Critical thinking can sometimes be seen as putting a “filter” between you and the rest of the world, so that you can deal with the messages that come your way. However, it’s possible to go too far.

Critical thinking teaches us to consider the source of a message. It doesn’t encourage us to become defiant against people we should trust, like teachers and parents.

Critical thinking teaches us that some messages are meant to influence us according to someone else’s design. It doesn’t teach us to become cynical, and think that people are lying to us all the time about everything.

Critical thinking teaches us that we need to make decisions based on a well-rounded view of a problem, seeing things from other points of view. It isn’t meant to discourage us from ever making decisions of our own.

Critical thinking techniques help us to make better decisions. Adopting these techniques doesn’t guarantee that we won’t make mistakes. Also, when we see people using other methods for deciding, it doesn’t give us the right to feel superior or act intolerantly towards them.