A Practical Checklist for Critical Thinking

In a world filled with opinions, news, and endless online content, it's easy to take things at face value. But critical thinking is what helps us pause, ask the right questions, and make sense of what we're really seeing or hearing.

Now, especially in the age of AI, both the volume of generated content and the spread of misinformation are increasing rapidly. That’s why it’s crucial to apply critical thinking to everything we read or hear, including AI-generated conversations.

I started collecting the following questions through my conversations with ChatGPT, and they've become a handy checklist for breaking down arguments, claims, or ideas—whether in a news article, a conversation, or even my own thoughts.

Here’s a summary of what I’ve learned from those chats.

1. Who is the source?

• Who is speaking or publishing this information? How credible are they?

• Do they have any potential conflicts of interest or biases?

2. What is the main claim?

• What exactly is the author trying to say? Is there a clear central point?
• Are there ambiguous or double-meaning words involved?

3. What assumptions are made?

• What premises is the argument based on? Are these premises supported by facts?
• Are there any hidden assumptions that are not stated explicitly?

4. How solid is the data and evidence?

• Does the argument cite data or facts? Are these sources trustworthy?
• Is the data sample size adequate? Is there any selection bias?
• Is important counter-evidence ignored?

5. Is the logic sound?

• Does the conclusion logically follow from the premises? Any logical fallacies?
• Is there overgeneralization, equivocation, or false causality?

6. What about counterexamples or rebuttals?

• Are there facts or opinions that contradict the argument?
• Has the argument addressed or responded to them?

7. Consider multiple perspectives

• Can this viewpoint be interpreted differently from cultural, economic, or social angles?
• Are other reasonable perspectives overlooked?

8. What are the motives and impacts?

• What might the speaker want to achieve by making this claim?
• How could this perspective affect the audience or public opinion?

Critical thinking is a skill that sharpens with use. Try applying one or two of these questions the next time you read or hear something that seems persuasive—or confusing.

You might be surprised by how much you start noticing.