Which of the following is an essential component of critical thinking?

A) being aware of the communication styles of others
B) being aware of your own communication style
C) being a clear and accurate communicator
D) All of these answers are correct.

Each of these is an essential component of critical thinking. Critical thinking requires that you be aware of what others say and what you yourself say. While being able to reason well is important to critical thought, so is gathering evidence and engaging in reasoned debate with others. For such activities, you need to be able to fully appreciate the points made by others, while being able to yourself clearly communicate your thoughts.