Critical Thinking: Beliefs And Actions - Essay Example

Critical Thinking: Beliefs And Actions Critical thinking has been described as a form of reflective reasoning that is based on beliefs and actions (Paul & Elder 6). It can be said to be the reason behind an individual’s ability to make the correct decision in situations that may prove to be somewhat complicated to deal with and has been the basis of rational reactions. There are a number of situations that I have come across that have reflected on the need for critical thinking to be part of a person’s abilities and have led me in the making of proper choices when faced at cross roads that may potentially lead to two different scenarios, one of which may churn out negative effects and do more harm than good. The most significant of these in my opinion occurred during my high school days where I had the choice of joining forces with those who were seen as the popular kids but would have resulted in the betrayal of my beliefs in justice and fair treatment of all individuals. This situation began with the fact that this particular group of students had the tendency of bullying others that they considered inferior to them based on the fact that they were not as popular. During my third year in high school I was beginning to gain the recognition that kids at that stage crave among their peers and as a result, the more popular individuals within the school began to take notice of me and involve me in their activities. This included sporting events, parties and other social activities that they were responsible for and needless to say, I felt that I was finally achieving the status that I had long yearned for. However, this group of kids was also involved in other unsavory acts as mentioned earlier such as the bullying of the weaker students who had done them no wrong. They would get hold of one of their victims and torment them with mental abuse such as putting them in embarrassing situations in front of an audience and even physically abuse them at times through acts such as tying them to a bleacher on the school grounds and leaving them there for hours. To be part of this group of popular kids, they expected one to engage in these sordid activities as well and made light of the suffering of those that they tortured via these methods. I found myself at a cross roads whereby I could involve myself in these activities and enjoy the fame and popularity that came with it, or sacrifice my new found position as one of the popular kids but maintain my character as an individual who respects others and considers their needs. In situations where one has to make important decisions, critical thinking can prove to be the answer that will determine whether an individual will be able to make the correct choice (Paul & Elder 5). I believe that it was through this critical thinking that I was able to make my final decision and that is the reason that the choice turned out to be a wise one in the end. Though I had clearly longed for the day that I would be recognized throughout the school and command the attention of my peers, I chose to walk away from this group of new found friends and maintain my status as just another student in a school with hundreds of them. This was due to the fact that upon deliberation of my choices, I found that the end did not justify the means and upon reasoning decided that it was not fair that others had to suffer a life of bullying by my hands just so I could have people who were of absolutely no concern to me and that I may never even talk to know my name. Being popular was not the reason that an individual attends high school and if I was not able to gain my popularity through means that would not hurt others, then popularity was not a worthwhile reward to chase after. Needless to say, my refusal to take part in the bullying of others and my further defense of their victims when I was present resulted in the popular kids shunning me in the end and soon enough I was back to my mediocre status as a normal student instead of a “high school legend in the making”. I had no regrets, however, and I believed that I had made the right choice. This was further confirmed a few months later when five of the kids in this popular contingent were suspended for their bullying acts, and three were later on expelled upon further investigation. I on the other hand was able to continue with my high school education and actually developed a new form of popularity among the other kids that I had helped. I was known as a “good guy” who would not involve himself in the torture of others, and this ort of popularity felt even better than the status I would have gained had I gone along with the peer pressure to bully other just for the sake of it. I believe the choices I made to refuse to involve myself in the bullying that took place and instead help others integrated intelligence and character as it was a reflection of both on my part. The intelligence was revealed in the fact that I was well aware that bullying was a punishable offence and held the potential of disrupting my schooling if revealed to the authorities. My character reflected on the basis that I was not willing to put my own selfish wants ahead of others welfare by engaging in the bullying just so that I would remain part of the popular clique. Critical thinking enables one to take part I reflective reasoning that allows one to study the options available to an individual in a rational manner allowing one to make the correct decision (Paul & Elder 12). Without this critical thinking, it stands to risk that I would have potentially made the wrong decision and ended up as one of the suspended or even expelled kids of what I now consider to be that infamous group and not popular. Work Cited Paul, Richard & Elder, Linda. The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking Concepts and Tools. Dillon Beach: Foundation for Critical Thinking Press, 2008. Read More