I have never met a self-described centrist who was doing any critical thinking. And I say that as a former centrist who was not engaging in critical thinking.

It’s almost always “there are two sides to this issue, and because there are two sides there must be some merit to both, so thinking that one side is right or wrong is bad, and so anybody holding particularly strong convictions one way or another must not be thinking critically”. Which if you noticed, is a line of reasoning that doesn’t actually engage with reality or the nuances of the situation at all. It’s just a thought-terminating cliche that leads to not thinking about an issue, but then concluding that one is more enlightened than people who hold strong beliefs.

The second I actually started getting informed and thinking critically, I shifted drastically in my politics.