To me, the purpose of critical thinking is to arrive at the truth, so that one can discern one's true options and therefore be able to make better decisions and draw clearer conclusions.
An example of UNcritical thinking is the taking of things one reads at face value with no further investigation or verification.
If I say, "Karl Rove said Sarah Palin is an idiot," does that mean Karl Rove said Sarah Palin is an idiot? No, the only truth you can take from such a thing is that, "Relax Max SAID Karl Rove said Sara Palin is an idiot.
And if you are reading what I purportedly said instead of listening to me speak, perhaps not even that...