Unlock the ability to solve problems, make better decisions, and lead with clarity with these critical thinking quotes!
The ability to think critically has become more valuable than ever in today’s information-driven world. It’s the skill that allows one to question assumptions, analyze complex problems, and make informed decisions. The following collection of critical thinking quotes – curated from some of history’s greatest minds – is meant to serve as a source of wisdom as you work on cultivating this much needed competency.
(by Jonathan M. Pham)
Short Quotes about Critical Thinking
These brief yet powerful words should offer a quick mental workout, giving you a sharp new perspective on how to approach a problem or idea.
- To find yourself, think for yourself. – Socrates
- Doubt is the origin of wisdom. – René Descartes
- Thinking: the talking of the soul with itself. – Plato
- The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks. – Christopher Hitchens
- Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers. – Voltaire
Famous quotes about critical thinking
Importance of Critical Thinking Quotes
In a world full of information and distractions, the ability to think clearly is a rare and desirable resource – if not one’s greatest asset.
- Critical thinking is the key to creative problem solving in business. – Richard Branson
- Thinking is the ultimate human resource. – Edward de Bono
- A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices. – William James
- To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old problems from a new angle, requires creative imagination and marks real advance in science. – Albert Einstein
- Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think. – Albert Einstein
Read more: 75 Creativity Quotes – From Vision to Innovation
Value of critical thinking quotes
Inspirational Quotes about Critical Thinking
Thinking for yourself is a journey of courage and discovery – in which one learns to question assumptions and explore new possibilities with an open, independent mind.
- It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. – Aristotle
- Don’t be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth. – Rumi
- A problem well put is half solved. – John Dewey
- You have a brain and mind of your own. Use it, and reach your own decisions. – Napoleon Hill
- Knowledge is proud that he has learned so much; wisdom is humble that he knows no more. – William Cowper
Good critical thinking quotes
Deep & Thought Provoking Critical Thinking Quotes
True understanding of oneself and the world requires more than just surface-level analysis.
- We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them. – Albert Einstein
- Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won’t come in. – Alan Alda
- The most fundamental attack on freedom is the attack on critical thinking skills. – Travis Nichols
- I don’t talk things, sir. I talk the meaning of things. – Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451
- Beliefs are hypotheses to be tested, not treasures to be guarded. – Philip Tetlock
Read more: 55 Growth Mindset Quotes – Insights for Business & Life
Deep critical thinking quotes
Lack of Critical Thinking Quotes
Blind conformity and unexamined beliefs – which are the norm in today’s world – come with pitfalls that we need to be aware of.
- Blind belief in authority is the greatest enemy of truth. – Albert Einstein
- If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn’t thinking. – George S. Patton
- People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use. – Søren Kierkegaard
- The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt. – Bertrand Russell
- Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it. – Henry Ford
Critical Mind Quotes
The mind isn’t a passive container but a dynamic tool waiting to be sharpened.
- The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled. – Plutarch
- To think is easy. To act is hard. But the hardest thing in the world is to act in accordance with your thinking. – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
- It pays to keep an open mind, but not so open your brains fall out. – Carl Sagan
- A man’s mind stretched to a new idea never goes back to its original dimensions. – Oliver Wendell Holmes
- An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest. – Benjamin Franklin
Read more: 60 Learning and Development Quotes to Fuel Growth
Critical thought quotes
Critical Reflection Quotes
Experience is a great teacher, but only if you take the time to learn from it.
- We do not learn from experience… we learn from reflecting on experience. – John Dewey
- Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom. – Aristotle
- The unexamined life is not worth living. – Socrates
- Self-reflection is the school of wisdom. – Baltasar Gracián
- Reflection is one of the most underused yet powerful tools for success. – Richard Carlson
Quotes about critical reflection
Quotes on Critical Thinking and Decision Making
Every choice we make, big or small, all plays a crucial role in shaping our future.
- Where all think alike, no one thinks very much. – Walter Lippmann
- The quality of your life ultimately depends on the quality of your decisions. – Ray Dalio
- Critical thinking is thinking about your thinking while you’re thinking in order to make your thinking better. – Richard Paul
- The simple believe anything, but the prudent give thought to their steps. – Proverbs 14:15
- A wise man makes his own decisions, an ignorant man follows public opinion. – Grantland Rice
Read more: 60 Business Strategy Quotes – From Planning to Profit
Quotes about critical thinking skills
Critical Thinking Quotes about Life
The journey of life is filled with questions that have no easy answers. The following quotes are meant to provide a philosophical lens for navigating life’s complexities, encouraging you to approach every experience with curiosity and openness.
- All I know is that I know nothing. – Socrates
- There are no facts, only interpretations. – Friedrich Nietzsche
- Knowledge rooted in experience shapes what we value and as a consequence how we know what we know as well as how we use what we know. – Bell Hooks
- Conversations are not one-dimensional; they always confront us with different ways of seeing and knowing. To raise a critical thinker means giving our kids opportunities to discover what they know intimately and their barriers to understanding. Both. – Julie Bogart
- The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existence – Albert Einstein
Read more: 65 Curiosity Quotes – Ignite the Mind & Drive Success
Critical life quotes
Funny Critical Thinking Quotes
Let us finish the exploration with a lighthearted take on the challenges of thinking clearly, shall we?
- It is much easier to be critical than to be correct. – Benjamin Disraeli
- A consistent thinker is a thoughtless person, because he conforms to a pattern; he repeats phrases and thinks in a groove. – Jiddu Krishnamurti
- Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe. – Albert Einstein
- Many people would sooner die than think; in fact, they do. – Bertrand Russell
- Informed decision-making comes from a long tradition of guessing and then blaming others for inadequate results. – Scott Adams
Other resources you might be interested in:
- 75 Positive Thinking Quotes: Inspire Your Best Self
- 70 Agility Quotes: Adapt, Innovate, and Thrive
- 75 Productivity Quotes: Boost Efficiency & Achieve More
- 55 Integrity Quotes: Wisdom for Building Trust & Character
- 50 Essential Emotional Intelligence Quotes for Success
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