Quote: The ideal critical thinker

The American Philosophical Association commissioned a study in 1988 to articulate an expert consensus definition of the ideal critical thinker. The resulting report (pdf of executive summary) provided the following definition that would be hard to improve upon:

The ideal critical thinker is habitually inquisitive, well-informed, trustful of reason, open-minded, flexible, fair-minded in evaluation, honest in facing personal biases, prudent in making judgments, willing to reconsider, clear about issues, orderly in complex matters, diligent in seeking relevant information, reasonable in the selection of criteria, focused in inquiry, and persistent in seeking results which are as precise as the subject and the circumstances of inquiry permit.