Problem solving to completion is the most important skill for software engineers. Critical thinking is an advanced yet not necessarily most reliable problem so

Problem solving to completion is the most important skill for software engineers. Critical thinking is an advanced yet not necessarily most reliable problem solving technique. Critical thinking is most closely associated with deductive reasoning. Deductive reasoning involves breaking problems down to their significant elements, developing functional relationships, and recomposing a whole form which provides a successful solution. Alternatively, choosing the appropriate solutions for known problems (inductive/inferential) may be successful. This would involve properly identifying problem domains, relating behavioral patterns, and composing steps for a successful functional solution. This might be regarded as implementing design patterns. All that other stuff (teamwork, works under pressure, troubleshooting, comprehensive knowledge of domain, etc.) are variable skills which diversify the field. It may be worth repeating out loud the superior critical thinkers are not the most consistently reliable. Those who are persistent are!