Developing critical thinking skills is essential because they are skills that we can use in all parts of our lives. Planning at work, negotiating with your teenage children, and choosing a new vehicle are all circumstances where critical thinking skills can influence your outcomes. Deciding on which political candidate to vote for involves a range of critical thinking skills to ensure a well-rounded and informed decision. I recommend evaluating the candidates’ policies, statements, and actions critically. Question the candidate’s assumptions, seek evidence, and consider different perspectives before making your decision. Here are some critical thinking skills required to select a political candidate. 

1. Analytical Thinking: Break down complex issues into smaller, understandable parts. Compare and contrast candidates’ platforms on various issues like the economy, healthcare, foreign policy, etc.
2. Research Skills: Gather information from reliable sources. Look into candidates’ backgrounds, voting records, public statements, and endorsements.
3. Decision-Making: Weigh the pros and cons of each candidate. Consider how their policies align with your values and the needs of the country.
4. Problem-Solving: Identify the key issues facing the country and assess which candidate has the best plan to address them.
5. Empathy: Understand the impact of candidates’ policies on different groups within the population. Consider the needs and perspectives of people from various backgrounds.
6. Logical Reasoning: Make connections between the candidates’ proposed policies and their potential outcomes. Assess whether their arguments are sound and supported by evidence.
7. Future Orientation: Consider the long-term implications of each candidate’s policies. Think about how their leadership might shape the country’s future.
8. Ethical Reasoning: Evaluate the candidates’ character, integrity, and ethical standards. Consider the ethical implications of their policies and behavior.
9. Open-Mindedness: Be willing to consider new information and alternative viewpoints. Avoid confirmation bias by actively seeking diverse opinions.
10. Communication Skills: Engage in discussions with others to test your ideas and hear different perspectives. This can help refine your thinking and clarify your views.

By utilizing these critical thinking skills, you can make a more informed and thoughtful decision when choosing a political candidate who will represent your interests. This year, we need to address many important issues like abortion, immigration, health care, taxes, judges, the Supreme Court, artificial intelligence, fiscal policy, and inflation.  Use your critical thinking skills to determine who will best represent you, your community, and our country.  

On one hand, Donald Trump is known for his rants of negativity on our public airwaves and of course on twitter. On the other hand, Donald Trump talks with a lot of confidence about what he has done, what he will do, and what is going to happen. In fact Donald Trump actually practices many of the positive thinking principles espoused by Norman Vincent Peale who is the rightmost figure in the next picture. These principles have inspired people to believe in their own capabilities and accomplish great things through significant planning and effort. While Peale emphasizes numerous positive thinking principles in his writings. Three of Peale’s principles are certainly transparent in Trump’s bombast.They are:

1.   You get what You expect.

Trump believes that his attitude is more important than any problem he faces. He does not seem to think about defeat. According to Peale one should not build obstacles to success in their mind.  This belief gives Trump hope to accomplish improbable tasks; in other words you are overcome because of what you you think. This means self-fulfilling prophecies are powerful.

2. What we say we experience.

Trump hardly talks about defeat even if he has just lost a major battle. For instance read how Trump describes what happened with the first version of his healthcare bill. He uses words such as victory and winning constantly. Peale stressed that there is a great deal of power in the words you use. Words affect your mood and outlook on things. Therefore, if you use words of pessimism you will create more negativity in your world. If you use optimistic and inspiring words, you will behave and react in a like manner.

3. Learn only from your success.

Peale suggested that learning from errors would make an individual more inclined to make more errors. In a similar manner, Trumps actions indicate that he thinks it is more important to learn from successes than failures. The belief is such behavior will make it easier to repeat what you did to create the success. To increase your chance of future success take notes about your successful behaviors and practice them as time permits.

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