NHAH: do you think the average J.W has worse critical thinking skills than the average non witness?
Are you serious?
I think you missed the point. Do you not know that criticial thinking is routinely condemned by the WTBTS?
- In modern times, a very small number among God’s people have become disgruntled with some aspect of Christian teaching and have murmured against the earthly part of Jehovah’s organization. Why does this happen? Such murmuring is often caused by a lack of understanding of God’s way of doing things. The Creator progressively reveals the truth to his people. Hence, our understanding of the Scriptures is bound to be refined from time to time. The vast majority of Jehovah’s people rejoice over such refinements. A few become “righteous overmuch” and resent the changes. ( Ecclesiastes 7:16 ) Pride may play a role, and some fall into the trap of independent thinking . Whatever the reason, such murmuring is hazardous, since it can draw us back into the world and its ways. - w06 7/15 pp. 19-23, para. 14 - [Emphasis added]
Not too surprisingly, these same skills are highly valued in the working world.
It is true that the average person is not the greatest critical thinker. This is why the development of them is a key goal of the Common Core State Standards movement in the United States.
Here is a Huffington Post article you might find informative: