Essay on Disadvantages of Critical Thinking

As the demand for new laborers grows at this age, individuals tend to use common sense to solve problems. Workers will be faced with problems where they have to utilize more than that and turn to using an essential skill needed to perform proficiently in a work setting, called critical thinking. It’s the hidden treasure that all companies are looking for, but as workers, how do we know if that gem can be found within us? An article I’ve recently read, “Bosses Seek ‘Critical Thinking’, but What Is That?” by Melissa Korn opens the minds of readers and introduces the many different ways the term “Critical Thinking” can be interpreted. I agree with how the article gives good ideas of what the term is by stating how one makes decisions based on observations but her critiques give statements that make it only agreeable to a certain extent. As a reader, something that makes me feel limited with this piece with her is how she only mentions critical thinking being applied to new, young workers, instead of the entire workforce as a whole. It leads to questions about how the company and bosses themselves tackle problem-solving tasks.

The diversity of the term critical thinking is illustrated by the many definitions Korn includes in her writing. The first major point this author is trying to convey is that critical thinking is such a big word in the working community yet bosses aren’t sure of how it’s really used in a work setting (Korn). It can be assured by any reader that the article defines the many ways critical thinking can be viewed through the perspectives of members of various organizations and careers. One definition I agree with quotes the “ability to work with data… to make smart decisions” (Korn). I agree most with the process of gathering information and adjusting your actions to the appropriate decisions when faced with a difficult situation. It’s a process of putting yourself in a certain mindset and out of all explanations this definition defines critical thinking the best. Another point I agree with is how through her article I can see how critical thinking can be misinterpreted into just problem-solving when it’s completely more than that. Critical thinking isn’t just one solid thing and can be defined through different perspectives. The quote from Linda Elder “Employers really want well-trained problem solvers and not critical thinkers” (Korn) sticks out to me the most in this article because it’s true how there could be similarities between the two terms but the way they’re expressed lies in two different paths. There will be a time in a worker’s life when they need to use objective evaluation to solve a certain situation but just “solving the problem” wouldn’t be as simple as it sounds. Critical thinking is obviously a skill that is gained through experience and learning of your own ability to resonate with your own decisions. Although the author tries best to educate readers about critical thinking things are still left unclear for her readers the more you look through the article.

Save your time!
We can take care of your essay

• Proper editing and formatting
• Free revision, title page, and bibliography
• Flexible prices and money-back guarantee

Place Order

The article’s main focus is on young workers and the lack of complex skills known as critical thinking. Many definitions are used to illustrate the expression as a whole using sources that vary from education to recruiting coordinators. One issue with this is that she doesn’t bother providing her own interpretation of critical thinking. Saying how there are “50 different ways to define it” (Korn) while not giving at least one piece of text makes it confusing what the writer’s impression of critical thinking is. Granted that we know there is a disconnect in the understanding of critical thinking, no solution to this was put into the article at all. Ending the article with a message depending on youth to change the future while also having points of how young workers use critical thinking brings up questions that bring unclarity and reveal the limitations this article provides. There are more than just young, fresh college graduates in the workforce but it seems like they are the main target when it comes to critical thinking. If it’s something that is so highly expected out of these incoming workers, how does it affect current companies? This question roams around when the topic of students and critical thinking is brought up. The quote “Students… but their future bosses tend to disagree” (Korn) is a troubling statement and fails to recognize that “being ready” isn’t the same as having critical thinking skills. Having these critiques about her way of explaining can also lead to some disagreements.

Reading this article as a student who is on the pathway to having a profession, I see points Melissa makes that seem harsh against students. The next level for undergraduates is to get into a career that suits them best, which is achieved through hard work. In the article, the author characterizes students as lazy in terms of their academic work. The quote “Students rarely study…. Sustained analysis” portrays her thought that students don’t have critical thinking because they don’t accomplish much work in school. I don’t agree with her message that depicts the lack of basic reasoning within young students and how they don’t follow the standard, considering the majority of youth are the new working class that will be running organizations and businesses in the near future. Another point I fail to agree with is how critical thinking is said to be easily recognizable. According to Michael Desmaris, global head of bank recruiting, a series of exercises were made to see if individuals were capable of having critical thinking skills. It was mentioned that “at the end… candidates should have displayed whether they possess critical thinking” (Desmarais qtd. Korn) and I don’t see how it came to be that you can tell from simply telling a few explanations. This goes back to how critical thinking can be misconceived as just problem-solving. With the need for quick and easy solutions, people tend to neglect going through the process of using reasoning when making decisions.

It is an important skill that is highly expected out of young workers today yet most employers don’t know what it means to have critical thinking. It’s an essential factor to impress the big company with what skill sets you have. In Korn’s article, examples of critical thinking are shown defining what important aspects of critical thinking can be taken in by different professional fields. But my own definition of critical thinking would go along the lines of putting yourself into a mindset to evaluate information and dealing with what situation you’re put in. It’s essential to know what to do when faced with a problem and the importance of analysis before problem solving is a key factor I agree with. Melissa uses her evidence to show that critical thinking is imposed on college students since they are set to be responsible for their career lives. What she fails to point out is that there is more to this than just a focus on young people seeking work. Critical thinking generally speaking is an overall skill that benefits particular individuals when having issues. It is an important skill to learn but it shouldn’t dictate whether an applicant should be rejected from a job or not. The overall response I give to Melissa’s article is that the more critical thinking is brought into the lives of the community the more efficient and well organized we become together.

Works Cited

1. Korn, Melissa. “Bosses Seek 'Critical Thinking,' but What Is That?” The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Company, 21 Oct. 2014, www.wsj.com/articles/bosses-seek-critical-thinking-but-what-is-that-1413923730.