First, I now realize it means I've been using an extra, unnecessary word for a lot of years, because true critical thinking is always independent. It's should not be affected by race, gender, religious or political affiliation, or any pre-conceived notion that would alter one's perspective.
Critical thinking is actively assessing factual information, and then drawing a conclusion. In other words, it's the opposite of most thinking today, in which people seek out information to support their already drawn conclusions (a/k/a confirmation bias).
Note that I said "factual" information. Critical thinkers don't just assume everything they hear and read is true. This is a real problem for most people today, who seem to swallow anything they hear from their neighbor, or read on the internet. Critical thinkers not only question the rationality of the information, but also the reliability of the source providing it.
As for that sourcing, critical thinkers absorb information from a wide variety of people and places. You can't call yourself a critical thinker if you only read the same, single newspaper / web site year-round. Or watch the same broadcast network year-round. Or talk to only people with the same background.
Based on that basic summary, it follows that I believe there's at least one other truth about critical thinkers: These days, they are in short supply.
**Due to the second paragraph, as of today, it's "The random rants of a critical thinker."
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