Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Tarhan, noting that critical thinking can be defined as thinking about thinking, said, “In criticism, the intention of the other party is very important. If our intention is to understand the truth, the other party develops themselves even if they are uncomfortable.”
Stating that criticism is a process that develops intelligence and capacity, Prof. Dr. Tarhan said, “Criticism must be original, evidence-based, and reasonable.”
Üsküdar Üniversitesi Founding Rector, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, evaluated the issue of criticism culture. Tarhan mentioned that criticism is a process that develops intelligence and capacity.
Criticism is the metacognitive skill known as thinking about one's own thoughts
Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that criticism is the metacognitive skill known as thinking about one's own thoughts, and thanks to this skill, individuals actively question incoming information instead of passively accepting it, a process also called critical thinking. He said, “Children learn through imitation and repetition. After children start abstract thinking, they begin to ask questions. When they start asking questions, the child asks, ‘Why should I put this here when you tell me to put it here with reasons?’ They ask, ‘I will wear this, why will I wear it? You will eat this. Why will I eat it?’ If parents patiently and explicitly explain these to the child, the child learns by questioning and understanding.”
Destructive criticism is used like a stick by many people…
Reminding that Socrates was the first to systematize this critical thinking in human history and that it is called “Socratic” questioning, Prof. Dr. Tarhan continued as follows:
“Critical thinking can be defined as thinking about thinking and must have several important characteristics. Firstly, it is important to question incoming information and evaluate whether this information is rational, original, and analytical. Critical thinking must be rational; that is, it must be reasonable and logical. Criticism must be original; that is, it must offer a new perspective based on personal experience and knowledge. Merely repeating known facts is not considered criticism. An original critique goes beyond existing knowledge and views and aims for improvement. Individuals encountering destructive criticism should understand the purpose of such criticism and respond accordingly to prevent it from negatively affecting them. Destructive criticisms often aim to dominate others or enslave individuals and are therefore used like a stick by many people.”
Parents do not grant the right to criticize…
Tarhan stated that humans try to satisfy their desire to acquire knowledge by questioning the world around them and the society they live in, and that this forms the basis of critical thinking, explaining the following:
“Everyone has a desire to know and learn. This characteristic leads people to constantly ask questions to better understand themselves and their surroundings. Contrary to popular belief, the most recommended holy book for critical thinking is the Quran. What does the Quran say first? It starts with ‘Read.’ After saying ‘Read,’ it then talks about the embryo. It says, ‘Try to understand the birth of a child in the human womb and the book of the universe,’ it says ‘question.’ It encourages thinking. When we look at the story of the creation of Prophet Adam, the angels object. They say, ‘Are we not enough?’ This is a criticism. Even though Allah is omnipotent, He granted them that right to criticize. Then Satan defies. He says, ‘I will not prostrate.’ He granted him this right. But I see that parents do not grant this right to their children. They enslave children. Parents act more despotically than the attributes of Allah. Administrations do the same. Despotic individuals are closed off to criticism.”
Intention is very important in criticism
Prof. Dr. Tarhan also stated that criticism is an important process used to understand the current situation and achieve goals. He said, “For criticism to be effective, it must be active, purposeful, and organized. Rational thinking is the basis of this process; that is, criticisms should be made to achieve a specific goal and to understand the truth. Criticism supports personal and institutional development when it is done not merely to destroy or harm something, but to reveal the truth. In criticism, the intention of the other party is very important. If our intention is to understand the truth, the other party develops themselves even if they are uncomfortable.”
Striving to understand the truth…
Prof. Dr. Tarhan pointed out that the critic must also have a certain competence and continued:
“Criticism is effective when it is evidence-based. If it is not evidence-based, and is merely criticism to satisfy our feelings, it not only provides no benefit but also harms relationships. Criticisms with negative effects are like this. A person who seeks faults in others is still at the beginning of their life's journey and knows nothing. Our ancestors called this 'Cehl-i mürekkep,' or compounded ignorance. They don't know, and they don't know that they don't know. Such ignorant people look for faults in others. Why? It means they are at the beginning of this path. If a person, while progressing on the path of life, seeks faults in themselves, they are in the middle of the path. But if someone does not look for faults in themselves or others, if they can succeed in looking at themselves and others from above like a helicopter, they do not seek faults in anyone. They try to understand the truth. They do not act to seek faults. This is the truly correct criticism. It is for a person to exert mental effort to understand the reality, to uncover the truth, to find what is right. This is called internal intelligence. The person can question themselves. External intelligence questions the outside and makes a decision as a result of this questioning. Making decisions based on information and data is making decisions based on reason and evidence. If a person can do these, it means they are using critical thinking systematically.”
One must stop and think before criticizing
“One must stop and think before criticizing. If you think someone has done something wrong, if you criticize them immediately, you might be embarrassed,” said Prof. Dr. Tarhan. He added, “Good and bad assumptions are important elements of critical thinking. A person acting with bad assumptions constantly blames others and does not see the true nature of the event. Therefore, it is important to say, ‘Stop, think, then criticize.’ One must stop and think to try to understand the reason for the event.”
“Instead of approaching with ‘You-language,’ one should approach with ‘I-language’”
Prof. Dr. Tarhan noted that instead of asking accusatory and judgmental questions immediately to try to understand something, asking neutral questions would be more constructive. He said, “Instead of questions like, ‘Why are you wearing this?’ or ‘Why did you put your hand here?’, questions like, ‘There must be a reason for putting this here, how is that so?’ should be asked. This is constructive, not destructive, criticism. Trying to understand, you can say, ‘Is there an important reason for you to take that?’ In a situation you think is wrong, speaking with ‘I-language’ can be more effective: ‘I think what you did is wrong; if I were you, I would do it this way, not that way.’ Because we live in an age of 'self,' an age where ego and selfishness are rising, an age of narcissism, people react disproportionately to critical situations. That's why, instead of approaching with 'You-language,' one should approach with 'I-language'.”
Criticism must be original…
Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that being inquisitive is necessary for people to satisfy their needs. He said, “Unquestioning people are enslaved people. Criticism is a process that develops intelligence and capacity. It enables thinking outside the box and producing alternative theses. Criticism must be original, evidence-based, and reasonable. We can consider these elements of critical thinking as its fundamental pillars.”
Nobody likes to be criticized
“Criticism is something humans never like. Nobody should say, ‘I like being criticized.’ Criticism is initially contrary to the human psyche. Because humans tend to see themselves as the best and smartest. Therefore, it is normal to be uncomfortable with criticism,” said Prof. Dr. Tarhan, expressing the following:
“We need to think about how we can criticize without making the other party feel bad. Let's say someone has a scorpion in their bag, and we need to tell them this without causing panic. In fact, there's a story about wisdom: There was a very complaining student who criticized everything. He constantly complained about the world and looked for faults in everything. His teacher took a bag of salt, put a handful into a glass of water, and told the student to drink it. The student couldn't drink it and said the water was very bitter. The teacher took him to a larger salty lake and threw the water into the lake. Then he said, ‘Now drink.’ The student said he didn't taste anything. The teacher said, ‘See, sorrows are like this.’ Here, whom you tell and where you tell it is important. If you criticize by thinking small, people suffer. When you criticize by seeing the bigger picture, the other party understands that this criticism is made to help and does not get upset. It is possible to say even the harshest, most difficult, most vulgar words in the kindest, most pleasant way. This is a skill.”
One should not criticize a child's personality
Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that if a child needs to be criticized, it is important to do so with reasons. He said, “One should not criticize a child's personality. If you criticize their personality with words like, ‘You'll never amount to anything. You won't become a proper person. You're studying for nothing,’ it devalues the child and lowers their self-confidence. However, it is more constructive to not criticize their personality but to say, ‘Look, you are a good person, a good child, but what you did is not right. Try to correct this. If I were you, I would do it this way.’”
If we act with our emotions in the face of criticism, we fall into a trap
Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that a person exposed to destructive criticism should listen calmly and then respond calmly. He concluded, “If we act with our emotions in the face of criticism, we fall into a trap. Critics usually act through pressure, threats, intimidation, and coercion, trying to dominate us. If we resort to their methods, we will lose. Therefore, by changing our strategy, we must draw the critic into the realm of logic. Speaking slowly and calmly, saying ‘I want to understand you,’ activates the other party's thinking brain. This way, it directs them to an area where there is a cause-and-effect relationship and tries to understand the truth. If the criticism is ignorant and foolish, it is best to distance oneself instead of responding to such criticisms.”