Chapter 4: Critical Thinking (I) What are some characteristics of critical thinkers? Do they have innate abilities that make them better at thinking critically? In the next couple of chapters, we will examine eight characteristics of critical thinkers. The four characteristics we will discuss in Chapter 4 are: • • • •
Active Listening Curiosity Self-Discipline Humility
Active Listening We have all heard it before, the best communicators are active listeners. What does it mean to practice active listening? Active listening means the listener is completely engaged in what the speaker is communicating and judging what is being said. The listener is not formulating their rebuttal or responses to the speaker, or worse, thinking about something that is completely unrelated.
