Many people interpret the word critical as meaning "negative." Explain why critical thinking is not the same as negative thinking.

There are many examples of positive and constructive uses of reflective and fair-minded reasoning to reach good decisions. Those are examples of positive critical thinking. Critical thinking is not about bashing what people believe just to show how clever we are. Nor is critical thinking about using our skills to defend beliefs that we know are untrue or decisions we know are poor. Critical thinking is skeptical without being cynical. It is open-minded without being wishy-washy. It is analytical without being nitpicky. Critical thinking can be decisive without being stubborn, evaluative without being judgmental, and forceful without being opinionated.