The art of critical thinking is becoming a lost art globally. At a time when information floods every corner of our lives, too many people have stopped thinking for themselves. Social media algorithms mould opinion, echoes what an authority figure says, or relies on TikTok, Facebook and Instagram to do the reasoning for them.

The result? A society drifting toward groupthink, conformity, sheep-like mentality and intellectual complacency.

An experience with my son when he was in college first opened my eyes to this new reality. In one of his college courses, a professor asked the students to write a paper, with the expectation of them repeating the professor’s viewpoints verbatim. My son and several of his classmates did what higher education is supposed to teach: they conducted independent research, formed their own conclusions, quoted sources and presented them clearly.

My son failed the assignment. In fact, those who didn’t parrot the professor’s viewpoint failed the assignment, simply because their findings didn’t align with the professor’s beliefs.

After appealing to the dean, the failing grades were reviewed and overturned, and my son went from an F to a B.

But the question remains: why should a student have to fight for the right to think?

Critical thinking has been quietly suffocated in many places of learning and in society, where students and others increasingly feel pressured to regurgitate a predetermined narrative.

AI, when misused, only accelerates this trend, making it easy to outsource thinking instead of sharpening one’s own mind.

The demise of critical thinking won’t just weaken academic institutions; it will weaken individuals, society and most importantly businesses.

When many of us went to college, the expectation was simple: write a paper, build an argument, quote your sources, and prove your point. Then as now, if a professor told you the answer they wanted, you didn’t become smarter, you became dependent. In some ways, you became indoctrinated.

The whole purpose of higher learning is to train the brain to analyse data, challenge ideas, and construct logical reasoning. That’s why teachers insisted we “show our work.” Algebra wasn’t just math; it was a thought process. There are many ways to reach the right answer, and how you got there shows how your mind operates.

Critical thinking shows up everywhere – in business strategy, in parenting, in problem-solving, in creative and artistic pursuits.

Even in something as simple as carving a turkey. One of my favourite pastimes is to volunteer. During a recent holiday meal at a food kitchen, a chef watched me carve a few turkeys. Knowing his skills, I was expecting him to tell me I was doing it wrong. Instead, he informed me that he admired my technique and was taking notes. It was different from what he learned in culinary school.

That moment reminded me: critical thinking means exploring your own method, not just following someone else’s directions.

Whether you’re building a cabinet, baking a cake, managing people, making policy or carving a bird, individuality in approach sparks innovation. It separates the exceptional from the average. Jeff Bezos famously fostered it because he understood that the pursuit of individuality can drive excellence.

If you want to discover ways to encourage critical thinking from those around you – your team, your family, even yourself – let’s talk. I’ve worked to help global teams speak and think openly, honestly and critically. As individuals, businesses and communities, we stand to gain enormously by reclaiming the ability to think deeply, challenge assumptions, and question authority when necessary. If we want a stronger future, we must revive the lost art of critical thinking. It’s time to think for ourselves again.