Free Example of Critical Thinking Reflection Essay

In this critical thinking reflection I’d like to discuss such intellectual standards as breadth and clarity and to present how we can use it while solving some psychological questions.

The breadth is synonymous to open-mindedness, in means a capacity to see the world wider, to have the progressive ideas, not to judge people for their views. On the week 6 we had an on-line discussion of the sexual orientation.  This made me take a look on the question of the sexuality from the other point of view and to mention that my perception of gays may differ from the others perceptions. My position was that sexual orientation was nature not nurture, but after reading other students’ posts I saw other perspectives and I understood that to find out the gold middle all thoughts should be taken into consideration. This lead me to think of the psychological question if sexual orientation primarily due to nature or nurture deeply, and with breadth. After read a work by Johnson “Homosexuality: Nature or Nurture” I found out thataccording to the results of the experiment that had been hold by D.F. Swaab in 1990  a portion of the hypothalamus of the brain of homosexual males was different than a heterosexual brain. The hypothalamus is the portion of the human brain that is responsible for the sexual drive and function. After the homosexual brain was examined the scientist made a conclusion that a small portion of the hypothalamus, termed the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), is twice the size of the heterosexual brain (2003).  This article made me more confident in my original perception of homosexuality, but at the same time, after communicating with other students I learned to pay attention to others point of view and to respect the right of the other  thoughts existence. This psychological question is very popular nowadays and it, more then the other ones, is in line with the question of breadth, because only the open-minded reception may help heterosexuals to understand and to accept the homosexuals.

Clarity is a capacity to percept the things the way they really are, to get across your thoughts.  It helps us to analyze the situation and to act right way. Clarity is a normal human’s condition, but one can lose it as affected by the medicines, illness and some other factors. On the online-discussion 4 me and 4 my classmates were talking about the question of the propranolol usage to make the victims of extreme trauma to prevent the possibility of the post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) development. I told about my grandfather’s experience – he took part in the Vietnam War. There is no doubt that if he would have a chance to be cured with the propranolol he would use it instead of loosing his clarity because of being affected by the PTSD. As the researches proved, this medicines do work .According to the researches, propranolol, a beta-blocker, deducts consolidation of emotional memory. When taken immediately after a psychic trauma or stress, it is effective as a prophylactic for PTSD. On this basis I consider that the usage of propranolol is absolutely justified. Of course, like any drugs, this one has side effects and its distribution must be strictly controlled, but if the patient’s clarity depends on taking this pills than the game is worth of candles.