Please read up on “Critical Thinking”, it may not be what it sounds like. Please remember, in all things liberal, a thing is the opposite of its name, like the “Affordable Care Act”.
What you are hearing from youth is exactly the product of critical thinking. It is actually a mental straight jacket that prevents original thought. The fundamental premise is that we are all a bunch of racists and bigots, and the only way to combat it is to censor our own thoughts.
http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/defining-critical-thinking/766
Now, there is a bunch of high-falutin rhetoric, but this is the essence of it because every now and then a liberal accidentally tells the truth:
“Why Critical Thinking?
The Problem
Everyone thinks; it is our nature to do so. But much of our thinking, left to itself, is biased, distorted, partial, uninformed or down-right prejudiced. Yet the quality of our life and that of what we produce, make, or build depends precisely on the quality of our thought. Shoddy thinking is costly, both in money and in quality of life. Excellence in thought, however, must be systematically cultivated.
A Definition
Critical thinking is that mode of thinking - about any subject, content, or problem - in which the thinker improves the quality of his or her thinking by skillfully taking charge of the structures inherent in thinking and
imposing intellectual standards upon them.
The Result
A well cultivated critical thinker:
raises vital questions and problems, formulating them clearly and precisely;
gathers and assesses relevant information, using abstract ideas to interpret it effectively comes to well-reasoned conclusions and solutions, testing them against relevant criteria and standards;
thinks openmindedly within alternative systems of thought, recognizing and assessing, as need be, their assumptions, implications, and practical consequences; and
communicates effectively with others in figuring out solutions to complex problems.
Critical thinking is, in short, self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored, and self-corrective thinking. It presupposes assent to rigorous standards of excellence and mindful command of their use. It entails effective communication and problem solving abilities and a commitment to overcome our native egocentrism and sociocentrism.
(Taken from Richard Paul and Linda Elder, The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking Concepts and Tools, Foundation for Critical Thinking Press, 2008)”
I’ve always inclined toward the definition of critical meaning “skillful judgement” as opposed to critical meaning “inclined to find fault.”
I was raised to be a critical thinker insomuch as I thought outside of the box and raised every avenue of analysis possible before making a decision, often to the detriment of haste.