As humans, we are separated from all other animals by our intelligence and how we think. All the thinking that humans do can be separated into two main categories. Natural thinking is thinking that comes to us naturally. It is often associated with an instinct or emotion. Natural thinking is biased and partial, in that it is only composed of the thinker's views and opinions. Critical thinking is the other category that certain thoughts may fall into. Critical thinking is based on logical and informational analysis. It involves asking questions and reflecting on other thoughts. Natural thinking is quick and involves no review, while critical thinking is a process that takes time. It provides a conclusion based on different factors, questions, tests, and approaches. Critical thinking deals in figuring out consequences to your actions and explaining why certain actions take place. While natural thinking is sometimes correct, it is not verified before being acted upon. Natural thinking deals only in actions and not consequences.
Both natural and critical thinking are ways we think in everyday situations. Anytime we are speaking face-to-face with a person, we are using natural thinking to understand their facial expressions, body language, and tone of voice. These are things that must be thought about in this manner because they cannot be explained logically. Things like smiling or laughing when we are happy are human basic emotions and when looked at from a purely logical point of view they may make no sense. On the other hand, especially in situations where the two people are from different culture, more critical thinking will need to be used in order to explain certain things to one another. When teaching or attempting to solve a problem, critical thinking is usually the best approach. This approach is more thorough and provides the person with more solid conclusions than those gotten from natural thinking.