Critical Thinking in 2026

A few days ago, Mike Novogratz, CEO of $GLXY tweeted something stark: that we may already be living in a world where truth itself feels unstable. Add AI-generated images, video, and deepfakes, and the problem only accelerates.

He’s not wrong about the pressure we’re under. But the deeper issue isn’t that truth has disappeared. It’s that our capacity to judge calmly is being eroded. I mean, how many times have you watched a movie trailer online only to realise halfway through that it was a fake?

Critical thinking in 2026 is no longer just about logic or intelligence. It’s about whether we can maintain judgment under emotional strain.

I was reminded of this this week while teaching a class on persuasion and critical thinking at a Parisian business school. The discussions were intense, thoughtful, and cool-headed. We did touch on some difficult issues though during the introductory discussion. People who have every reason to react emotionally were doing the opposite. They were slowing down. They were questioning assumptions and watching their own reactions.

That is a contrast to what’s out there around us.

We’ve all seen how quickly public discourse collapses when emotion takes over. Recent incidents, amplified by video and commentary, show how two sides can look at the same evidence and arrive at radically different “truths.”

The Minnesota shooting is one recent example. What struck me was not disagreement, but how quickly commentary on both sides removed space for independent judgment. On one side, moral certainty left no room to think. On the other, visible facts were blurred until perception itself was called into question, and then they doubled down with their own narrative.

Different directions, same outcome. In both cases, the audience was not being helped to think. They were being told how to think.

This is where critical thinking quietly dies. Not when facts disappear, but when interpretation is outsourced. When emotional certainty replaces personal judgment. When alignment is rewarded more than understanding.

From a distance, the pattern is clear. When fear, anger, or identity take control, critical thinking shuts down. Certainty rises. Curiosity disappears. Language hardens. And this is indeed a human bug, not a feature.

What is abundantly clear is that the only solution to reversing this deepening crisis, as I mentioned above, is good leadership. While, for now, there are certain things beyond any individual’s control, what we can do is arm ourselves for the betterment of ourselves and our organizations.

This is why critical thinking today starts inside, not outside.

From my perspective, three disciplines matter more than ever.

First, emotional self-awareness. If you don’t know what state you’re in, you can’t judge what you’re seeing. Anxiety narrows perception. Calm restores nuance. I have observed in myself that in an emotional crisis, I can rarely think clearly. I was recently a victim of a scam (irreversible loss of funds). I sought advice and took no action around it for 24 hours.

Second, distance from constant information flow. Continuous exposure is not being informed. It’s cognitive flooding. Stepping back protects judgment. I know that its tempting to want to keep informed, I have the same tendencies. But overexposure is a trap.

Third, plurality of sources and psychological literacy. Most distortions are emotional before they are ideological.

Critical thinking is not about being right. I personally try to challenge my assumptions. Like what’s behind people’s actions? Why do they make these choices? What’s pressuring them to act in such a way?

It’s about staying capable of thinking when others cannot.

As we move toward 2026, this may become one of the most valuable skills a leader, citizen, or individual can cultivate. Not because the world is confusing, but because it is deliberately engineered to overwhelm.

Clarity, judgment, and restraint are no longer optional.

They are acts of responsibility.

This is your last line of defense.