There seem to be a lot of answers for what critical thinking is. My best answers is that critical thinking is what you do when you are analyzing any given situation for possible outcomes or solutions. Critical Thinking is also knowing what questions to ask and at what time to ask them. As stated from http://mcweb.mc.maricopa.edu/users/Mahoney/class/Jason/thinking.html "Critical thinking is the act of not taking thinking for granted." This I found especially interesting because if you take thinking for granted there is nothing there.
As defined in the book, Critical Thinking Asking The Right Questions, critical thinking refers to awareness of a set of interrelated critical questions, the ability to ask and answer critical questions at appropriate times, and the desire to actively use the critical questions.
Critical Thinking and Decision Making are closely related to each other in a sense that. Decision Making is the ability to use critical thinking to make final decisions about any given situation. .
The benefits of being a critical thinker are that you will be well equipped to tackle any situation thrown in front of you because you will ask the right questions at the right time to get positive results. Critical thinkers find it satisfying to know when to say "no" to an idea or opinion and to know why that response is appropriate. Also one of the benefits is that the critical thinker's reading and listening will become richer from having developed the skill to see things that others may have missed.
Critical Thinking and Decision Making is present in both my work and leisure time. At work I am constantly challenged by my co-workers to come up with a better idea if I disagree with one of theirs. And in my leisure time I like to produce music and post them to my site at www.mp3.com/chem , I am faced with the challenge of thinking and making decisions as to which song should I leave up or take down and which order should I put them in.