The goals of this article are three-pronged. The first is to consider the perspectives and insights collectively offered by the four contributions to this special issue dealing with higher-order, critical, and critical-analytic thinking. The second is to build on the content of those contributions and on the literature from philosophy and educational psychology to establish meaningful distinctions among higher-order, critical, and critical-analytic thinking. Those distinctions are then used to map the relative position of these three forms of mental engagement within the realm of "valued" thinking. Valued thinking is an omnibus label for reflective and intentional thinking prized over reactive or intuitive thinking. Third, this treatise sets forth cautions for those seeking to navigate the realm of valued thinking or to guide others toward that destination.