to undermine your confidence and knock you down. Your own best critic would be you. The days of seeking emotional support from others and relying on them to maintain one’s mental health would be gone.

3. “You have a brain and mind of your own. Use it, and reach your own decisions.” — Napoleon Hill

The ability to think independently is one of the critical thinking’s most important characteristics. Without giving anything much thought, believing or agreeing is simple. However, when we make the decision to think for ourselves, we exercise a human right and a duty we have as citizens of the world. Independent thought is labor-intensive, but the benefits are incalculable. One benefit is that it provides various viewpoints and perspectives, which can be instructive. Another benefit of independent thought is that it inspires us to stand up for what we believe in and have confidence in our capacity to make the best decisions for ourselves.

4. “If you are going through hell, keep going.” — Sir Winston Churchill

This pearl of knowledge has lasting ramifications for the lives of all learners, young and old, within and outside of the classroom. Nothing can be endured indefinitely. Everything changes at some point in time. Life is a roller coaster ride that goes through ups and downs in cycles. When difficult times hit you, as a young student, it’s normal to feel discouraged, but you need to realize that they won’t last forever and that you need to keep at it until you’re there.

Hold hands, unite, and proceed through it. And you are never alone in the larger scheme of things.

5. “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” —Aristotle

According to cognition scientists, the average person has between 60,000 and 80,000 ideas per day, or a few thousand thoughts every hour. Thus, thinking critically entails evaluating ideas that have significance and tossing out or dismissing ideas that don’t. Let’s say that when you leave the house, you leave the iron on. You recall that you left it on as you’re driving out the driveway, so you go back inside to turn it off. Or does your day proceed as usual? Here is what might follow:

“That was so foolish, I could have set the house on fire.”

“What if, after preparing breakfast, I forget to turn the burner off? Children will burn their hands off!

“When my spouse or wife learns about it, what will they think?”

“Am I aging faster?”

We refer to this as “sharing our tale.” The stories we tell ourselves, however, are not the facts. The fact is you left the iron on, remembered because you’re smart, turned it off, and diverted a disaster. Additionally, now that you’ve learned from this experience, you’ll be more conscientious next time, and your family may also pick up on your good habits. That’s the path of the critical thinker.

6. “Some people never go crazy. What truly horrible lives they must lead.” — Charles Bukowski

Life is designed to be an experimentation ground. To think critically, you must first understand that one cannot think with boundaries around them. Consider also that curiosity is like exercise for the brain, combatting boredom and stagnation by making the brain more active and energized. The student cannot and should not think amid their safe, familiar bubbles and be pushed to explore. It is only in that experimentation you realize what you are worthy of. One would then become ecstatic, ecstatic by coming to a step closer to the meaning of life. It is that ecstasy that would madden you, help you grow and it will be totally worth it.

7. “Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but to weigh and consider.” — Francis Bacon

One must be genuinely able to read anything without immediately taking it to heart because there are so many opinions and points of view in the world that are freely communicated through both online and offline means. Thus, developing analytical reading skills in our students is important. Encouraging children to think critically while they read is one thing we can do for them in this vein. The purpose for this is simple; not only does it cultivate independent critical thinking skills, but it helps students enjoy reading more. Rather than passively consuming the words they read, they are questioning and observing, looking for hidden meanings, recognizing patterns and relations to experiences they’ve had, and more.

8. “My father used to say ‘Don’t raise your voice, improve your argument.”— Desmond Tutu

This can occur when a person who wasn’t nearly as informed as they thought is suddenly confronted with evidence that contradicts their strongly held beliefs. This may be concerning because our opinions are significant to us and help to define who we are. As a result, this person may respond hastily and out of fear; their natural tendency is to shout louder to drown out the offensive opponent. That is not how critical thinkers operate. Instead, they come prepared to open discussions with a solid bedrock of knowledge and experience to rest on about the discussion topic. They’ll listen openly to the views of others and consider anything that another’s perspective may have to teach them, and share in any and all discussions as constructively as possible.

9. “Right is right even if no one is doing it; wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it.” —Augustine of Hippe

In the past, or in the future, righteousness has never depended on its adherents. Even if just a small portion of a population supports it, what is right must remain right. Not everyone has the strength to follow the correct route since it is less appealing than the other one. And more people will always be drawn to what is attractive and simple. For students and for them to adhere to critical thinking, it is essential they first abide by and think about what’s right.

10. “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” — Albert Einstein

It is an unavoidable fact that not everyone has potential that is similar to another person. A student’s ability is facilitated by their environment, society, and upbringing, which helps them see their value. Every student is capable of thinking, but also has his own special abilities that must be nourished, nurtured, and garnered.

11.“The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.” — Jimmy Johnson

Students rather are distinguished from the commonplace and be viewed as extraordinary. They must therefore ask themselves, “Have we really made that extra effort that would make us the latter?” today. When someone gives up the impulse to always take the easy route and instead makes the necessary extra effort, they become special.

12. “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I- I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” – Robert Frost

There is no way to succeed in life and climb above the rat race by adhering to it. You must possess the courage to travel the less traveled route. It is important to inculcate in the students that someday, they could be a pioneer in a field that they wouldn’t become aware of until years later. Fear keeps you from stepping into an unfamiliar environment. Once you let go of it there would be nothing holding you back.

Both you and your students deserve to hear all the uplifting and motivating things that are said.

With a bouquet of flowers, make sure to send these thoughtful quotes to a friend or family member who might or might not be a student as a way to express care and the importance of critical thinking.

An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having  just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of  Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’, 

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Great Thinking Quotes

“No problem can withstand the assault of sustained thinking.”— Voltaire

Your thoughts can shape your feelings can shape your actions.

Thinking is powerful stuff whether you’re shaping your moment or shaping your lifetime.

The real beauty is that thinking is a skill, and you can develop throughout your lifetime.

To build our thinking skills, we can draw from the wisdom of the ages and modern sages.  And quotes are one of the best ways to do that.

Whether it’s positive thinking quotes, or critical thinking quotes, there are so many words of wisdom and sayings that make us think.

How Your Thoughts Shape Your Destiny

Perhaps one of the most powerful thoughts on thinking is this …

“Watch your thoughts, for they become words. 

Watch your words, for they become actions. 

Watch your actions, for they become habits.

Watch your habits, for they become character.

Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.” – Unknown

Now, let’s turn wisdom into action and fill your quiver with arrows of action, and fill your mental toolbox with a garden of insight in the form of pithy prose, one-liner reminders, and quotable quotes.

To make the most of these thinking quotes, see if you can find three thinking quotes that you can use in some way or at least make you think.

There are no right answers here, only growth and greatness.

Here’s to your excellence.

Top 10 Quotes on Thinking

• “A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices.” — William James
• “Clear thinking requires courage rather than intelligence.” — Thomas Szasz
• “ Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?” — Winnie the Pooh
• “Few minds wear out; more rust out.” — Christian N. Bovee
• “ It is well for people who think, to change their minds occasionally in order to keep them clean.” — Luther Burbank
• “Language shapes the way we think, and determines what we can think about.” — Benjamin Lee Whorf
• “Misery is almost always the result of thinking.” — Joseph Joubert
• “Most of the mistakes in thinking are inadequacies of perception rather than mistakes of logic.” — Edward de Bono
• “Thought is the blossom; language the bud; action the fruit behind it.” —  Ralph Waldo Emerson
• “What we think, we become.” — Buddha

While that’s a useful bunch to have under your belt, and you may have heard of many of these before, now take a waltz through the garden below and be sure to stop and smell the thinking quotes that bloom brightest for you.

Best Quotes on Thinking

Here is a collection of thinking quotes from A – Z for your browsing pleasure …

“A bookstore is one of the only pieces of evidence we have that people are still thinking.”

— Jerry Seinfeld

“ A good listener is usually thinking about something else.”

— Kin Hubbard

“A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices.”

— William James

“A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong gives it a superficial appearance of being right.”

— Thomas Paine

“A man is but the product of his thoughts what he thinks, he becomes.”

— Mahatma Gandhi

“A man who as a physical being is always turned toward the outside, thinking that his happiness lies outside him, finally turns inward and discovers that the source is within him.”

— Soren Kierkegaard

“A man who does not think for himself does not think at all.”

— Oscar Wilde

“An idea is always a generalization, and generalization is a property of thinking. To generalize means to think.”

— Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel

“A real decision is measured by the fact that you’ve taken a new action. If there’s no action, you haven’t truly decided.”

— Tony Robbins

“A sect or party is an elegant incognito devised to save a man from the vexation of thinking.”

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

“And these little things may not seem like much but after a while they take you off on a direction where you may be a long way off from what other people have been thinking about.”

— Roger Penrose

“And we’re seeing a higher level of consciousness and many more opportunities for people to challenge their present ways of thinking and move into a grander and larger experience of who they really are.”

— Neale Donald Walsch

“Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking.”

— Albert Einstein

“ As you begin changing your thinking, start immediately to change your behavior. Begin to act the part of the person you would like to become. Take action on your behavior. Too many people want to feel, then take action. This never works.”

— John Maxwell

“At a certain age some people’s minds close up; they live on their intellectual fat.”

–William Lyon Phelps

“Begin challenging your own assumptions.  Your assumptions are your windows on the world.  Scrub them off every once in awhile, or the light won’t come in.”

— Alan Alda

“Belief is when someone else does the thinking.”

— Buckminster Fuller

“Believing is easier than thinking.  Hence so many more believers than thinkers.”

— Bruce Calvert

“Better to be without logic than without feeling.”

— Charlotte Bronte

“Building art is a synthesis of life in materialized form. We should try to bring in under the same hat not a splintered way of thinking, but all in harmony together.”

— Alvar Aalto

“Clear thinking requires courage rather than intelligence.”

— Thomas Szasz

“Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?”

— Winnie the Pooh

“Don’t be seduced into thinking that that which does not make a profit is without value.”

— Arthur Miller

“Don’t think. Thinking is the enemy of creativity. It’s self-conscious, and anything self-conscious is lousy. You can’t try to do things. You simply must do things.”

— Ray Bradbury

“Doubt is not a pleasant state of mind, but certainty is absurd.”

— Voltaire

“Every great and deep difficulty bears in itself its own solution. It forces us to change our thinking in order to find it.”

— Niels Bohr

“Faith is an oasis in the heart which will never be reached by the caravan of thinking.”

— Khalil Gibran

“Fame usually comes to those who are thinking about something else.”

— Oliver Wendell Holmes

“Few minds wear out; more rust out.”

— Christian N. Bovee

“Few people think more than two or three times a year; I have made an international reputation for myself by thinking once or twice a week.”

— George Bernard Shaw

“Get into a line that you will find to be a deep personal interest, something you really enjoy spending twelve to fifteen hours a day working at, and the rest of the time thinking about.”

— Earl Nightingale

“Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.”

— Rick Warren

“I am neither bitter nor cynical but I do wish there was less immaturity in political thinking.”

— Franklin D. Roosevelt

“I am not what I think. I am thinking what I think.”

— Eric Butterworth

“I began to realize that thinking itself is nothing but the process of asking and answering questions.”

“I cannot cure myself of that most woeful of youth’s follies – thinking that those who care about us will care for the things that mean much to us.”

— David Herbert Lawrence

“I don’t pretend we have all the answers. But the questions are certainly worth thinking about.”

— Arthur C. Clarke

“I don’t think the human mind can comprehend the past and the future. They are both just illusions that can manipulate you into thinking theres some kind of change.”

— Bob Dylan

“I grew up thinking that whatever I wanted to do, I could do.”

— Victoria Principal

“I have a different way of thinking. I think synergistically. I’m not linear in thinking, I’m not very logical.”

— Imelda Marcos

“I have things in my head that are not like what anyone has taught me – shapes and ideas so near to me – so natural to my way of being and thinking that it hasn’t occurred to me to put them down.”

— Georgia O’Keeffe

“I knew I was a winner back in the late sixties. I knew I was destined for great things. People will say that kind of thinking is totally immodest. I agree. Modesty is not a word that applies to me in any way – I hope it never will.”

— Arnold Schwarzenegger

“I like thinking big. If you’re going to be thinking anything, you might as well think big.”

— Donald Trump

“ I like to think of thoughts as living blossoms borne by the human tree.”

— James Douglas

“I like what the future holds. I don’t like thinking about the past.”

— John Cale

“I must write it all out, at any cost. Writing is thinking. It is more than living, for it is being conscious of living.”

— Anne Morrow Lindbergh

“I once tried thinking for an entire day, but I found it less valuable than one moment of study.”

— Xun Zi

“I really wish I was less of a thinking man and more of a fool not afraid of rejection.”

— Billy Joel

“I succeeded by saying what everyone else is thinking.”

— Joan Rivers

“I think and think for months and years. Ninety-nine times, the conclusion is false. The hundredth time I am right.”

—  Albert Einstein

“I think of life as a good book. The further you get into it, the more it begins to make sense.”

— Harold Kushner

“ I was thinking that we all learn by experience, but some of us have to go to summer school.”

— Peter De Vries

“I’m against fashionable thinking.”

— Herman Kahn

“I’ve never responded well to entrenched negative thinking.”

— David Bowie

“If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn’t thinking.”

— George S. Patton

“If I look confused it is because I am thinking.”

— Samuel Goldwyn

“If the track is tough and the hill is rough, thinking you can just ain’t enough!”

— Shel Silverstein

“If you keep thinking about what you want to do or what you hope will happen, you don’t do it, and it won’t happen.”

— Desiderius Erasmus

“If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end; if you look for comfort you will not get either comfort or truth only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin, and in the end, despair.”

—  C.S. Lewis

“If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done.”

— Bruce Lee

“In dwelling, live close to the ground. In thinking, keep to the simple. In conflict, be fair and generous. In governing, don’t try to control. In work, do what you enjoy. In family life, be completely present.”

— Lao Tzu

“It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers.”

— James Thurber

“It is by not always thinking of yourself, if you can manage it, that you might somehow be happy. Until you make room in your life for someone as important to you as yourself, you will always be searching and lost.”

— Richard Bach

“It is neither good nor bad, but thinking makes it so.”

— William Shakespeare

“It is no good getting furious if you get stuck. What I do is keep thinking about the problem but work on something else. Sometimes it is years before I see the way forward. In the case of information loss and black holes, it was 29 years.”

— Stephen Hawking

“It is well for people who think, to change their minds occasionally in order to keep them clean.”

— Luther Burbank

“It’s not the events that shape my life that determine how I feel and act, but, rather, it’s the way I interpret and evaluate my life experiences.”

“Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.”

“Language shapes the way we think, and determines what we can think about.”

— Benjamin Lee Whorf

“Let our advance worrying become advance thinking and planning.”

— Winston Churchill

“Let your performance do the thinking.”

“Life consists in what a man is thinking of all day.”

“Living is like tearing through a museum. Not until later do you really start absorbing what you saw, thinking about it, looking it up in a book, and remembering – because you can’t take it in all at once.”

— Audrey Hepburn

“Logic teaches rules for presentation, not thinking.”

— Mason Cooley

“ Logic: The art of thinking and reasoning in strict accordance with the limitations and incapacities of the human misunderstanding.”

— Ambrose Bierce

“ Man can alter his life by altering his thinking.”

“Man falls from the pursuit of the ideal of plan living and high thinking the moment he wants to multiply his daily wants. Man’s happiness really lies in contentment.”

— Mohandas Gandhi

“Man is but a reed, the most feeble thing in nature, but he is a thinking reed.”

— Blaise Pascal

“Masterpieces are not single and solitary births; they are the outcome of many years of thinking in common, of thinking by the body of the people, so that the experience of the mass is behind the single voice.”

— Virginia Woolf

“Meditation is the dissolution of thoughts in Eternal awareness or Pure consciousness without objectification, knowing without thinking, merging finitude in infinity.”

“Men always do leave off really thinking, when the last bit of wild animal dies in them.”

“Men can live without air a few minutes, without water for about two weeks, without food for about two months – and without a new thought for years on end.”

— Kent Ruth

“Mental fight means thinking against the current, not with it. It is our business to puncture gas bags and discover the seeds of truth.”

“Misery is almost always the result of thinking.”

— Joseph Joubert

“Most of one’s life is one prolonged effort to prevent oneself thinking.”

— Aldous Huxley

“Most of the mistakes in thinking are inadequacies of perception rather than mistakes of logic.”

— Edward de Bono

“Most people are prisoners, thinking only about the future or living in the past. They are not in the present, and the present is where everything begins.”

— Carlos Santana

“Most people are unable to write because they are unable to think, and they are unable to think because they congenitally lack the equipment to do so, just as they congenitally lack the equipment to fly over the moon.”

—  Henry Louis Mencken

“My definition of an intellectual is someone who can listen to the William Tell Overture without thinking of the Lone Ranger.”

— Billy Connolly

“My hand is the extension of the thinking process – the creative process.”

— Tadao Ando

“My thought is me: that is why I cannot stop thinking. I exist because I think I cannot keep from thinking.”

— Jean-Paul Sartre

“No amount of energy will take the place of thought.  A strenuous life with its eyes shut is a kind of wild insanity.”

— Henry Van Dyke

“No matter where you go or what you do, you live your entire life within the confines of your head.” — Terry Josephson

“No problem can be solved until it is reduced to some simple form. The changing of a vague difficulty into a specific, concrete form is a very essential element in thinking.”

— J. P. Morgan

“No problem can withstand the assault of sustained thinking.”

“Nothing comes merely by thinking about it.”

— John Wanamaker

“Nothing is more conducive to peace of mind than not having any opinion at all.”

— G.C. Lichtenberg

“Often the hands will solve a mystery that the intellect has struggled with in vain.”

— Carl G. Jung

“One ought to look a good deal at oneself before thinking of condemning others.”

“Opinion is that exercise of the human will which helps us to make a decision without information.”

— John Erskine

“Our job is not to make up anybody’s mind, but to open minds and to make the agony of the decision-making so intense you can escape only by thinking.”

— Anonymous

“Our minds are lazier than our bodies.”

— François, Duc de La Rochefoucauld

“Our thinking and our behaviour are always in anticipation of a response. It is therefore fear-based.”

— Deepak Chopra

“ Ours is the age which is proud of machines that think and suspicious of men who try to.”

— Howard Mumford Jones

“People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use.”

“People mistakenly assume that their thinking is done by their head; it is actually done by the heart which first dictates the conclusion, then commands the head to provide the reasoning that will defend it.”

—  Anthony de Mello

“People who say they don’t care what people think are usually desperate to have people think they don’t care what people think.”

— George Carlin

“Physiological response to thinking and to pain is the same; and man is not given to hurting himself.”

— Martin H. Fischer

“Positive anything is better than negative nothing.”

— Elbert Hubbard

“Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.” — Zig Ziglar

“Pressure is a word that is misused in our vocabulary. When you start thinking of pressure, it’s because you’ve started to think of failure.”

— Tommy Lasorda

“Pride is pleasure arising from a man’s thinking too highly of himself.”

— Baruch Spinoza

“Principles and rules are intended to provide a thinking man with a frame of reference.”

— Karl Von Clausewitz

“Reading furnishes the mind only with materials of knowledge; it is thinking that makes what we read ours.”

— John Locke

“Reading is equivalent to thinking with someone else’s head instead of with one’s own.”

— Arthur Schopenhauer

“Reading without reflecting is like eating without digesting.”

— Edmund Burke

“Romance is thinking about your significant other, when you are supposed to be thinking about something else.”

— Nicholas Sparks

“ Sad people dislike the happy, and the happy the sad; the quick thinking the sedate, and the careless the busy and industrious.”

“Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge.”

— Carl Sagan

“Self-worth comes from one thing – thinking that you are worthy.”

— Wayne Dyer

“Sixty minutes of thinking of any kind is bound to lead to confusion and unhappiness.”

“Some people get lost in thought because it’s such unfamiliar territory.”

— G. Behn

“Some people do not become thinkers simply because their memories are too good.”

— Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

“Some years ago, I wrote a book called the Emperor’s New Mind and that book was describing a point of view I had about consciousness and why it was not something that comes about from complicated calculations.”

“Sometimes I think and other times I am.”

— Paul Valéry

“Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose.”

— Bill Gates

“Take time to deliberate, but when the time for action has arrived, stop thinking and go in.”

— Napoleon Bonaparte

“Talking with a friend is nothing else but thinking aloud.”

— Joseph Addison

“The act of putting pen to paper encourages pause for thought, this in turn makes us think more deeply about life, which helps us regain our equilibrium.”

— Norbet Platt

“ The average man never really thinks from end to end of his life.  The mental activity of such people is only a mouthing of clichés.”

— H.L. Mencken

“The best ideas come as jokes. Make your thinking as funny as possible.”

— David Ogilvy

“The best thinking has been done in solitude. The worst has been done in turmoil.”

— Thomas A. Edison

“ The best way of forgetting how you think you feel is to concentrate on what you know you know.”

— Mary Stewart

“The conventional view serves to protect us from the painful job of thinking.”

— John Kenneth Galbraith

“The forceps of our minds are clumsy things and crush the truth a little in the course of taking hold of it.”

— H.G. Wells

“The ‘how’ thinker gets problems solved effectively because he wastes no time with futile ‘ifs’.”

—  Norman Vincent Peale

“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.”

— Alice Walker

“The most successful politician is he who says what the people are thinking most often in the loudest voice.”

— Theodore Roosevelt

“The most thought-provoking thing in our thought-provoking time is that we are still not thinking.”

— Martin Heidegger

“ The only place where your dream becomes impossible is in your own thinking.”

— Robert H. Schuller

“ The reason why so few people are agreeable in conversation is that each is thinking more about what he intends to say than others are saying.”

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“The secret of living a life of excellence is merely a matter of thinking thoughts of excellence. Really, it’s a matter of programming our minds with the kind of information that will set us free.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

“The third-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking with the majority. The second-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking with the minority. The first-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking.”

— A. A. Milne

“The thoughts that come often unsought, and, as it were, drop into the mind, are commonly the most valuable of any we have.”

“The trouble with most people is that they think with their hopes or fears or wishes rather than with their minds.”

— Will Durant

“ The use of travelling is to regulate imagination by reality, and instead of thinking how things may be, to see them as they are.”

— Samuel Johnson

“The way we communicate with others and with ourselves ultimately determines the quality of our lives.”

“The whole of science is nothing more than a refinement of everyday thinking.”

“The world we have created is a product of our thinking; it cannot be changed without changing our thinking.”

“There are different rules for reading, for thinking, and for talking. Writing blends all three of them.”

“ There are some days I practice positive thinking, and other days I’m not positive I am thinking.”

— John M. Eades

“There are two distinct classes of what are called thoughts: those that we produce in ourselves by reflection and the act of thinking and those that bolt into the mind of their own accord.”

“There are very many people who read simply to prevent themselves from thinking.”

— Georg C. Lichtenberg

“There is a magnet in your heart that will attract true friends. That magnet is unselfishness, thinking of others first; when you learn to live for others, they will live for you.”

— Paramahansa Yogananda

“There is an art of reading, as well as an art of thinking, and an art of writing.”

— Clarence Day

“ There is no expedient to which a man will not go to avoid the labor of thinking.”

“Think for yourselves and let others enjoy the privilege to do so, too.” – Voltaire

“Thinking about the universe has now been handed over to specialists. The rest of us merely read about it.”

— Mason Cooley

“Thinking begins only when we have come to know that reason, glorified for centuries, is the stiff-necked adversary of thought.”

“Thinking in its lower grades is comparable to paper money, and in its higher forms it is a kind of poetry.”

— Havelock Ellis

“Thinking is like loving and dying.  Each of us must do it for himself.”

— Josiah Royce

“Thinking is more interesting than knowing, but less interesting than looking.”

— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

“ Thinking is one thing no one has ever been able to tax.”

— Charles Kettering

“Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it.”

— Henry Ford

“Thinking is easy, acting is difficult, and to put one’s thoughts into action is the most difficult thing in the world.”

“Thinking isn’t agreeing or disagreeing. That’s voting.”

— Robert Frost

“Thinking will not overcome fear but action will.”

— W. Clement Stone

“ Thinking: the talking of the soul with itself.”

“Those who know how to think need no teachers.”

“Thought is action in rehearsal.” — Anonymous“Thought is the blossom; language the bud; action the fruit behind it.”

—  Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Thoughts lead on to purpose, purpose leads on to actions, actions form habits, habits decide character, and character fixes our destiny.”

— Tryon Edwards

“Thoughts, like fleas, jump from man to man.  But they don’t bite everybody.”

— Stanislaw Lec

“To be a real philosopher all that is necessary is to hate some one else’s type of thinking.”

“To do anything truly worth doing, I must not stand back shivering and thinking of the cold and danger, but jump in with gusto and scramble through as well as I can.”

— Og Mandino

“ To get others to come into our ways of thinking, we must go over to theirs; and it is necessary to follow, in order to lead.”

— William Hazlitt

“Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.”

— John F. Kennedy

“Try not thinking of peeling an orange. Try not imagining the juice running down your fingers, the soft inner part of the peel. The smell. Try and you can’t. The brain doesn’t process negatives.”

— Doug Coupland

“Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.”

— Marcus Aurelius

“We are formed and molded by our thoughts. Those whose minds are shaped by selfless thoughts give joy when they speak or act. Joy follows them like a shadow that never leaves them.”

—  Buddha

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”

“We get into the habit of living before acquiring the habit of thinking. In that race which daily hastens us towards death, the body maintains its irreparable lead.”

— Albert Camus

“We teach people that they upset themselves. We can’t change the past, so we change how people are thinking, feeling and behaving today.”

— Albert Ellis

“What then do you call your soul? What idea have you of it? You cannot of yourselves, without revelation, admit the existence within you of anything but a power unknown to you of feeling and thinking.”

“When I get ready to talk to people, I spend two thirds of the time thinking what they want to hear and one third thinking about what I want to say.”

— Abraham Lincoln

“ When men yield up the privilege of thinking, the last shadow of liberty quits the horizon.”

“ When people talk of the freedom of writing, speaking or thinking I cannot choose but laugh. No such thing ever existed. No such thing now exists; but I hope it will exist. But it must be hundreds of years after you and I shall write and speak no more.”

— John Adams

“When the mind is thinking it is talking to itself.”

“ When we quit thinking primarily about ourselves and our own self-preservation, we undergo a truly heroic transformation of consciousness.”

— Joseph Campbell

“When you control a man’s thinking you do not have to worry about his actions.”

— Carter G. Woodson

“ Why should we think upon things that are lovely? Because thinking determines life. It is a common habit to blame life upon the environment. Environment modifies life but does not govern life. The soul is stronger than its surroundings.”

“Writing and learning and thinking are the same process.”

— William Zinsser

“Writing, to me, is simply thinking through my fingers.”

— Isaac Asimov

“You and I are not what we eat; we are what we think.”

— Walter Anderson

“You are educated. Your certification is in your degree. You may think of it as the ticket to the good life. Let me ask you to think of an alternative. Think of it as your ticket to change the world.”

—  Tom Brokaw

“You cannot simply put something new into a place. You have to absorb what you see around you, what exists on the land, and then use that knowledge along with contemporary thinking to interpret what you see.”

“You must continue to gain expertise, but avoid thinking like an expert.”

— Denis Waitley

“You sort of start thinking anything’s possible if you’ve got enough nerve.”

— J. K. Rowling

“Zen does not confuse spirituality with thinking about God while one is peeling potatoes. Zen spirituality is just to peel the potatoes.”

— Alan Watts

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Below you will find our collection of inspirational, wise, and humorous old critical thinking quotes, critical thinking sayings, and critical thinking proverbs, collected over the years from a variety of sources.

If there was one life skill everyone on the planet needed, it was the ability to think with critical objectivity Josh Lanyon

The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks. Christopher Hitchens

The purpose of critical thinking is rethinking: that is, reviewing, evaluating, and revising thought. Jon Stratton

Critical thinking relies on content, because you can't navigate masses of information if you have nothing to navigate to. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek

We seem to have trouble with critical thinking. And our political system doesn't help. Barack Obama

Most people do not have a problem with you thinking for yourself, as long as your conclusions are the same as or at least compatible with their beliefs. Mokokoma Mokhonoana

The insecure leader will interpret critical thinking as critiscism. Andy Stanley

Critical Thinking has the potential to be a deeply creative process. Pearl Zhu

You have a brain and mind of your own. Use it, and reach your own decisions. Napoleon Hill

Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason so few engage in it. Henry Ford

We put too much of a premium on presenting and not enough on substance and critical thinking. Susan Cain

No problem can withstand the assault of sustained thinking. Voltaire

Negative thinking creates clouds at critical decision times. John C. Maxwell

Ignorance is always ready to admire itself. Procure yourself critical friends. Nicolas Boileau

For students, the evolution-creation discussion can be a useful exercise, for it can help develop their critical thinking skills. Ken Ham

All of the common core standards stuff about critical reading and critical thinking and so on can only be positive. James W. Loewen

Do not indoctrinate your children. Teach them how to think for themselves, how to evaluate evidence, and how to disagree with you. Richard Dawkins

Believe what you like, but don't believe everything you read without questioning it. Pauline Baynes

It's sort of a mental attitude about critical thinking and curiosity. It's about mindset of looking at the world in a playful and curious and creative way. Adam Savage

You need to answer questions on where, when and what to do Sunday Adelaja

Simply disabling specific critical thinking skills is all that is necessary for the god virus to take control of a person. Darrel Ray

The most fundamental attack on freedom is the attack on critical thinking skills. Travis Nichols

To some people critical thinking means you mustn't be critical of them only others Rassool Jibraeel Snyman

There is nothing more Islamic than critical thinking. Tariq Ramadan

Instead of complaining, discover ways, tactics and tricks on how to reach out to people Sunday Adelaja

Losing your job releases you to think effectively and make rational decisions Sunday Adelaja

The ability to reflect is associated with critical thinking and reasoning ability. And the capacity to be alone is one of the highest levels of development. It's important to know how to self-soothe and be confident of other people's love even when they're not there in front of you. Laurie Helgoe

Nothing is more conductive to peace of mind than not having any opinions at all. Georg Christoph Lichtenberg

Critical thinking is to a liberal education as faith is to religion. ... the converse was true also - faith is to a liberal education as critical thinking is to religion, irrelevant and even damaging. Jane Smiley

It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. Aristotle

Critical thinking is what leads to the next breakthroughs in any area. Roberta Michnick Golinkoff

It is especially important to encourage unorthodox thinking when the situation is critical Boris Yeltsin

Too often we give children answers to remember rather than problems to solve. Roger Lewin

Learn to use your brain power. Critical thinking is the key to creative problem solving in business. Richard Branson

What I'm looking for in my interaction is critical thinking on the part of the person pitching to me. Brad Feld

Discourse and critical thinking are essential tools when it comes to securing progress in a democratic society. But in the end, unity and engaged participation are what make it happen. Aberjhani

To learn that it's easier to be told by others what to think and believe than it is to think for yourself. Neil deGrasse Tyson

In unanimity there may well be either cowardice or uncritical thinking. Donald Rumsfeld

Keeping an open mind is a virtue, but not so open that your brains fall out. Bertrand Russell

Thinking isn't to agree or disagree-that's voting. Robert Frost

Where all men think alike, no man thinks very much. Walter Lippmann

There is no expedient to which a man will not go to avoid the labor of thinking. Thomas A. Edison

Life has taught me to think, but thinking has not taught me to live. Alexander Herzen

A man thinks as well through his legs and arms as his brain. Thoreau

Our is an age which is proud of machines that think, and suspicious of the men who try to. Howard Mumford Jones

There are two ways to slide easily through life: to believe everything or to doubt everything; both ways save us from thinking. Alfred Korzybski

Thinking is more interesting than knowing, but less interesting than looking. Goethe

Life always gives you plenty to think about, but seldom enough to think with. Evan Esar

The more we think of some people, the less we think of them. Evan Esar

For every man who is always telling you what he thinks, there is another who is always telling you what others think. Evan Esar

Many a man who thinks he is thinking, is merely digesting yesterday's newspaper. Evan Esar

Your way of thinking starts with individual thoughts, whether good, bad or ugly. John A. Andrews

I refused to let small thinking chart my course in life. John A. Andrews

If we think with a mindset of giving, we entertain abundance, and if we think with an attitude of withholding, we invite lack. As the source gives to the stream so ought the stream to impart to the ocean. John A. Andrews

Critical thinking involves first discovering the who, what, when, and how of things. Bell Hooks

Critical thinkers are clear as to the purpose at hand and the question at issue. Bell Hooks

Critical thinking is an interactive process, one that demands participation on the part of teacher and students alike. Bell Hooks

Keeping an open mind is an essential requirement of critical thinking. Bell Hooks

Critical thinking requires us to use our imagination, seeing things from perspectives other than our own and envisioning the likely consequences of our position. Bell Hooks

We all use thinking skills everyday to help us learn, make decisions, and solve problems. Ellie Weiler

Critical thinking skills are the foundation for all other types of learning. Ellie Weiler

Unlike current events, thinking skills never change. Ellie Weiler

Once thinking skills are mastered, students are able to tackle new challenges with the ability to think them through and discover solutions. Ellie Weiler

Critical thinking is essential as a tool of inquiry. Aveyard

Critical thinking is a liberating force in education and a powerful resource in one's personal and civic life. Aveyard

While not synonymous with good thinking, critical thinking is a pervasive and self-rectifying human phenomenon. Aveyard

Critical thinkers are able to look for flaws in argument and resist claims that have no support. Aveyard

Critical thinkers are more likely to engage in productive and positive activity due to their continual questioning of their knowledge, assumptions and perspectives. Aveyard

5 Critical Thinking Quotes That Will Instantly Sharpen Your Mind

Anthony metivier.

• June 14, 2021
• Critical Thinking

Let’s fix that right now.

I taught critical thinking for four years and here are some of the quotes I’ve never forgotten.

They helped me improve my thinking and many others too.

Let’s dive in.

The 5 Best Critical Thinking Quotes For People Who Want Laser Sharp Minds

Is there a best place to start?

I believe so.

It’s with humility. 

One: Start With What You Don’t Know

And Socrates was one of the first to nail down just how important humility is if you want to think well.

“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.”

This is probably one of the first and most important logical thinking quotes. 

It makes mathematical sense, for one thing.  

There’s so much to know, and only one life to live. 

By being intellectually honest that there will always be more to learn than any individual person could ever hope to know, you’ll be more open to collaborating with others.

And that’s exactly what Socrates did, leading to Plato’s Dialogues. It is one of the finest examples of collaborative thinking history has ever produced. 

Remember this quote and repeat it often. It will keep you open, curious and humble.

Two: An Imperfect Circle Only You Can Fix

Few people know the name Wilfred Bion now, but he was an important psychoanalyst in his time. In fact, he was even president of the British Psychoanalytical Society for some time.

When he noted that “thinking has to be called into existence to cope with thoughts,” Bion hit on something very important. It’s the core of what spiritual traditions have been struggling with for thousands of years: psychological suffering.

What Bion is essentially talking about is meta thinking or meta cognition. And as he warned his fellow psychoanalysts, how we think about thinking can either create more suffering or the release from suffering.

So as a quick exercise, ask yourself: Does how you think about your thinking increase or reduce your suffering? 

If you’re having problems, give this TEDx Talk and its simple suggestion a try:

By practicing an awareness of the difference between your thoughts and your thoughts about your thoughts, great peace and better thinking is possible.

As Bion says, you can call simple thoughts into existence to “neutralize” the thoughts that cause distress.

Three: The Reality Check

Marcus Aurelius does not strike me as a depressed person. 

But he certainly was a realistic person. And as a morning exercise, he reminded himself of all the good things in the world, without leaving out the bad.

Let’s look at the full quote in context:

“When you wake up in the morning, tell yourself: the people I deal with today will be meddling, ungrateful, arrogant, dishonest, jealous and surly. They are like this because they can’t tell good from evil. But I have seen the beauty of good, and the ugliness of evil, and have recognized that the wrongdoer has a nature related to my own – not of the same blood and birth, but the same mind, and possessing a share of the divine. And so none of them can hurt me. No one can implicate me in ugliness. Nor can I feel angry at my relative, or hate him. We were born to work together like feet, hands and eyes, like the two rows of teeth, upper and lower. To obstruct each other is unnatural. To feel anger at someone, to turn your back on him: these are unnatural.”

― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

Why commit this quote to memory? 

The answer is simple:

To keep yourself balanced and to think critically as you go throughout your day. 

Inspired by Marcus Aurelius, I think of it this way:

The scales of justice are constantly thrown out of balance. Being ignorant of that fact helps no one. But cultivating discernment about this truth can help us better navigate the world. 

Four: Cherish And Seek Originality

A lot of people copied Nikola Tesla. 

But instead of getting mad, he said:

“I don’t care that they stole my idea …  I care that they don’t have any of their own.”

What makes this a great quote about critical thinking?

Tesla noticed the real behavior and the real problem. 

In a word, a lot of people suffer from scarcity-thinking. They don’t believe in themselves. And that leads them into behaviors that reduce their abilities to generate unique ideas.

Tesla, like Einstein, practiced something like image streaming . 

And not just for a few minutes. The practice went on over years. 

As Einstein said, ““It is not that I’m so smart. But I stay with the questions much longer.”

As a result of sticking with visualization and working through problems longer than others were willing to do, powerful ideas emerged. These ideas went on to positively impact millions of people.

Tesla knew that if only more people would engage in deeper thinking, they would not have to steal the ideas of others.

That said, there’s nothing wrong with getting inspired by others. Check out these critical thinking examples if you need a starting point for coming up with ideas of your own.

Five: Don’t Settle Too Quickly

Joseph Joubert knew the dangers of deciding too quickly. As the inspector-general of universities for Napoleon, it was his job to ensure that intellectual conversations were flourishing. 

More importantly, he wanted to make sure that debates continued to happen, especially when certain parties wanted to shut them down.

That’s why he said:

“It is better to debate a question without settling it than to settle a question without debating it.”

The next time you find yourself dodging an argument, stop and remember this quote. Debating is almost always worth it, even if you cannot always come to a consensus. 

A Few Resources That Help You Take Action From These Quotes on Critical Thinking

Going over famous critical thinking quotes is one thing.

Remembering them forever is another. 

If you’d like to commit these quotes to memory, I suggest you learn how to use a Memory Palace . It’s a fun and easy way to use a location (like your home or a classroom) to remember any information. 

Here’s where to learn all about the technique with some videos and worksheets:

For more on critical thinking, check out these resources:

• 11 Benefits of Critical Thinking That Rapidly Improve Your Life
• 9 Critical Thinking Strategies That Lifelong Learners Need To Know
• Reflective Thinking: 5 Powerful Thought Strategies For Improving Your Life
• The 7 Main Types Of Thinking (And How To Improve Them)
• Independent Thinking: 7 Tips On Becoming An Individual Thinker
• 3 Ways to Improve Your Reasoning Skills (With Examples)
• How to Think Logically (And Permanently Solve Serious Problems)
• Objective vs. Subjective Reasoning: Everything You Need to Know
• How to Think Faster And Avoid 9 Mistakes You Don’t Know You’re Making

I hope you enjoy going through them.

Why bother?

Well, as I often like to say (another quote for you): 

“Content may be king, but context is god.”

The more you know, the more you can know, especially when you read these critical thinking books .

One more before we go:

“I don’t write a book so that it will be the final word; I write a book so that other books are possible, not necessarily written by me.” ― Michel Foucault

Like Foucault, I write these blog posts so that posts from others become possible.

So let me know in the comments:

What are your favorite quotes about thinking? And why have they created an impact in your life?

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145 Thinking Quotes To Make You More Thoughtful

By Maxime Lagacé

Maxime is the founder of WisdomQuotes. He has been collecting quotes since 2004. His goal? To help you develop a calm and peaceful mind. Learn more about him on his about page .

Here are 145 of the most inspiring thinking quotes. And please keep in mind: if you think each day, you’ll solve 90% of your problems. The problem is that most people live on autopilot. So slow down, and think about these quotes. Enjoy!

If everyone is thinking alike, then no one is thinking. Benjamin Franklin

You were born with the greatest weapon in all of nature — the rational, conscious mind. Robert Greene

To think is easy. To act is difficult. To act as one thinks is the most difficult of all. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

The student reflects rarely and unconsciously. The smart reflects daily and consciously. The master let it go. Maxime Lagacé

Right thinking comes with self-knowledge. Without understanding yourself, you have no basis for thought. Jiddu Krishnamurti

There is no conversation more boring than the one where everybody agrees. Michel de Montaigne

Think for yourself, not of yourself. Think of others, not for others. Naval Ravikant

I insist on a lot of time being spent, almost every day, to just sit and think. Warren Buffett

We waste our time with short term thinking and busywork. Warren Buffett spends a year deciding and a day acting. That act lasts decades. Naval Ravikant

We like it when other people agree with us, which is why we rarely say what we are thinking. Shane Parrish

An opinion should be the result of thought, not a substitute for it. Jef Mallett

Writing is not the most important thing; thinking is. But writing is probably the best way to improve your thinking. Matt Mullenweg

Every deep thinker is more afraid of being understood than of being misunderstood. Friedrich Nietzsche

Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought. John F. Kennedy

If you can think and speak and write, you are absolutely deadly, nothing can get in your way. Jordan Peterson

• 65 Growth Mindset Quotes (To Improve Your Life)
• 75 Understanding Quotes To Bring Clarity Into Your Life
• 77 Intelligence Quotes (From The Best Minds Ever)

The Best Thinking Quotes

The best thinking is rethinking. Shane Parrish

As soon as you have made a thought, laugh at it. Lao Tzu

The person who consistently makes you think, is the most undervalued person in your life. Shane Parrish

Thinking is the ability to strip away what doesn’t matter from a situation so you can see what does matter. Shane Parrish

Spend at least one hour a day thinking . Just thinking, alone, in silence. No music. No book. No one. Your mind gets clearer. Your relationships get healthier. Your life gets better. @orangebook_

The snake which cannot cast its skin has to die. As well the minds which are prevented from changing their opinions; they cease to be mind. Friedrich Nietzsche

New opinions are always suspected, and usually opposed, without any other reason but because they are not common. John Locke

If you overthink you become stressed and confused. If you think too little they will think for you. Maxime Lagacé

Anxiety is thought without control. Flow is control without thought. James Clear

The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift. Albert Einstein

Few men think, yet all will have opinions. Hence men’s opinions are superficial and confused. John Locke

I think (too much), therefore I am (not there to live my life). Thich Nhat Hanh

Most people would sooner die than think; in fact, they do so. Bertrand Russell

Regular minds find similarities in stories (and situations); finer minds detect differences. Nassim Nicholas Taleb ( The Bed of Procrustes , Amazon book)

Think for yourself. Some people see warnings signs when they are alone. I see warning signs in a crowd. Maxime Lagacé

As a rule, you must always reserve the right to laugh the next day at your thoughts of the previous night. Napoleon Bonaparte

We only labor to stuff the memory, and leave the conscience and the understanding unfurnished and void. Michel de Montaigne

Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers. Voltaire

Thinking too little about things or thinking too much both make us obstinate and fanatical. Blaise Pascal

One of the painful signs of years of dumbed-down education is how many people are unable to make a coherent argument. They can vent their emotions, question other people’s motives, make bold assertions, repeat slogans – anything except reason. Thomas Sowell

Don’t just follow people because you agree with what they think. Follow them because you’re intrigued by how they think – and how they make you think. Adam Grant

The task is not so much to see what no one has seen, but to think what nobody has yet thought, about that which everybody sees. Erwin Schrödinger

If you’re overthinking, write. If you’re underthinking, read. Alex Wieckowski ( Source )

Learning how to think really means learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think. David Foster Wallace

It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. Aristotle

Good that you ask – you should always ask, always have doubts. Hermann Hesse

Part 2. Thinking Quotes That Are…

The most famous thinking quotes.

Go to table of contents

I think, therefore I am. René Descartes

To know what people really think, observe what they do, not what they say. René Descartes

The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud. Coco Chanel

Combinatory play seems to be the essential feature in productive thought. Albert Einstein ( Related : How To Boost Your Creativity The Einstein Way—With Combinatory Play , blog.trello.com)

We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them. Albert Einstein

People don’t like to think, if one thinks, one must reach conclusions. Conclusions are not always pleasant. Helen Keller

Think for yourself and let others enjoy the privilege of doing so too. Voltaire

Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t – you’re right. Henry Ford

In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual. Galileo Galilei

Take time to deliberate, but when the time for action comes, stop thinking and go in. Napoleon Bonaparte

All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking. Friedrich Nietzsche

I still live, I still think: I still have to live, for I still have to think. Friedrich Nietzsche

Always aim at complete harmony of thought and word and deed. Always aim at purifying your thoughts and everything will be well. Mahatma Gandhi

Knowledge is real knowledge only when it is acquired by the efforts of your intellect, not by memory. Henry David Thoreau

Five percent of the people think; ten percent of the people think they think; and the other eighty-five percent would rather die than think. Thomas A. Edison

Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains. Steve Jobs

Thinking is easy, acting is difficult, and to put one’s thoughts into action is the most difficult thing in the world. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

We more readily confess to errors, mistakes and shortcomings in our conduct than in our thought. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Hold your council before dinner; the full belly hates thinking as well as acting. Benjamin Franklin

I don’t care what people think, because people don’t think. Kanye West

What we think, we become. Buddha

Short Thinking Quotes

Schedule time to think. Shane Parrish

Rewriting is rethinking. David Perell

Learn to enjoy silence. Maxime Lagacé

Learn to enjoy not thinking. @orangebook_

Don’t outsource your thinking. Angela Jiang

Overthinking, a.k.a. underacting. Jack Butcher

The less men think, the more they talk. Montesquieu

Much learning does not produce thought. Heraclitus

The best way to minimize risk is to think. Shane Parrish

Build your own judgment, don’t rely on anyone. @AmuseChimp

Thinking is the talking of the soul with itself. Plato

For the busy mind it is painful to stop and think. Shane Parrish

Wise? No, I simply learned to think. Christopher Paolini

Calm? No, I simply learned to watch my thoughts. Maxime Lagacé

Writing is the art of thinking clearly — on paper. Julian Shapiro

Idiots ‘think’ alike, intelligent people different. @AmuseChimp

Thinking is difficult, that’s why most people judge. Carl Jung

A man has free choice to the extent that he is rational. Thomas Aquinas

Think for yourself, with humility and compassion. Lex Fridman ( Source )

The best way to improve your ability to think is to spend time thinking. Shane Parrish

My position on most things is this: I could be wrong, but I think I’m right. Jack Peach

Just think. Just be quiet and think. It’d make all the difference in the world. Fred Rogers

A clear mind is both confident and curious, calm and loving, courageous and humble. Maxime Lagacé

Inspirational Thinking Quotes

You can achieve anything you want if you just change the way you think. Will you? Maxime Lagacé

Genius is finding the invisible link between things. Vladimir Nabokov

We shouldn’t be looking for heroes, we should be looking for good ideas. Noam Chomsky

Your best thoughts will come from being in flow and not thinking at all. Dan Go ( Source )

Closed in a room, my imagination becomes the universe, and the rest of the world is missing out. Criss Jami

It’s the most powerful weapon you can possibly provide someone with. Jordan Peterson (On thinking and writing)

It becomes clear when you love silence, boredom and hard work. For the wise it’s play. For the ordinary it’s hell. Maxime Lagacé

Think not so much of what you lack as of what you have: but of the things that you have, select the best, and then reflect how eagerly you would have sought them if you did not have them . Marcus Aurelius

A thinker sees his own actions as experiments and questions – as attempts to find out something. Success and failure are for him answers above all. Friedrich Nietzsche

You must learn to master a new way to think before you can master a new way to be. Marianne Williamson

Deep understanding requires deep thinking which requires focused time alone, away from the chatter of people online and offline. It requires staying with a single thought for a long time, focusing on it and developing it. In solitude is the genesis of great ideas. @TheAncientSage

What you think constantly becomes your reality. The seed of thought is converted into action and eventually becomes the tree of your being. @TheAncientSage

It’s only by concentrating, sticking to the question, being patient, letting all the parts of my mind come into play, that I arrive at an original idea. By giving my brain a chance to make associations, draw connections, take me by surprise. William Deresiewicz

A truth, an insight, which you have slowly and laboriously puzzled out by thinking for yourself could easily have been found already written in a book; but it is a hundred times more valuable if you have arrived at it by thinking for yourself. Arthur Schopenhauer

If you want to get smart, the question you have to keep asking is why, why, why, why? Charlie Munger

Related : “You NEED to LEARN to THINK!” – Jordan B. Peterson (11-minute YouTube video)

Funny Thinking Quotes

Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again? Winnie the Pooh

Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try! Dr. Seuss

The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. Terry Pratchett

I’ll be more enthusiastic about encouraging thinking outside the box when there’s evidence of any thinking going on inside it. Terry Pratchett

There is nothing wrong with standing back and thinking. To paraphrase several sages: “Nobody can think and hit someone at the same time”. Susan Sontag

Evidence shows that we do much less thinking than we believe we do — except, of course, when we think about it. Nassim Nicholas Taleb

You’ll have better thoughts staring at a wall than watching 24-hour news. Michael ( @mmay3r )

Stop looking for angels, and start looking for angles. Ryan Holiday

Many a man fails as an original thinker simply because his memory it too good. Friedrich Nietzsche

Our heads are round so thought can change direction. Allen Ginsberg

Deep Thinking Sayings

To dare a thought is to risk being wrong. James Dale Davidson ( The Sovereign Individual , Amazon book)

The people who don’t think are the ones who never listen. Haruki Murakami

Our judgment is amongst the most subtle things that power corrupts. Naval Ravikant

Many a serious thinker has been produced in prisons, where we have nothing to do but think. Robert Greene

Your hard work and focus will give you speed. Your thoughts and judgments will give you direction. Maxime Lagacé

If people cannot write well, they cannot think well. And if they cannot think well, others will do their thinking for them. George Orwell

Controlling your life starts with controlling your thoughts. Dan Go ( Source )

Your mind is working at its best when you’re being paranoid. You explore every avenue and possibility of your situation at high speed with total clarity. Banksy

If you make people think they’re thinking, they’ll love you; but if you really make them think, they’ll hate you. Harlan Ellison

The challenge of our time is relearning how to concentrate. The past decade has seen an unparalleled assault on our capacity to fix our minds steadily on anything. To sit still and think, without succumbing to an anxious reach for a machine, has become almost impossible. Thibaut

Related : How To Clear Your Mind (4-minute YouTube video by SciShow Psych)

The thinker needs no one to refute him, for that he has himself. Friedrich Nietzsche

Each person is sitting alone in front of the tube, you know. It’s very hard to have ideas or thoughts under those circumstances. You can’t fight the world alone. Noam Chomsky

A truly independent thinker is neither with nor against the crowd. James Pierce ( Source )

Be careful what you put in. Those are seeds. Don’t water them. Those will grow. Clean your garden once in a while and go for a walk. Maxime Lagacé

In much of your talking, thinking is half murdered. For thought is a bird of space, that in a cage of words may indeed unfold its wings but cannot fly. Kahlil Gibran

The world is a tragedy to those who feel, but a comedy to those who think. Horace Walpole

Madness is the result not of uncertainty but of certainty. Friedrich Nietzsche

Wise Thinking Sayings

Stop thinking, and end your problems. Lao Tzu

The mark of a moderate man is freedom from his own ideas. Lao Tzu

In dwelling, live close to the ground. In thinking, keep to the simple . In conflict, be fair and generous. In governing, don’t try to control. In work, do what you enjoy. In family life, be completely present. Lao Tzu

Nothing in life matters quite as much as you think it does while you are thinking about it. Daniel Kahneman

Your thoughts shape the world you see. The world you see shapes the experiences you have. Your experiences shape your thoughts. Shane Parrish

Amateurs go with the first idea that comes into their head. Professionals realize the first idea is rarely the best idea. Shane Parrish

The true test of a long term thinker is whether you can think in decades, while your peers think in days. Anthony Pompliano ( Source )

Think through time – what do the consequences look like in 10 minutes? 10 months? 10 Years? Shane Parrish

Thinking clearly and rationally will bring you satisfaction. Listening to your heart will give you peace. Maxime Lagacé

Seek clearer thinking, not faster thinking. You acquire faster thinking on the way. @orangebook_

Just because you’ve been doing something a certain way doesn’t mean you have to continue to. Don’t let momentum make your decisions for you. Justin Kan

Related : Second-Order Thinking: What Smart People Use to Outperform (fs.blog)

Thinking is by far the most underrated activity. People consider it “unproductive” to sit on a bench and think. So they spend their lives doing things they never thought through. An hour of clear thinking can yield a conclusion that changes your life. Johnny Uzan

Twenty years after my own graduation, I have come gradually to understand that the liberal arts cliché about “teaching you how to think” is actually shorthand for a much deeper, more serious idea: Learning how to think really means learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think . It means being conscious and aware enough to choose what you pay attention to and to choose how you construct meaning from experience. Because if you cannot exercise this kind of choice in adult life, you will be totally hosed. David Foster Wallace ( This is Water )

Further Readings

• Topic: Education
• 100 Education Quotes That Will Inspire You To Keep Growing
• 100 Learning Quotes To Inspire You To Learn (Forever)
• 100 Knowledge Quotes That Will Change Your Perspective
• 100 Reading Quotes Every Book Lover Can Relate To
• 100 Curiosity Quotes To Increase Your Desire To Learn
• Why You’re Not Thinking Clearly (7-minute YouTube video by Nathaniel Drew)
• How to Think Clearly: 7 Tips for Success (euruni.edu)
• How To Learn Faster (Based on Science)

Hope you enjoyed these inspiring thinking quotes. If you did, please share them with a friend today!

Do you think often? What’s your favorite thinking quote? And remember: words can transform your life, if you find the right ones.

Video About Thinking (And Overthinking)

Table Of Contents

Part 1 Top 15 Images Best Quotes

Part 2 Thinking Quotes That ARE Famous Short Inspirational Funny Deep Wise

Part 3 Conclusion

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"By discovering nature, you discover yourself."

Copyright © 2004-2024

• The Macat Team
• Dec 3, 2019

10 examples of critical thinking that changed the world

It’s fair to say that Einstein was using critical thinking skills during the 10 years that it took him to create his Theory of General Relativity. Other physicists assumed that the differences in the ways that bodies fall were too small to be of significance, but Einstein—a 28-year-old clerk at a patent office—could see that these details deserved further investigation.

He had to come up with another, more creative, solution.

“Suddenly a thought struck me,” he recalled. “If a man falls freely, he would not feel his weight… This simple thought experiment… led me to the theory of gravity.”

From this he predicted the existence of gravitational waves, which control how every sun, planet, and object in our universe behaves.

In 2016, the LIGO collaboration proved him right: they announced their first direct detection of gravitational waves in “the scientific breakthrough of the century.” Professor Stephen Hawking said the discovery had “the potential to revolutionize astronomy.”

“Being bold enough to let your mind go where good arguments take you, even if it’s to places that make you feel uncomfortable, may lead you to discoveries about the world and yourself.” (Critical Thinking: The Art of Argument, by George W. Rainbolt and Sandra L. Dwyer)

Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity places him among the most influential nonconformists, mavericks, and free-thinkers in history. Charles Darwin might also spring to mind. Maybe Galileo, Marie Curie, or Simone de Beauvoir.

We know them as geniuses, eccentrics, independent spirits, or even rebels. But what they all have in common is the ability to think creatively and critically about the world, putting aside their peers’ ignorance or assumptions to see new connections in the most mundane situations and change our view of the universe. They are critical thinkers.

1. Albert Einstein

C.P. Snow put it best: “One of [Einstein’s] greatest intellectual gifts, in small matters as well as great, was to strip off the irrelevant frills from a problem.”

(From Einstein: The First Hundred Years )

If you take one critical thinking tip from Einstein, make it…

If something looks wrong, then it’s probably worth finding out why. Trust your own judgement based on the facts, not the assumptions of others, and look for a solution within the details.

2. Charles Darwin

Darwin’s ability to see new connections in mundane situations led him to map out a new theory—evolution—that changed the way we saw the world.

If you take one critical thinking tip from Darwin, make it…

Sometimes the most profound discoveries are hidden in seemingly unlikely places; look where others don’t, and enjoy the sense of discovery and excitement.

3. Galileo Galilei

Pioneering astronomer, philosopher, and—after his discoveries caused uproar in lazy thinkers within religious circles—“ defender of truth in the face of ignorance. ”

If you take one critical thinking tip from Galileo, make it…

Great critical thinkers evaluate arguments to see how they stand up, putting to one side the conclusions and assumptions of others—and filter for themselves what resonates as right or wrong.

4. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Inspired millions with his talent for argument; his “I have a dream” speech—a rallying cry for equal rights—still resonates 50 years on.

If you take one critical thinking tip from Martin Luther King Jr, make it…

Developing a strategy, organizing an argument, and learning the art of persuasion are the keys to changing the world.

5. Simone de Beauvoir

The most radical feminist thinker of the 20th century;  The Second Sex  was the first work to argue for equality that respected a woman’s individuality and voice.

If you take one critical thinking tip from Simone de Beauvoir, make it…

Don’t be afraid to think differently, even if that means challenging the basis of society itself.

6. Edwin Hubble

Discovered galaxies beyond the Milky Way—and proved that they were expanding—simply by gathering and analyzing more data than anyone else.

If you take one critical thinking tip from Edwin Hubble, make it…

Evidence, evidence, evidence. The more you have, and the more you can filter it to get to what’s really going on, the better your conclusion will be.

7. Marie Curie

Paved the way for x-rays and cancer treatment; her sense that pitchblende must include unknown radioactive elements led to the discovery of polonium and radium.

If you take one critical thinking tip from Marie Curie, make it…

Critical thinking is nothing to do with negativity or nitpicking. It’s about asking questions—the right questions. It’s about not accepting things on trust.

8. Sir Isaac Newton

Discovered universal gravitation “by thinking on it continually.” A genius known for a relentless passion for putting everything to rigorous test.

If you take one critical thinking tip from Sir Isaac Newton, make it…

Persistence in thinking and questioning the world around you is the key to more creative solutions where others see only masses of information.

9. Stanislav Petrov

Saved the world from a nuclear disaster during the Cold War; Petrov spotted a false computer report of an American missile strike and, trusting the facts at hand, halted a mistaken counter strike.

If you take one critical thinking tip from Stanislav Petrov, make it…

Form your own judgement based on the facts, and—once you’re sure of your ground—be willing to back it against all comers.

10. W. E. B. Du Bois

Inspired American civil rights movements by refusing to accept that some inequality could be exchanged for legal rights—a view held by other black intellectuals—and publishing his ideas in The Souls of Black Folk .

If you take one critical thinking tip from W. E. B. Du Bois, make it…

Critical thinking is important because it is what makes us adaptable, enables us to act independently, and allows us to move beyond what we already know or guess.

Can you suggest any other great critical thinkers or examples of great critical thinking? Let us know in the comments section below:

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50+ Best Thinking Quotes To Inspire Deep Insights And Creativity

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There is a distinction to be made between having thoughts and actually thinking. The first is something we all have, including animals, according to scientists. However, most of us do not engage in thinking, the act of actually forming and processing thoughts.

Thoughts are the random ramblings of our minds, and they rarely make sense. They are fleeting, and when a good idea appears, it vanishes just as fast.

Sometimes we have thoughts that even we don’t understand. Thoughts that aren’t even true—that aren’t really how we feel—but they’re running through our heads anyway because they’re interesting to think about. If you could hear other people’s thoughts, you’d overhear things that are true as well as things that are completely random. And you wouldn’t know one from the other. It’d drive you insane. What’s true? What’s not? A million ideas, but what do they mean?” ― Jay Asher

And that is why we need to take some time for ourselves to think.

When we say thinking it’s not about going full-on Albert Einstein, but rather thinking that has taken some time and significant processing before expressing or acting on it.

Because rash actions and unrestrained speech frequently get you into trouble. Thinking on the other hand allows you to deliberate with yourself, know and understand your thoughts, and channel your thinking toward a coherent, sensible, enlightening, and deep insight for creativity and action.

So if you want to improve your life, spare some of your time to think. Once the thinking is done, you can then proceed in doing.

Take time to deliberate, but when the time for action comes, stop thinking and go in. – Napoleon Bonaparte

Continue reading for 50+ more of the best thinking quotes to inspire deep insights and creativity.

50+ Best Thinking Quotes

Thinking quotes about life.

We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them. – Albert Einstein

Thinking is by far the most underrated activity. People consider it “unproductive” to sit on a bench and think. So they spend their lives doing things they never thought through. An hour of clear thinking can yield a conclusion that changes your life. – Johnny Uzan

We are addicted to our thoughts. We cannot change anything if we cannot change our thinking. – Santosh Kalwar

To think is easy. To act is difficult. To act as one thinks is the most difficult of all. – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Controlling your life starts with controlling your thoughts. – Dan Go

Above all, I have been a sentient being, a thinking animal, on this beautiful planet, and that in itself has been an enormous privilege and adventure. – Oliver Sacks

Five percent of the people think; ten percent of the people think they think; and the other eighty-five percent would rather die than think. – Thomas A. Edison

Thoughts are circular, they don’t take you anywhere. They don’t have feet-they can’t gain any ground. They can trap you if you don’t eventually stand up and make a move. – Katie Kacvinsky

Thinking is learning all over again how to see, directing one’s consciousness, making of every image a privileged place. – Albert Camus

The only place where your dream becomes impossible is in your own thinking. – Robert H Schuller

We must begin thinking like a river if we are to leave a legacy of beauty and life for future generations. – David Brower

To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all. – Oscar Wilde

Reading furnishes the mind only with materials of knowledge; it is thinking that makes what we read ours. – John Locke

Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving. – Albert Einstein

People mistakenly assume that their thinking is done by their head; it is actually done by the heart which first dictates the conclusion, then commands the head to provide the reasoning that will defend it. – Anthony de Mello

Thinking is man’s only basic virtue, from which all the others proceed. And his basic vice, the source of all his evils, is that nameless act which all of you practice, but struggle never to admit: the act of blanking out, the willful suspension of one’s consciousness, the refusal to think – not blindness, but the refusal to see; not ignorance, but the refusal to know. – Ayn Rand

The way forward is found on a path through the wilderness of the head and heart—reason and emotion. Thinking, knowing, understanding. – Laurence Gonzales

We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far. – Swami Vivekananda

Don’t wait for your feelings to change to take the action. Take the action and your feelings will change. – Barbara Baron

Most people would sooner die than think; in fact, they do so. – Bertrand Russell

Words make you think. Music makes you feel. A song makes you feel a thought. – Yip Harburg

…most people in the world don’t really use their brains to think. And people who don’t think are the ones who don’t listen to others. – Haruki Murakami

Thinking is a bit uncomfortable, but you’ll get used to it. A matter of time and practice. – Lloyd Alexander

The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas as in escaping from old ones. – John Maynard Keynes

Life is an experimental journey undertaken involuntarily. It is a journey of the spirit through the material world and, since it is the spirit that travels, it is the spirit that is experienced. That is why there exist contemplative souls who have lived more intensely, more widely, more tumultuously than others who have lived their lives purely externally. – Fernando Pessoa

Creativity involves breaking out of expected patterns in order to look at things in a different way. – Edward de Bono

Thought moves with the different whereas silence lives inside those with the loudest voice. – Daniel Kemp

Thinking is the hardest work anyone can do, which is probably the reason why we have so few thinkers. – Thomas S. Monson

Deep thinking quotes

If everyone is thinking alike, then no one is thinking. – Benjamin Franklin

Right thinking comes with self-knowledge. Without understanding yourself, you have no basis for thought. – Jiddu Krishnamurti

The conventional view serves to protect us from the painful job of thinking. – John Kenneth Galbraith

Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains. – Steve Jobs

The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks. – Christopher Hitchens

The third-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking with the majority. A second-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking with the minority. A first-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking. – A.A. Milne

Pondering is a little like considering and a little like thinking, but looser. To ponder, one must let the facts roll around the rim of the mind’s roulette wheel, coming to settle in whichever slot they feed pulled to. – Christopher Moore

The greatest enemy of good thinking is busyness. – John C. Maxwell

Our thinking will automatically improve when we remember the words of Paul: ‘know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and the spirit of God dwelleth in you? – Thomas S. Monson

The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking. – Albert Einstein

Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding. – Kahlil Gibran

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning. – Albert Einstein

Thinking quotes funny

Be yourself; everyone else is already taken. – Oscar Wilde

I prefer not to think before speaking. I like being as surprised as everyone else by what comes out of my mouth. – Unknown

Try walking forward while looking over your shoulder and see how far you get. The same goes for life. Look forward! – Martin Henderson

If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much. – Jim Rohn

When I look back on all these worries, I remember the story of the old man who said on his deathbed that he had had a lot of trouble in his life, most of which had never happened. – Winston Churchill

I think God, in creating man, somewhat overestimated his ability. – Oscar Wilde

Whenever I’m about to do something, I think, ‘Would an idiot do that?’ And if they would, I do not do that thing. – Dwight Schrute, The Office

Don’t waste so much time thinking about how much you weigh. There is no more mind-numbing, boring, idiotic, self-destructive diversion from the fun of living. – Meryl Streep

People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do. – Isaac Asimov

The lord gave us two ends: One to sit on and the other to think with. Success depends on which one we use the most. – Ann Landers

Self-thinking quotes

Thinking for yourself and making your own decisions can be frightening. Letting go of other people’s expectations can leave you feeling empty for a time. And yet seeing yourself as an independent adult who can stand up for your own choices frees you to accept yourself as you are. – Ellen Bass

The only means of strengthening one’s intellect is to make up one’s mind about nothing — to let the mind be a thoroughfare for all thoughts. – John Keats

Think for yourself and let others enjoy the privilege of doing so too. – Voltaire

Your thoughts have the power to control; our being, our emotions, and the way we view the world that surrounds us. If you don’t constantly re-think what you think of on a daily basis, how do you ever expect to evolve into a being of; wisdom, truth, understanding, love, and above all, to be there for others?  – Martin R. Lemieux

If you want someone to tell you what to think,” the phantom answered briskly, without looking up, “you will never be short of people willing to do so. – Frances Hardinge

I am not questioning God’s power! It is God who gave us reason and circumspection! It is God we serve by exercising prudence! – Dan Brown

Each person is chargeable with the essential task to make his or her thought processes as refined as possible. Every person must declare what important distinctions will allow him or her to live a vivid and reflection filled life. – Kilroy J. Oldster

You may believe that you are responsible for what you do, but not for what you think. The truth is that you are responsible for what you think, because it is only at this level that you can exercise choice. What you do comes from what you think. – Marianne Williamson

Why is thinking so important?

Thinking is an important mental process. It helps us in defining and organizing experiences including planning, learning, reflecting, and creating. It also serves as the basis for human reasoning, concept formation, problem-solving, and deliberation.

As such, active thinking is an important activity that we should all engage in for a better life. Here are a few reasons why thinking is important:

Thinking is what defines us as humans

Humans are unique in that we can extract or take out similarities between things and form a concept and interpret them accordingly, allowing us to acquire an infinite amount of knowledge about the world we live in.

Because we can see similarities and differences in concepts as well as definite or specific things, our knowledge potential far outstrips that of animals, distinguishing us from them.

Thinking is a key component of survival

Our ability to figure things out is critical to our survival. Because, whether we believe it or not, we as humans have no innate knowledge.

The “knowledge” we have right now comes from our memory, from everything we have learned from birth to the present.

So, in order to live and improve, we must use all of the information we have by thinking, figuring things out, and coming up with what is appropriate for the situation.

Thinking is our connection with reality

Connecting with reality requires an accurate assessment of what is going on based on our own understanding.

This is accomplished by thinking, through our very own information processing of facts gathered by our sensory data.

And since reality is not based on our emotions, feelings, therefore, have no place in the thinking process. As such, our feelings about reality should not be taken as accurate information.

This is because previous thoughts, ideas, events, comprehension, or interpretations also have a significant influence on our feelings. So, two people with very different sets of values, philosophies, and principles in life can have very different emotional reactions to the same thing.

Thinking is how we figure things out

Thinking allows for reasoning, deliberation, and problem-solving. It is how we find solutions and make sense of the world we live in.

So, before establishing goals, values, and strategies for achieving them, it is necessary to think. This is the only way we can gain knowledge and know which actions to take and how to keep living.

Thinking leads to effective action

All effective actions and behavior begin with having thoughts.

And the careful consideration of these thoughts, that is, going through a process that includes some planning, predicting, hypothesizing, calculating, and reasoning increases our chances of success in whatever we are attempting to accomplish.

Fosters a can-do attitude

Thinking promotes a positive, can-do attitude. It fosters a sense of ability and, as a result, self-esteem, because gaining knowledge boosts our self-confidence.

When we think and figure things out, we are informed, and we feel competent, capable of living, and thus worthy of living. This ability to perceive ourselves as competent and adept leads to healthy self-esteem and increased happiness.

In this sense, we can say that our happiness is proportional to our level of thinking. The more we think, the happier we become, whereas not thinking or, worse, not wanting to think, like avoiding anything that requires our attention, can never lead to genuine happiness.

Thinking leads to new discoveries

Thinking is the only way to discover new things, invent new things, and find better ways to do things.

This is how great discoveries in human history came about. Thinking is the process by which every advancement in our quality of life, the standard of living, and comfort was achieved.

So, with thinking, particularly rational thinking, you might just discover a new way of doing things that will advance your current progress.

Thinking allows for a more effective and happy life

Thinking is the only way to live an effective and happy life because it leads to deliberate action, resulting in the achievement of goals, and thus a sense of control over one’s life and self-esteem.

What happens in our lives is the result of our mind’s constant stream of decisions and choices. Our mind is the engine that drives our lives.

We need to think in order to make informed choices and decisions. Because thinking leads to knowledge acquisition, which in turn leads to making informed decisions.

In addition, our ability to think greatly influences our happiness. Thinking is therefore required to ensure that the outcomes leave us effective and happy.

To conclude, thoughts and thinking are distinct from one another. Thoughts are our minds’ random ramblings; they rarely make sense and are fleeting. In contrast, thinking is a process of defining and organizing experiences. It is also the foundation of human reasoning, concept formation, problem-solving, and deliberation.

Simply allowing random thoughts to swim around in our heads will not suffice. We need to give ourselves some time to think if only to avoid making hasty decisions and saying things that will land us in hot water.

But it is even more important for us to think for the following reasons.

• Thinking is what makes us human.
• Thinking is a basic tool we can use in order to survive.
• Reality is based on our own thinking.
• We can figure things out by way of thinking.
• Thinking leads to effective action.
• Thinking fosters a can-do attitude.
• It leads to new discoveries. And
• Thinking allows for a more effective and happy life.

It is therefore for these reasons that we have compiled a list of 50+ of the best thinking quotes to inspire deep insights and creativity. Return to this article each time you need inspiration about thinking and its importance.

Please share your thoughts or ideas about 50+ Best Thinking Quotes To Inspire Deep Insights And Creativity in the comments below. For more quotes, check out…

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Critical thinking definition

Critical thinking, as described by Oxford Languages, is the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgement.

Active and skillful approach, evaluation, assessment, synthesis, and/or evaluation of information obtained from, or made by, observation, knowledge, reflection, acumen or conversation, as a guide to belief and action, requires the critical thinking process, which is why it's often used in education and academics.

Some even may view it as a backbone of modern thought.

However, it's a skill, and skills must be trained and encouraged to be used at its full potential.

People turn up to various approaches in improving their critical thinking, like:

• Developing technical and problem-solving skills
• Engaging in more active listening
• Actively questioning their assumptions and beliefs
• Seeking out more diversity of thought
• Opening up their curiosity in an intellectual way etc.

Is critical thinking useful in writing?

Critical thinking can help in planning your paper and making it more concise, but it's not obvious at first. We carefully pinpointed some the questions you should ask yourself when boosting critical thinking in writing:

• What information should be included?
• Which information resources should the author look to?
• What degree of technical knowledge should the report assume its audience has?
• What is the most effective way to show information?
• How should the report be organized?
• How should it be designed?
• What tone and level of language difficulty should the document have?

Usage of critical thinking comes down not only to the outline of your paper, it also begs the question: How can we use critical thinking solving problems in our writing's topic?

Let's say, you have a Powerpoint on how critical thinking can reduce poverty in the United States. You'll primarily have to define critical thinking for the viewers, as well as use a lot of critical thinking questions and synonyms to get them to be familiar with your methods and start the thinking process behind it.

Are there any services that can help me use more critical thinking?

We understand that it's difficult to learn how to use critical thinking more effectively in just one article, but our service is here to help.

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Catch These Benefits! 13 Examples of Critical Thinking in the Workplace

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Your team is dealing with a sudden decrease in sales, and you’re not sure why.

When this happens, do you quickly make random changes and hope they work? Or do you pause, bring your team together , and analyze the problem using critical thinking?

In the pages ahead, we’ll share examples of critical thinking in the workplace to show how critical thinking can help you build a successful team and business.

Ready to make critical thinking a part of your office culture?

Let’s dive in!

What Is Critical Thinking? A Quick Definition

Critical thinking is the systematic approach of being a sharp-minded analyst. It involves asking questions, verifying facts, and using your intellect to make decisions and solve problems.

The process of thinking critically is built upon a foundation of six major steps:

• Comprehension
• Application
• Creation/Action

First, you gather “knowledge” by learning about something and understanding it. After that, you put what you’ve learned into action, known as “application.” When you start looking closely at the details, you do the “analysis.”

After analyzing, you put all those details together to create something new, which we call “synthesis.” Finally, you take action based on all your thinking, and that’s the “creation” or “action” step.

Examples of Critical Thinking in the Workplace

Even if the tasks are repetitive, or even if employees are required to follow strict rules, critical thinking is still important. It helps to deal with unexpected challenges and improve processes.

Let’s delve into 13 real examples to see how critical thinking works in practice.

1. Evaluating the pros and cons of each option

Are you unsure which choice is the best? Critical thinking helps you look at the good and bad sides of each option. This ensures that you make decisions based on facts and not just guesses.

Product development : For example, a product development team is deciding whether to launch a new product . They must evaluate the pros and cons of various features, production methods, and marketing strategies to make an informed decision. Obviously, the more complete their evaluation is, the better decisions they can make.

2. Breaking down complex problems into smaller, manageable parts

In the face of complex problems, critical thinkers are able to make the problem easier to solve. How? They create a step-by-step process to address each component separately.

Product deliveries and customer support . Imagine you work in a customer service department, and there has been a sudden increase in customer complaints about delayed deliveries. You need to figure out the root causes and come up with a solution.

So, you break down the problem into pieces – the shipping process, warehouse operations, delivery routes, customer communication, and product availability. This helps you find out the major causes, which are:

• insufficient staff in the packaging department, and
• high volume of orders during specific weeks in a year.

So, when you focus on smaller parts, you can understand and address each aspect better. As a result, you can find practical solutions to the larger issue of delayed deliveries.

3. Finding, evaluating and using information effectively

In today’s world, information is power. Using it wisely can help you and your team succeed. And critical thinkers know where to find the right information and how to check if it’s reliable.

Market research : Let’s say a marketing team is conducting market research to launch a new product. They must find, assess, and use market data to understand customer needs, competitor tactics, and market trends. Only with this information at hand can they create an effective marketing plan.

4. Paying attention to details while also seeing the bigger picture

Are you great at noticing small things? But can you also see how they fit into the larger picture? Critical thinking helps you do both. It’s like zooming in and out with a camera. Why is it essential? It helps you see the full story and avoid tunnel vision.

Strategic planning . For instance, during strategic planning, executives must pay attention to the details of the company’s financial data, market changes, and internal potential. At the same time, they must consider the bigger picture of long-term goals and growth strategies.

5. Making informed decisions by considering all available information

Ever made a choice without thinking it through? Critical thinkers gather all the facts before they decide. It ensures your decisions are smart and well-informed.

Data analysis . For example, data analysts have to examine large datasets to discover trends and patterns. They use critical thinking to understand the significance of these findings, get useful insights, and provide recommendations for improvement.

6. Recognizing biases and assumptions

Too many workplaces suffer from unfair and biased decisions. Make sure yours isn’t on this list. Critical thinkers are self-aware and can spot their own biases. Obviously, this allows them to make more objective decisions.

Conflict resolution . Suppose a manager needs to mediate a conflict between two team members. Critical thinking is essential to understand the underlying causes, evaluate the validity of each person’s opinion, and find a fair solution.

Hiring decisions . Here’s another example. When hiring new employees, HR professionals need to critically assess candidates’ qualifications, experience, and cultural fit. At the same time, they have to “silence” their own assumptions to make unbiased hiring decisions.

7. Optimizing processes for efficiency

Critical thinking examples in the workplace clearly show how teams can improve their processes.

Customer service . Imagine a company that sells gadgets. When customers have problems, the customer service team reads their feedback. For example, if many people struggle to use a gadget, they think about why that’s happening. Maybe the instructions aren’t clear, or the gadget is too tricky to set up.

So, they work together to make things better. They make a new, easier guide and improve the gadget’s instructions. As a result, fewer customers complain, and everyone is happier with the products and service.

8. Analyzing gaps and filling them in

Discovering problems in your company isn’t always obvious. Sometimes, you need to find what’s not working well to help your team do better. That’s where critical thinking comes in.

Training and development . HR professionals, for instance, critically analyze skill gaps within the organization to design training programs. Without deep analysis, they can’t address specific needs and upskill their employees .

9. Contributing effectively to team discussions

In a workplace, everyone needs to join meetings by saying what they think and listening to everyone else. Effective participation, in fact, depends on critical thinking because it’s the best shortcut to reach collective decisions.

Team meetings . In a brainstorming session, you and your colleagues are like puzzle pieces, each with a unique idea. To succeed, you listen to each other’s thoughts, mix and match those ideas, and together, you create the perfect picture – the best plan for your project.

10. Contributing effectively to problem-solving

Effective problem-solving typically involves critical thinking, with team members offering valuable insights and solutions based on their analysis of the situation.

Innovative SaaS product development . Let’s say a cross-functional team faces a challenging innovation problem. So, they use critical thinking to brainstorm creative solutions and evaluate the feasibility of each idea. Afterwards, they select the most promising one for further development.

11. Making accurate forecasts

Understanding critical thinking examples is essential in another aspect, too. In fact, critical thinking allows companies to prepare for what’s coming, reducing unexpected problems.

Financial forecasting . For example, finance professionals critically assess financial data, economic indicators, and market trends to make accurate forecasts. This data helps to make financial decisions, such as budget planning or investment strategies.

12. Assessing potential risks and recommending adjustments

Without effective risk management , you’ll constantly face issues when it’s too late to tackle them. But when your team has smart thinkers who can spot problems and figure out how they might affect you, you’ll have no need to worry.

Compliance review . Compliance officers review company policies and practices to ensure they align with relevant laws and regulations. They want to make sure everything we do follows the law. If they find anything that could get us into trouble, they’ll suggest changes to keep us on the right side of the law.

13. Managing the crisis

Who else wants to minimize damage and protect their business? During a crisis, leaders need to think critically to assess the situation, make rapid decisions, and allocate resources effectively.

Security breach in a big IT company . Suppose you’ve just discovered a major security breach. This is a crisis because sensitive customer data might be at risk, and it could damage your company’s reputation.

To manage this crisis, you need to think critically. First, you must assess the situation. You investigate how the breach happened, what data might be compromised, and how it could affect your customers and your business. Next, you have to make decisions. You might decide to shut down the affected systems to prevent further damage. By taking quick, well-planned actions, you can minimize the damage and protect your business.

Encouraging Critical Thinking in Your Team: A Brief Manager’s Guide

According to Payscale’s survey, 60% of managers believe that critical thinking is the top soft skill that new graduates lack. Why should you care? Well, among these graduates, there’s a good chance that one could eventually become a part of your team down the road.

So, how do you create a workplace where critical thinking is encouraged and cultivated? Let’s find out.

Step 1: Make Your Expectations Clear

First things first, make sure your employees know why critical thinking is important. If they don’t know how critical it is, it’s time to tell them. Explain why it’s essential for their growth and the company’s success.

Step 2: Encourage Curiosity

Do your employees ask questions freely? Encourage them to! A workplace where questions are welcomed is a breeding ground for critical thinking. And remember, don’t shut down questions with a “That’s not important.” Every question counts.

Step 3: Keep Learning Alive

Encourage your team to keep growing. Learning new stuff helps them become better thinkers. So, don’t let them settle for “I already know enough.” Provide your team with inspiring examples of critical thinking in the workplace. Let them get inspired and reach new heights.

Step 4: Challenge, Don’t Spoon-Feed

Rethink your management methods, if you hand your employees everything on a silver platter. Instead, challenge them with tasks that make them think. It might be tough, but don’t worry. A little struggle can be a good thing.

Step 5: Embrace Different Ideas

Do you only like ideas that match your own? Well, that’s a no-no. Encourage different ideas, even if they sound strange. Sometimes, the craziest ideas lead to the best solutions.

Step 6: Learn from Mistakes

Mistakes happen. So, instead of pointing fingers, ask your employees what they learned from the mistake. Don’t let them just say, “It’s not my fault.”

Step 7: Lead the Way

Are you a critical thinker yourself? Show your employees how it’s done. Lead by example. Don’t just say, “Do as I say!”

Wrapping It Up!

As we’ve seen, examples of critical thinking in the workplace are numerous. Critical thinking shows itself in various scenarios, from evaluating pros and cons to breaking down complex problems and recognizing biases.

The good news is that critical thinking isn’t something you’re born with but a skill you can nurture and strengthen. It’s a journey of growth, and managers are key players in this adventure. They can create a space where critical thinking thrives by encouraging continuous learning.

Remember, teams that cultivate critical thinking will be pioneers of adaptation and innovation. They’ll be well-prepared to meet the challenges of tomorrow’s workplace with confidence and competence.

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100 Brief Tips and Findings Regarding Critical Thinking

Celebrating 100 ‘thoughts on thinking’ posts..

Updated June 15, 2023 | Reviewed by Michelle Quirk

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• There are three core critical thinking skills: analysis, evaluation, and inference.
• The knowledge we store in our heads isn’t necessarily correct; it's just how we understood something.
• We can’t always be politically correct if we want to think critically.

In celebrating the 100th "Thoughts on Thinking" post on Psychology Today , let’s focus on the bread-and-butter of this blog: Here are 100 tips and findings regarding critical thinking (CT) and higher-order cognition :

• CT is a metacognitive process (i.e., thinking about thinking).
• CT consists of skills and dispositions, whilst working in conjunction with reflective judgment.
• Reflective judgment refers to taking one’s time with a decision while engaging epistemological understanding.
• Epistemological understanding refers to the nature of knowledge, the limits and certainty of knowing, and how this affects related reasoning.
• There are three core CT skills: analysis, evaluation, and inference .
• Having CT skills alone is not sufficient; one must have a positive disposition toward CT.
• CT disposition refers to an inclination, tendency, or willingness to perform a given thinking skill.
• CT dispositions include concepts like open-mindedness, organisation, truth-seeking, and skepticism.
• Even educators have a tough time defining CT .
• Critical thinking can be enhanced through appropriate training.
• Explicit CT training is necessary if educators want to see CT improve and flourish across domains.
• There are many types of illogical argumentation and fallacious reasoning that can disrupt appropriate thinking.
• Play "devil’s advocate" to truly see "both sides of the story."
• If we truly care about a topic or decision, we should apply CT.
• Likewise, we probably should only apply CT when we care about the topic or decision.
• It is far from "virtuous" to force emotion -based opinions of virtue/value onto others who do not necessarily subscribe to the same ideology.
• "Leave emotion at the door"—it clouds your thinking.
• Caring about a topic/decision is distinct from being passionate about it. The former is important for CT; the latter can hinder it.
• Application of CT can be categorised into five general areas: argument analysis, verbal reasoning, hypothesis testing, judging likelihood and uncertainty, and problem-solving.
• Humans are poor "natural" statisticians. Learn statistical analysis if you have an interest or find you use statistics often.
• People often don’t know what they don’t know.
• People with low ability in an area typically overestimate their ability in it, whereas people with high ability in an area often underestimate their ability (Dunning–Kruger Effect).
• There is no such thing as "proof," per se—we can only disprove things (through falsification). The word you’re looking for is "evidence" or "justification."
• The knowledge you store in your head isn’t necessarily correct; it's just how you understood something.
• Understanding refers to how a schema is constructed, not necessarily the accuracy of the information.
• Knowledge, in terms of what we know as a society, is theoretical.
• Evidence or justification for said knowledge may be debunked at a later time.
• Creativity is not necessary for CT but, if you conceptualise it as "synthesis," then it can be a core facilitator.
• People love to be right, but they’re likely to hate being wrong more.
• People often dislike change and, more often, dislike changing their minds.
• Changing your mind requires schemas (re)construction.
• Changing your mind might make you question long-held beliefs, which can disrupt your worldviews.
• Disruption of worldviews might yield uncertainty…which can frighten people.
• People generally do not like to be frightened or confused.
• People develop odd, vague, and/or over-simplified "sayings" to explain away uncertainties.
• People develop odd, vague, and/or over-simplified belief systems to explain away uncertainties.
• People often like things, such as information, simplified and organised into nice neat little packages (e.g., TL;DR).
• Just because you believe or wish something was true doesn’t make it so.
• Changing your mind might make you look weak to others in certain situations, but if you emphasise the strength necessary to do this, the weakness can be overturned.
• Changing one's mind requires a positive disposition toward CT.
• Trying to change someone’s mind is difficult and often backfires—reinforcing their previously held belief.
• There is no such thing as "good" CT —you either applied it or you didn’t.
• If you applied CT wrong, then is it actually CT?
• Just because you often apply CT in requisite situations doesn’t mean you do it in all requisite situations.
• It is difficult to measure CT ability . Simply self-reporting that you are "good at it" or "often do it" does not make it so.
• "It depends" is an acceptable answer—just ensure you know a few examples of upon what it depends.
• Numbers don’t lie, but people do—and not even intentionally. It takes a human to interpret numbers, and the interpretation may be incorrect.
• All of our decisions are made with some level of bias ; try your best to curtail it as much as possible.
• It’s OK to say "I don’t know," and it is actually a good indicator of intellectual honesty.
• Be intellectually honest.
• A person said what they said, not how you interpret what they said—if clarity is lacking, ask for clarification.
• You can’t always be politically correct if you want to think critically— controversial topics often require the most CT!
• Argument mapping can facilitate CT.
• Active learning is a fundamental component of CT instruction.
• Only worry about things you can change.
• Keep perspective and be thankful for the things you have.
• Cynicism is not the same as skepticism.
• It’s ill-conceived and dangerous to treat perspectives that you value as global virtues or a moral code that everyone else should value, too.
• Don’t trust your gut— intuition can often be correct; but when it’s off, it’s way off. Instead, engage reflective judgment (see #3).
• Despite what Oprah says, you do not have your own truth. Truth isn’t relativistic in a shared reality.
• There is a need for general, secondary-school training in CT-related processes.
• People often ignore truths that don’t suit them or try to manipulate them to accommodate their bias .
• Relying on personal experience to make decisions is lazy thinking.
• People overestimate the value of their experience in decision-making , which is particularly scary when they have a lot of experience doing things wrong.
• Your mistakes are often unacknowledged, so you may not know you’ve been doing something wrong.
• It’s OK to be wrong—it’s a learning experience. Own up to it.
• Do not underestimate the effect social media is having on your cognitive processing.
• Be open-minded toward others.
• Dispositions of open-mindedness and skepticism complement each other , not contradict.
• People don’t recognise their own irrationality.
• Intelligence and rationality are distinct traits.
• "Learning styles" are a debunked myth.
• "Do your research" is not a thing—20 hours of Googling is not putting anyone on par with expert perspectives.
• Nevertheless, be aware of empirical evidence and broaden your knowledge for topics that matter to you.
• We rationalise poor decisions because we don’t want to look irrational and/or they, in some way, yield an outcome we actually want.
• When engaging in argumentation, be sure of how key issues are defined.
• Difficulty in definition yields difficulty in evaluation.
• Draw and report your conclusions with caution—you could be wrong. Accept that.
• Don’t just read a headline—dig deeper. Read the full article and assess the sources of the claims.
• Ask yourself, are all the reasons presented to you for believing something actually relevant to the central claim?
• Question an author’s intentions and ask, What is the purpose of this piece?
• We are cognitively lazy as a default—put time and effort into your thinking.
• Information can evoke and breed emotions like fear and anger in the reader or listener. If you’re emotional, you’re not thinking rationally.
• The more we have been exposed to certain information, the more likely we are to believe that information—regardless of truth (i.e., the illusory truth effect ).
• Peer pressure isn’t just for teens; we all amend our perspectives to align with those around us (e.g., for social desirability or as a result of the illusory truth effect) .
• Question your perspectives.
• Don’t jump to conclusions, regardless of how interesting, confirming, or comforting they might be.
• Consider the more likely and simpler solutions first—they often provide nice starting points for your decision-making.
• Thinking "outside the box" isn’t always helpful—it often contradicts CT and produces ideas that lack feasibility and logic.
• When you evaluate information , assess its credibility, relevance, logical strength, balance, and bias.
• A theory isn’t an educated guess; it’s an established model for how a phenomenon occurs following many observed replications (e.g., gravity).
• Belief in conspiracy theories might stem from a desire for closure in a complex scenario, lower ability in specific cognitive processes, and/or a function of demographics.
• CT requires practice—engage opportunities that require it.
• Sometimes, even when you know you’re right, it’s better just to leave it— Is this particular argument really worth the aggravation?
• Emotional intelligence —as conceptualised as a maturity that facilitates the management of emotions, with respect to their appraisal and expression—can be a useful self-regulatory tool for CT.
• Priortise the things that matter in your life —your thinking will follow in light of blocking out the noise .
• Context is key for all decision-making.
• Cognitive reframing can be difficult, but it is often necessary for CT and maintaining mental well-being.
• Heuristics , schemas, biases, and intuitions are all the same—automatic, gut-level decision-making sources that are a risky means of making decisions that require CT.

Christopher Dwyer, Ph.D., is a lecturer at the Technological University of the Shannon in Athlone, Ireland.

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110 Thinking Quotes to Transform Your Mind

We give you over 100 quotes about thinking that can help you unlock positive and life-changing thoughts today.

Success starts with the way we think. But we often overlook the power of the mind. So we curated some inspiring and creative thinking quotes from people who have changed and are changing the world to remind us all of the value of thinking and how we can use it to our advantage.

How To Use The Best Thinking Quotes

1. martin luther king, jr. , 2. thomas edison, 3. dr. seuss , 4. leonardo da vinci, 5. ralph waldo emerson, 6. henry ford, 7. carl jung, 8. cindy gallop , 9. mark twain, 10. kanye west, 11. helen keller, 12. benjamin franklin , 13. rosa luxemburg, 14. radia perlman, 15. georgia o’keefe, 16. aristotle , 17. leo tolstoy, 18. j. william fulbright, 19. albert einstein, 20. eleanor roosevelt, 21. bell hooks, 22. jiddu krishnamurti, 23. david foster wallace, 24. neil degrasse tyson, 25. stephen king, 26. oprah winfrey, 27. rita levi, 28. johann wolfgang von goethe, 29. desiderius erasmus, 30. bruce lee, 31. andy warhol, 32. napoleon bonaparte, 33. amy winehouse, 34. daniel kahneman , 35. john keats, 36. annie besant, 37. marilyn monroe, 38. vivian (in oscar wilde’s the decay of lying) , 39. harold walker, 40. lao tzu, 41. winston churchhill, 42. edward rickenbacker, 43. celine dion, 44. robert schuller, 45. queen latifah, 46. albert camus, 47. hannah arendt, 48. jane goodall, 49. norman vincent peale, 50. william shakespeare, 51. marcus aurelius, 52. maya angelou, 53. zig ziglar, 54. herman hesse, 55. joe frazier, 56. pearl zhu, 57. adrienne rich, 58. george orwell, 59. arthur schopenhauer, 60. john locke, 61. coco chanel, 62. voltaire, 63. montesquieu, 64. kahlil gibran, 65. abraham lincoln, 66. sylvia plath, 67. cs lewis, 68. pope john paul ii, 69. maria montessori, 70. richard dawkins, 71. jane nelsen, 72. gabriel garcia marquez, 73. maryam mirzakhani, 74. beyonce, 75. matthew mcconaughey, 76. ada lovelace, 77. carl sagan, 78. rosalind franklin, 79. sir william bragg, 80. nikola tesla, 81. marie curie, 82. hedy lamar, 83. terry pratchett, 84. robert greene, 85. a. a. milne, 86. friedrich nietzsche, 87. henry david thoreau, 88. steve jobs, 89. rené magritte, 90. terry heick, 91. erik pevernagie, 92. joan didion, 93. david mccullough, 94. don delillo, 96. jacinda ardern, 97. elon musk, 98. theodore levitt, 99. safran catz, 100. kevin trudeau, 101. todd stocker, 102. shinzo abe, 103. louise hay, 104. james borg, 105. helen mayhew, 106. john f. kennedy, 107. giancarlo esposito, 108. malala yousafzai, 109. jane austen, 110. virginia woolf.

Quotes offer a quick nibble for your brain. They can give you a burst of joy in your day or lead you to massive life-changing self-discovery. Using them well can be one of the best ways to influence the people in your life and to brighten your own existence.

• Thought quotes can be used to introduce any piece of writing , a chapter in a book or a new blog post. They help to give the reader an early insight into the theme of the writing, and they add a little depth from a well-known and highly respected source.
• Thought quotes can be used to fill out your social media channels . Great quotes are intensely shareable. Like songs and shared poetry, they also tell you something about the mood and character of the person who is sharing the quote.
• Thought quotes offer an opportunity to learn from history’s most brilliant minds . That doesn’t mean you should only pay attention to famous thought leaders. Sometimes the most genius of quotes can come from someone who is relatively unknown.

​​“Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think.”

In a world where information is given to us in a silver platter, people forget to think on their own. You might also be interested in our list of quotes about communication .

Five percent of the people think; ten percent of the people think they think; and the other eighty-five percent would rather die than think.

Like a lot of good author quotes , Edison humorously points out how people fail to try at thinking. 

“Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!”

“He who thinks little errs much…”

For more like this, check our out list of creativity quotes .

 “The man who can make hard things easy is the educator.”

When we get into critical thinking, some of the best quotes are about education. But those are not the only quotes that lead us to ponder the great questions of life. Critical thinking is an important part of the human experience. It opens a greater wealth of discovery in how we view the world but also how the world functions.

“Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason so few engage in it.” You might also like our essays about quotes .

“Thinking is difficult, that’s why most people judge.” 

“Fear of what other people will think is the single most paralyzing dynamic in business and in life. The best moment of my life was the day I realized that I no longer give a damn what anybody thinks.”

“If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.”

“I don’t care what people think, because people don’t think.” 

“People don’t like to think, if one thinks, one must reach conclusions. Conclusions are not always pleasant.”

“If we all think alike, no one is thinking.”

Franklin , one of the United States’ founding fathers, puts a premium on original thinking.

“Freedom is always, and exclusively, freedom for the one who thinks differently.”

“The kind of diversity that I think really matters isn’t skin shade and body shape, but different ways of thinking.”

This quote reminds us why we need to embrace diversity in our communities.

“I have things in my head that are not like what anyone taught me — shapes and ideas so near to me, so natural to my way of being and thinking.” 

Thinking grants us the joy of creating a world of our own.

“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” 

Surveying the different values, beliefs and thoughts without adopting them is a useful exercise to constantly keep our own values, beliefs and thoughts in check. 

“Freethinkers are those who are willing to use their minds without prejudice and without fearing to understand things that clash with their own customs, privileges, or beliefs. This state of mind is not common, but it is essential for right thinking…”

If you like Tolstoy, check out our guide to the best Russian authors .

“We must dare to think about ‘unthinkable things’ because when things become ‘unthinkable,’ thinking stops and action becomes mindless.”

“Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”

There is no better way to understand thinking than through the words and life of history’s greatest minds. Einstein himself encourages us to move beyond our datasets and start exercising our imagination.

“Do not stop thinking of life as an adventure. You have no security unless you can live bravely, excitingly, imaginatively; unless you can choose a challenge instead of competence.” 

“Critical thinking requires us to use our imagination, seeing things from perspectives other than our own and envisioning the likely consequences of our position.”

“Right thinking comes with self-knowledge. Without understanding yourself, you have no basis for thought.”

To resolve conflicts around us, we must first seek clarity by understanding our true selves. 

“Learning how to think really means learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think.”

Learning what to pay attention to molds our thoughts on how we choose to experience life.

“Knowing how to think empowers you far beyond those who know only what to think.”

“Don’t think. Just get your thoughts out there in all their disheveled, chaotic glory.”

The award-winning horror and supernatural sci-fi writer assures us that first drafts are supposed to have a lot of kinks. For more, check out our guide to the best-selling Stephen King books .

“Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another stepping stone to greatness.”

Fear of failure is what cripples our imagination of what we can achieve. The self-made billionaire stresses the need to break free from this fear.

“I tell young people: Do not think of yourself, think of others. Think of the future that awaits you, think about what you can do and do not fear anything.”

“Thinking is easy, acting is difficult, and to put one’s thoughts into action is the most difficult thing in the world.”

Surely, humankind has no shortage of remarkable ideas. But it is turning these great ideas into reality that is most challenging.

“If you keep thinking about what you want to do or what you hope will happen, you don’t do it, and it won’t happen.”

This quote covers an idea prevalent in many of the best philosophy books . Overthinking can prevent us from executing our plans. 

“If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done.”

“Don’t think about making art, just get it done.”

Sometimes, we just have to start doing something rather than thinking too much about it.

“Take time to deliberate, but when the time for action comes, stop thinking and go in.”

“Life’s short. Anything could happen, and it usually does, so there is no point in sitting around thinking about all the ifs, and buts.”

Overthinking is futile as life is full of surprises. Things could go differently from how we played them in our head. 

“Nothing in life matters quite as much as you think it does while you are thinking about it.”

“The only means of strengthening one’s intellect is to make up one’s mind about nothing — to let the mind be a thoroughfare for all thoughts.”

“Better remain silent, better not even think, if you are not prepared to act.”

If what you think of doing will just sit around in your head, better not think of it at all.

“The more I think of it, the more I realize there are no answers. Life is to be lived.” 

“Thinking is the most unhealthy thing in the world, and people die of it just as they die of any disease.”

“Worry is thinking that has turned toxic. It is jarring music that goes round and round and never comes to either climax or conclusion. 

“Stop thinking, and end your problems.”

“Let our advance worrying become advance thinking and planning.”

“I can give you a six-word formula for success: Think things through–then follow through.”

“It’s the moment you think you can’t, that you can.” 

Whenever you doubt yourself, think of this quote and push forward.

“The only place where your dream becomes impossible is in your own thinking.” 

“Life is so much bigger, grander, higher, and wider than we allow ourselves to think.”

“In such a world of conflict, a world of victims and executioners, it is the job of thinking people, not to be on the side of the executioners.”

The most intelligent people should appeal not only to their genius but also to their moral virtues when taking a stand.  

“If the ability to tell right from wrong should have anything to do with the ability to think, then we must be able to ‘demand’ its exercise in every sane person no matter how erudite or ignorant.

As Arendt’s work shows, several factors help us determine good and bad. But you must think deeply about the circumstances at hand. 

“True wisdom requires both thinking with our head and understanding with our heart.”

A clever brain must be combined with a kind heart to achieve great understanding.

“Change your thoughts and you change your world.”

The best way we can start changing is reframing our thinking. 

“There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so.”

“Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.”

“What you’re supposed to do when you don’t like a thing is change it. If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it. Don’t complain.”

“One small positive thought can change your whole day.”

That quote is short and sweet, but it gives you some things to ponder about the power of positive thinking. If you like Zig Ziglar’s ideas, check out our guide to the best self–help books .

“Everyone can perform magic, everyone can reach his goals, if he is able to think, if he is able to wait, if he is able to fast.”

We can succeed if we put our mind and body to our goals.

“There’s one thing I don’t ever think about: losing … Instead, I think about how I’m going to win, and how I can do it the quickest way.”

Research has shown that imagining your victory helps one succeed. 

“Strategic Thinking helps to bridge between where you are and where you want to be.”

“Responsibility to yourself means refusing to let others do your thinking, talking, and naming for you…”

Addressing a group of female students, Rich was encouraging young women to claim education through active thinking instead of merely receiving an education.

“If people cannot write well, they cannot think well. And if they cannot think well, others will do their thinking for them.”

“A truth, an insight, which you have slowly and laboriously puzzled out by thinking for yourself could easily have been found already written in a book; but it is a hundred times more valuable if you have arrived at it by thinking for yourself.”

“Reading furnishes the mind only with materials of knowledge; it is thinking that makes what we read ours.”

“The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.”

“Think for yourself and let others enjoy the privilege of doing so too.”

Sometimes, the best way to help other people develop is to let them think and act on their own.

“The less men think, the more they talk.”

This thinking quote reminds us of Shakespeare’s famous quote: “The empty vessel makes the loudest sound.”

“In much of your talking, thinking is half murdered.”

“When I get ready to talk to people, I spend two thirds of the time thinking what they want to hear and one third thinking about what I want to say.”

Thinking of others’ objectives help us empathize with them.

“My mother said the cure for thinking too much about yourself was helping somebody who was worse off than you.”

For more quotes like this, check out our round-up of famous poems

“True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” 

“For many years I myself was deeply enriched by the beneficial experience of university life: … to all those learning to think rigorously, so as to act rightly and to serve humanity better.”

“We must help the child to act for himself, will for himself, think for himself; this is the art of those who aspire to serve the spirit.”

“Do not indoctrinate your children. Teach them how to think for themselves, how to evaluate evidence, and how to disagree with you.”

“Parents will learn that children ‘hear’ better when they are invited to think and participate instead of being told what to think and do.” 

“People spend a lifetime thinking about how they would really like to live. I asked my friends and no one seems to know very clearly.”

Some think too long about how they want to spend their lives that they end up with less time in trying out anything worthwhile.

“…I do believe that many students don’t give mathematics a real chance. I did poorly in math for a couple of years in middle school; I was just not interested in thinking about it.”

“If you don’t take the time to think about and analyze your life, you’ll never realize all the dots that are all connected.”

“There’s a difference in thinking you are a champion and knowing that you are.”

“That brain of mine is something more than merely mortal; as time will show.”

“Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge.”

To be a true scientist, one must think scientifically rather than simply know science.

“My method of thought and reasoning is influenced by a scientific training—if that were not so my scientific training will have been a waste and a failure.”

“The important thing in science is not so much to obtain new facts as to discover new ways of thinking about them.”

“The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite insane.”

“I am among those who think that science has great beauty.”

“I think the brains of people are more interesting than the looks.”

While her face can launch a thousand ships, Lamar, as the inventor of the Wi-Fi technology, valued genius the most, inspiring the world to shift away its attraction from the superficiality of physical beauty.

“I’ll be more enthusiastic about encouraging thinking outside the box when there’s evidence of any thinking going on inside it.”

Pratchett adds humor to the much-used metaphor of thinking out of the box. If you want to write like him, check out our guide to the best comedy writing books .

“Many a serious thinker has been produced in prisons, where we have nothing to do but think.”

“The third-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking with the majority. A second-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking with the minority. A first-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking.”

“All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking.”

Walking can help us think more clearly while also our physical health.

“To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives.” 

“Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple.”

“If one looks at a thing with the intention of trying to discover what it means, one ends up no longer seeing the thing itself, but of thinking of the question that is raised.”

“Critical thinking is certainly a ‘skill’ but when possessed as a mindset–a playful and humble willingness–it shifts from a labor to an art. It asks, ‘Is this true? By what standard?”

“If we do not hesitate to set sail for the deep waters of our thinking and take the time to cultivate the right words that we need to conceive and express what we feel, we can avoid many misconceptions.”

“I don’t know what I think until I write it down.”

Writing helps crystallize our thoughts and exposes the gaps that show what we truly do not know and should find out. 

“Writing is thinking. To write well is to think clearly. That’s why it’s so hard.”

“Writing is a concentrated form of thinking. I don’t know what I think about certain subjects, even today until I sit down and try to write about them. Maybe I wanted to find more rigorous ways of thinking.”

“Your mind is working at its best when you’re being paranoid. You explore every avenue and possibility of your situation at high speed with total clarity.”

Thinking a lot works for some but only when it helps provide clarity to their thoughts and propels action.

I am a thinker, and I do muse over things a lot and am constantly assessing whether I am doing enough or what I should be doing more of to make sure I am not letting anyone down.”

“I think that’s the single best piece of advice: constantly think about how you could be doing things better and questioning yourself.

Creativity is thinking up new things. Innovation is doing new things.” 

“I like to say it’s an attitude of not just thinking outside the box, but not even seeing the box.”

This is another witty touch to the metaphor on thinking outside the box. 

“If you continue to think the way you’ve always thought, you’ll continue to get what you’ve always got.” 

 “Busyness chokes deep thinking.”

“Think about the present starting from the future.”

“Every thought we think is creating our future.” 

“Your past, present and future are moulded by your thoughts. Remember – your thinking is your life’s autobiography.

“Habits that you have had for years can be maintained only by thinking about them in the future in the same way you thought about them in the past.”

“Those who dare to fail miserably can achieve greatly.”

Many of the best thinking quotes come from influential leaders. These can give you a sense of the speaker’s greatness, but often they give you a sense of your own possibilities. If these great leaders can talk of failures and missteps, you too might achieve greatness.

“When you’re speaking Spanish, you’re thinking in a different way.”

Aside from increased job opportunities, learning a different language can help you think differently and connect more deeply with new cultures and people.

“The Taliban could take our pens and books, but they couldn’t stop our minds from thinking.

This quote shows that challenging the status quo requires a lot of courage and thinking. 

“It isn’t what we say or think that defines us, but what we do.”

Like many famous writer quotes , Austen’s work is also deeply rooted in philosophy.

“As long as she thinks of a man, nobody objects to a woman thinking.”

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100 Great Thinking Quotes That Will Challenge Your Mind

• February 3, 2023
• Quotes and Instagram Captions , Social Media
• by Epifania

Have you ever found a sign, quote, or phrase that captures the essence of what you were thinking? We all have!

Whether we stumble upon these serendipitous phrases or they come to us in times of reflection, having words to define our thoughts can be a real confidence booster. Here we’ve rounded up 100 quotes about thinking – from inspiring and powerful phrases to clever talking points.

Get your inspirational fuel flowing and use these quotes to give yourself and others the courage to pursue their ambitions, dreams, and goals.

100 Inspiring Quotes, Sayings & Captions About Thinking

• A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices. – William James
• Clear thinking requires courage rather than intelligence. – Thomas Szasz
• Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again? – Winnie the Pooh
• Few minds wear out; more rust out. – Christian N. Bovee
• The more you know, the more you realize you don’t know. – Aristotle
• It is well for people who think, to change their minds occasionally in order to keep them clean. – Luther Burbank
• Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change. – Wayne Dyer
• Language shapes the way we think and determines what we can think about. – Benjamin Lee Whorf
• Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it. – Henry Ford
• Misery is almost always the result of thinking. – Joseph Joubert
• Most of the mistakes in thinking are inadequacies of perception rather than mistakes of logic. – Edward de Bono
• Thought is the blossom; language the bud; action the fruit behind it. –  Ralph Waldo Emerson
• What we think, we become. – Buddha
• A bookstore is one of the only pieces of evidence we have that people are still thinking about. – Jerry Seinfeld
• A good listener is usually thinking about something else. – Kin Hubbard
• The power of imagination makes us infinite. – John Muir
• A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong gives it a superficial appearance of being right. – Thomas Paine
• Your thoughts become things. – Mike Dooley
• Imagination is more important than knowledge. – Albert Einstein
• A man is but the product of his thoughts what he thinks, he becomes. – Mahatma Gandhi
• If you can change your mind, you can change your life. – William James
• Think big and don’t listen to people who tell you it can’t be done. Life’s too short to think small. – Tim Ferriss
• Because you are alive, everything is possible. – Thich Nhat Han
• The purpose of life is to be defeated by greater and greater things. – Reiner Maria Rilke
• Much of the secret of life consists in knowing how to laugh, and also how to breathe – Alan Watts
• Suffering is part of our training program for becoming wise. – Ram Dass
• There are some things so serious that you have to laugh at them. – Niels Bohr
• The world is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper – Bertrand Russe 
• A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. – Herm Albright
• People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily. – Zig Ziglar
• Positive anything is better than negative nothing. – Elbert Hubbard
• The stone age didn’t end because the world ran out of stones. – Niels Bohr
• Imperfections are not inadequacies; they are reminders that we’re all in this together – Brene Brown
• Your beliefs become your thoughts, Your thoughts become your words, Your words become your actions, Your actions become your habits, Your habits become your values, Your values become your destiny. – Mahatma Gandhi
• May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you’re wonderful and don’t forget to make some art – write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself. – Neil Gaiman
• The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes. – William James
• Go out into the world where your heart calls you. The blessings will come, I promise you that. I wish for you the insight to recognize the blessings as such, and sometimes it’s hard. But you’ll know it’s a blessing if you are enriched and transformed by the experience. So be ready. There are great souls and teachers everywhere. It’s your job to recognize them. – Sy Montgomery
• There is always light. If only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it. – Amanda Gorman
• Where there’s hope, there’s life. It fills us with fresh courage and makes us strong again. – Anne Frank
• What we hope ever to do with ease, we must learn first to do with diligence. – Samuel Johnson
• It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. – Aristotle
• The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today. – Franklin D. Roosevelt
• The school is the last expenditure upon which America should be willing to economize. – Franklin D. Roosevelt
• If you think education is expensive, try ignorance. – Derek Bok
• It is today we must create the world of the future. – Eleanor Roosevelt
• It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge. – Albert Einstein
• The objective of education is to prepare the young to educate themselves throughout their lives. – Robert Maynard Hutchin
• An education isn’t how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It’s being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don’t. – Anatole France
• Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
• Education would be much more effective if its purpose was to ensure that by the time they leave school every boy and girl should know how much they do not know, and be imbued with a lifelong desire to know it. – William Haley
• Do not confine your children to your own learning for they were born in another time. – Hebrew Proverb
• Too often we give children answers to remember rather than problems to solve. – Roger Lewin
• The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend. – Henri Bergson
• If you think you can, you can. And if you think you can’t, you’re right. – Mary Kay Ash
• The main tenet of design thinking is empathy for the people you’re trying to design for. Leadership is exactly the same thing – building empathy for the people that you’re entrusted to help. – David Kelley
• The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones. – Confucius
• You can’t build a reputation on what you are going to do. – Henry Ford
• Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today. – Will Rogers
• We spend a lot time designing the bridge, but not enough time thinking about the people who are crossing it. – Dr. Prabhjot Singh
• Failure is an option here. If things are not failing, you are not innovating enough. –  Elon Musk
• Human-centered design is a philosophy, not a precise set of methods, but one that assumes that innovation should start by getting close to users and observing their activities. – Donald A. Norman
• It’s not ‘us versus them’ or even ‘us on behalf of them.’ For a design thinker, it has to be ‘us with them’. – Tim Brown
• Fail often so you can succeed sooner. – Tom Kelley
• It’s through mistakes that you can grow. You have to get bad in order to get good. -Paula Scher
• Don’t underestimate the ripple effect of what you do.  – Leila Janah
• We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them. – Albert Einstein
• A good idea is something that does not solve just one single problem but rather can solve multiple problems at once.  –  Shigeru Miyamoto
• Creativity is to discover a question that has never been asked. If one brings up an idiosyncratic question, the answer he gives will necessarily be unique as well. -Kenya Hara
• Creativity comes from a conflict of ideas.  –  Donatella Versace
• We’re experimenting with new methods and techniques, we’re seeing lots of crazy ideas (plants that Tweet! social networking around virtual farms!), and we’re seeing culture being shaped by the very things we’re designing. – Daniel Brown
• It’s really just a matter of time and resources; if you have those then anything is possible. – Hironobu Sakaguchi
• It’s your inner truth. If you’re doing your best work and you think it’s work that helps other people, who can tear you down?  – Brit Morin
• Our life is what our thoughts make it. – Marcus Aurelius
• I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was. – Muhammad Ali
• If you hear a voice within you say, ‘You cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced. – Vincent Van Gogh
• Attitude is a choice. Happiness is a choice. Optimism is a choice. Kindness is a choice. Giving is a choice. Respect is a choice. Whatever choice you make makes you. Choose wisely. – Roy T. Bennett
• Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve. – Napoleon Hill
• You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, and find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island of opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land; there is no other life but this. – Henry David Thoreau
• Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine. – Anthony J. D’Angelo
• If you put negative thoughts into your mind, you’re going to get negative results. It’s just as true that if you put positive thoughts in your mind, you will be a recipient of positive results. – Lou Holtz
• When you go through a negative situation, don’t think about it. Make it positive. – Yoko Ono
• Promise yourself that you will talk about health, happiness, and prosperity as often as possible. – John Wooden
• Human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives. – William James, psychologist, philosopher
• We become what we think about. – Earl Nightingale
• To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives. – Henry David Thoreau
• The greatest source of happiness is the ability to be grateful at all times. – Zig Ziglar
• Always turn a negative situation into a positive situation. – Michael Jordan
• People who express their thoughts aggressively are not necessarily right.
• If something appeared in a newspaper, magazine, or on TV, it does not mean that it is always true
• What other think do not determine who I am.
• I am not bound by other people’s thoughts and opinions.
• It requires inner strength not to respond to everything people say.
• You let people control you and play with your ropes when you respond with anger to ideas that you do not accept. Staying calm, without the need to respond shows inner strength and being free.
• People with self-confidence are not afraid of what others think.
• You don’t need to be part of the collective mindset. You can create different thoughts and ideas.
• What seems true for someone doesn’t mean that it has to be true for you.
• A great number of people blend with the group that feels they are part of. They do not show individuality.
• When I think of you, I think of kindness, wisdom, and love. Thanks for being you. – Sam Crow
• I think I’d miss you even if we never met. – The Wedding Date
• Maybe if you can’t get somebody out of your head, they’re supposed to be there. – Unknown

Thinking is an important part of life, allowing us to make informed decisions and contemplate our choices. After reading through these quotes about thinking, I have come to the conclusion that it is vital to think deeply before making a decision.

Thinking can bring us closer to understanding ourselves and the world around us in various ways. We should never underestimate its power by taking shortcuts or rushing our choices.

Taking time to truly reflect on the impact of our actions will empower us as individuals and help create a better future for all of us.

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Kamala Harris’ Most Impactful Quotes As She Makes History At The DNC

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Source: Washington Post / Getty

 A mid anticipation of Vice President Kamala Harris ‘ pivotal speech at the 2024 Democratic National Convention on Thursday night, now is the perfect moment to reflect on some of the most impactful words she’s spoken during her political career.

Harris, the first Black and South Asian woman to hold the office of vice president, has consistently used her platform to advocate for justice, equality and progress.

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As Harris prepares to accept the Democratic presidential nomination, it’s fitting to celebrate this historic moment and reflect on some of her most potent quotes.

Let’s start with a quote that has become an ironic slogan in support of her presidential campaign:

On Context and History

“You think you just fell out of a coconut tree? You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you.”

Delivered at a White House event last year, it has gained notoriety as both a humorous and key reminder of the interconnectedness of our lives and histories. Harris emphasizes that we are all products of our circumstances, shaped by the events and people that precede us. It’s a call to recognize our place in the larger narrative of history and society.

On Justice and Equality

“Our democracy is as strong as the willingness of our citizens to fight for it.”

Throughout her career, Kamala Harris has emphasized the importance of civic engagement and the role it plays in maintaining and strengthening democracy. This quote encapsulates her belief in the power of the people to effect change through active participation.

On Collective Action

“We must together. Work together. To see where we are. Where we are headed, where we are going and our vision for where we should be. But also see it as a moment to, yes. Together, address the challenges and to work on the opportunities that are presented by this moment.”

On Resilience

“My mother would look at me and she’d say, ‘Kamala, you may be the first to do many things, but make sure you’re not the last.'”

Drawing inspiration from her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, Harris highlights the significance of paving the way for future generations. This quote is a testament to her commitment to creating opportunities for others.

On Breaking Barriers

“ Here’s the thing : every office I’ve run for I was the first to win. First person of color, first woman, first woman of color. Every time.”

On Empathy and Critical Thinking

“I often advocate that we look at many sides of an issue, walk in someone else’s shoes, and identify and reject false choices.”

On Empowerment

“What I want young women and girls to know is: You are powerful and your voice matters.”

These quotes remind us of the powerful legacy Harris is building through her words and actions. Her commitment to justice, equality, and progress continues to inspire, making her an essential voice in the ongoing fight for a better future.

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