The Importance of Cognitive Skills (IDG Dimension 2)
While completing the IDG growth pathway, the cognitive skills component of the dimensions especially stood out to me. As someone who tries to approach the world with open-mindedness and curiosity, I believe that this set of skills is critical to growing in a way that facilitates better relationships with others and with the self. Cultivating a set of strong cognitive skills will facilitate the development of a firm set of beliefs that best align with the individual, as each belief chosen will have been given careful consideration during the development process. In addition to the self, strong cognitive skills lead to better relationships with others, as the ability to approach debates open-mindedly and fairly allows for open-mindedness and more understanding towards others' viewpoints.
Additionally, I feel that strengthening our cognitive skills allows us to most effectively solve problems, whether it be in an academic or real-world setting. To me, applying cognitive skills means to be free of biases and evaluate each piece of information with equal weight. Doing this allows us to think critically and consider the broader implications of concepts, leading us to tackle challenges in innovative ways. When one develops the ability to think critically, they are better able to problem-solve, as these skills go hand in hand.
What are some ways you can strengthen your cognitive skills (such as the ability to think critically, consider long-term consequences, and fairly weigh various perspectives)?
In what ways do you view cognitive skills as being beneficial in the context of your own life?
@NicoletteF
I like the mention of using problem solving as a way to strenghthen cognitive skills. I think like all skills, you improve upon your cognition by engaging it. It is learning by doing. We use them without knowing for the most part but we can engage our skills more by actively doing creative and critical thinking. Pick a problem you care about, try to solve it, see what you come up with!
@NicoletteF
Hey Nicolette,
Cognitive skills are very important for people to strengthen since they are beneficial in practically every aspect of our lives. I often try to strengthen my critical thinking skills which helps me with my studies and many daily activities. When I am researching a topic I try my best to truly understand what I am reading about. I engage in critical thinking by trying to apply what I’m learning about to my own life or to things that I’m already knowledgeable about. This helps me think about the topic on a deeper cognitive level which leads to me retaining the information better.
@CJHere2Help
This is a great approach to strengthen your cognitive skills! I especially like the part where you mention that you try to learn concepts on an even deeper level by making connections to concepts you have already learned and to real-world scenarios. I have found that this has been an incredibly helpful tool in my studies as well, as it allows me to extend my thinking past simple memorization of concepts without any true understanding of them.
