I recently observed a newly minted college graduate who seemed to confuse "critical thinking" with "thinking of criticisms". Performing the latter believing she was doing the former.
Bingo! I teach "critique vs criticism" in my Engineering Business Practices class. In their first attempts, some of my most industrious and brightest students will write volumes in pursuit of a high grade. Except what they write is, "I think that..." or "I would have..." or "I prefer... ."
Too many of them think their critique is about themselves, instead of the creative work they're examining. They're smart, but don't realize that they're preoccupation with their own thoughts creates the impression that they are insufferable know-it-alls.
There's only so much patience in design for the people who can think of nine things wrong with a work, and zero ways to improve it.
I recently observed a newly minted college graduate who seemed to confuse "critical thinking" with "thinking of criticisms". Performing the latter believing she was doing the former.
Bingo! I teach "critique vs criticism" in my Engineering Business Practices class. In their first attempts, some of my most industrious and brightest students will write volumes in pursuit of a high grade. Except what they write is, "I think that..." or "I would have..." or "I prefer... ."
Too many of them think their critique is about themselves, instead of the creative work they're examining. They're smart, but don't realize that they're preoccupation with their own thoughts creates the impression that they are insufferable know-it-alls.
There's only so much patience in design for the people who can think of nine things wrong with a work, and zero ways to improve it.