A lot of the time, people simply hold an opinion and then express it. But what if they struggle to justify their opinion with facts from reliable sources or have problems speaking clearly and logically so that they are understood?
I might think that City X ought to be the new capital city of Indonesia, but what if I am unable to offer any compelling reasons why? Worse still, what if I have based this belief merely on one friend telling me he think that the new capital should be that one or because I own land there which will surely go up in price should it be chosen?
Critical Thinking encourages us to be ready with good reasons for our arguments and viewpoints, so that any question that is asked we can answer clearly and confidently.
It can be really beneficial to be highly critical of your own viewpoint. This is not as is often assumed a negative method of being unpleasant to yourself but as a way of testing your standpoint and then strengthening it. Like pouring water over something we think is leak-proof to check that it really is. Try to consider the best arguments against your own so that you can improve it. We must always remain open to facts and evidence (or ‘new leaks’ that can occur over time as more information becomes available about the topics concerned).
You should not take it personally if at first you find this difficult because seeing both sides of an issue can be really challenging for everyone, especially on topics you have a strong emotional connection to. Arguing against yourself may seem bizarre at first, but it is actually an incredibly highly refined form of critical thinking that provides results in every area of life and work.
If you can deal with any counter questioning after putting forward your idea, then your idea is likely to be a really worthwhile and strong one which will be accepted by those who you are presenting it to.