By critical I don't mean inclined to judge severely or to find fault, instead I mean thinking characterized by careful, exact evaluation and judgment. One must both look closely and remain open to hidden or unexpected explanations to think critically. Observation involves close attention to both regularities and exceptional data. In order to truly understand one must break down material into its component parts so that its organizational structure may be understood. In other words, analysis involves knowing the relationships between parts and recognizing the organizational principles that connect them.
Ambiguity means having two or more meanings.
Issues are often complex, and that complexity only emerges from confusion if one is willing to tolerate ambiguity. Comes to grip with complexity. Here one rcognizes that there are usually no easy answers to important issues or questions. Complex issues do not lend themselves to simple single-cause explanations. An assumption is something taken for granted by a thinker but often left unstated.