Hi, Jane - great post on one of my favorite topic.

You had me at "Elder and Paul":).  I have used their works (books and articles) for years teaching various critical and creative thinking courses and they are among the leading academic voices in this regard.

Loved your description of the critical thinking process, as related to your original goal of writing the January Post To Rule Them All.   Critical thinking is key to helping us deconstruct our thinking, identify fallacies deeply held, and adjust our actions to a more realistic base.

The number of examples I could give regarding my lack of critical thinking could fill a book.

I think we sometimes feel that critical thinking is just "common sense on steroids" and do not fully appreciate that it is a skill to be learned and refined, just like reading, writing, and artistry.   Critical thinking has to be practiced and our ability to think critically grows in layers, rather than being a finite point to be reached.

When I teach critical thinking to college students, I am regularly amazed at how often I neglect to "take my own advice" and am subsequently delighted when someone calls me on my own lack of critical thinking.

Thanks for this post - as always, nicely composed and thought-provoking:)

John