multigenerational and critical thinking

I like short, concise articles. But I wanted more content from both of the critical thinking articles I read. I would like to have someone give me the really simple answer of what constitutes critical thinking and how we can "teach" that skill. This wanting to get the simple answer may be "anti" critical thinking. One of the two articles did describe important aspects of it, but the paring it down to a series of bullet points removed a sense of thinking from it. It became just another thing that we are required to tick off on a checklist or standard.
I also read an article on multigenerational learning. This was interesting, constituting traditionalists, boomers, xers, etc. This is an important diversity conversation. How we relate to peace, to debt, to credit, to security, to learning, to authority, etc can all be strongly influenced by the culture at the time of our upbringing. At the Spanish Enchanted Forest on Sat, while talking to Laura and Jeff, I said something about believing that people choose to take student loans and know what the impact will be. Reading this reminded me of that conversation. My relationship to credit and money is very much a part of my upbringing. Others are likely to be as well. My family NEVER bought anything wiht credit, except a house. At that time, credit in stores was called lay-away - you didn't get the product till it was paid for. I didn't have a credit card until I was 33 and had to rent a car on travel for work. twenty and thirty-somethings now are in a world that ALWAYS had credit. It's more than a different point of view. It is a different reality. Acknowledging fundamental differences can enhance our ability to understand, and value, each other.