Critical Thinking and Decision Making: Response Paper Analysis

This assignment, a response paper, delves into the student's personal decision-making processes, identifying indecisiveness as a primary barrier. The student acknowledges the importance of risk-taking and the acceptance of life's challenges to overcome this. Furthermore, the paper explores dogmatic thinking as a significant impediment to critical thinking, referencing the downfall of the Greek civilization due to their closed-mindedness. The assignment provides an analysis of these barriers and suggests ways to improve future decision-making, supported by academic sources like McPeck (2016) and Shepherd, Williams & Patzelt (2015). The student demonstrates critical thinking by reflecting on how awareness of these barriers can lead to better outcomes and citing relevant examples.

Running head: RESPONSE
RESPONSE
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1RESPONSE
Response 1
The most common that affects my decision making is my indecisiveness. I tend to be
more cautious than one is supposed to be which inhibits the risk taking attitude. In order to
explore the opportunities of life one needs to take up risk and learn the vital lessons of dealing
with the difficult situations of life (Shepherd, Williams & Patzelt, 2015).
The awareness of it shall enable me to accept the fact that situations shall not always be
the way I shall be expecting it to be. It shall help to accept the fact that difficulties are a part of
life and running away from them shall not be solving the problems and shall magnify their
intensity in future which shall make things even more difficult for me. Awareness of it shall
encourage me to invoke professional intervention if required (Shepherd, Williams & Patzelt,
2015).
Response 2
One of the most common impediment to critical thinking is dogmatic thinking. Dogmatic
thinking can be extremely pernicious to critical thinking as it prevents an individual to venture
out into the world of ideas outside the bounds of one’s psychic prison (McPeck, 2016).
The most classic example that one can cite is the reason behind the downfall of the Greek
Civilization. The Allegory of Cave of Plato demonstrates the closemindedness of the Greeks
towards innovation and exploration of ideas beyond what they are already aware of. The Greeks
had become too overwhelmed in the sense of pride that none were greater than them and that had
inhibited them from viewing the state of affairs critically. They were resultantly oblivious to the
imminent danger and the disintegrating forces weakening the civilization (McPeck, 2016).

2RESPONSE
References
McPeck, J. E. (2016). Critical thinking and education. Routledge.
Shepherd, D. A., Williams, T. A., & Patzelt, H. (2015). Thinking about entrepreneurial decision
making: Review and research agenda. Journal of management, 41(1), 11-46.