What are some tools and techniques I can use to become a better critical thinker? I asked my friend the other day what he got out of his tier-1 education and he said it taught him how to 'think through problems'. What exactly did his professors teach him about critical thinking? If I memorize the logical fallacies or make a pro's and con's list will I be a better thinker? Is 'going with your gut' an approved tactic in this pursuit? What things do you do to think through a problem and come up with rock solid plans, decisions, and recommendations?
posted by jasondigitized on Oct 26, 2009 - 16 answers

How can I become more opinionated? [more inside]
posted by The Biggest Dreamer on Sep 19, 2009 - 29 answers

So, I'm sitting on the beach and a large flock of seagulls more or less simultaneously settle on the sand together, all facing the same direction. Intermittantly, individual birds will take off from the group and fly away. What is the motivation and even better, the decision process, for these rebel birds to depart from the flock at that particular moment?
posted by marcurios on Sep 13, 2009 - 10 answers

Those who have learned to speak and think in another language, do you remember the age (and day) you started thinking in your current spoken language? [more inside]
posted by querty on Aug 4, 2009 - 30 answers

BookFilter: Looking for an engaging introduction to critical thinking. [more inside]
posted by jammy on Jun 12, 2009 - 16 answers

How might a person go about cultivating "number sense"? I mean something different from abstract reasoning. I'm asking how one might develop an intuition for physical concepts such as numbers, lengths, and sizes. Examples might include knowing how many people went to your school, how many yards away is a given building, how large is your apartment, how much does the average American earn, etc. These things could be measured or found out through research, but how might a person develop the ability to give reasonable estimates?
posted by Busoni on Apr 15, 2009 - 22 answers

Can anyone point me to literature about conceptual "sign flipping" or "parity errors" and confusion of opposites in humans? [more inside]
posted by rwhe on Apr 4, 2009 - 30 answers

I'm looking for mottos, slogans, or quotes that are short enough to be easily remembered, that are meant to spur someone to take action towards their goals, and/or that warn against overthinking and overplanning and staying in your head – in other words, that laud the merits of action over thought. I've already thought of "just do it" (which is the precise sentiment I'm looking for), but it is so overplayed that it doesn't have much meaning any longer. Any sentiment of any length is appreciated, but ideally it would be something that easily sticks in your mind.
posted by WCityMike on Apr 3, 2009 - 80 answers

I'd like to buy a book for my girlfriend to help her structure her ideas in academic writing. My girlfriend is a graduate student in the humanities. She is clever, erudite and rigorous, but her ability to build an argument is poor. She finds it particularly difficult to unpack a complex concept and present its constitutive parts in a logical sequence. The book I'd like to buy helps writers with these specific problems, ideally (but not necessarily) within the context of research in the humanities. [more inside]
posted by limon on Mar 19, 2009 - 25 answers

What are some easy, relatively quick ways to learn to write better, think clearer, and express myself better? [more inside]
posted by Bageena on Jan 28, 2009 - 24 answers

How do I ignore negative thoughts without suppressing them? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jan 20, 2009 - 15 answers

Previously on AskMe: a whole bunch of questions about how to think more, better, etc. But what if I'm finding myself not interested in deliberative thinking? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jan 20, 2009 - 9 answers

First world problems, analysis paralysis, and personal actualization: Book's similar to Peter Block's The Answer to How Is Yes? I haven't even read this book, actually. But, I probably will. Clarification inside. [more inside]
posted by zeek321 on Dec 20, 2008 - 1 answer

How do you know if you're doing the right thing? [more inside]
posted by concourse on Nov 27, 2008 - 31 answers

Looking for an engaging, well-written book that explains scientific thinking [more inside]
posted by ManInSuit on Aug 5, 2008 - 30 answers

What to do while noodling? [more inside]
posted by TryTheTilapia on Jun 10, 2008 - 32 answers

Are there unhealthy thought processes that you've had that once you've dealt with them, had a discernibly positive effect on your life? If so, how did you go about changing them? And what kind of benefit did you see? [more inside]
posted by SpacemanStix on May 30, 2008 - 15 answers

20-something INTP, bored to death in his corporate gig, asks: What should I do with my life? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on May 8, 2008 - 28 answers

When you hit your head, do you lose brain cells? If so, how many? Also can you get them back? If yes, how? [more inside]
posted by meta.mark on Mar 21, 2008 - 8 answers

Lately I have been playing many strategy board games and not winning that much. I feel I need to become a more adept strategic / tactical thinker. What books, mental exercises or other things could help me? [more inside]
posted by DetonatedManiac on Mar 18, 2008 - 17 answers

Can you help me fix poor critical thinking in my high IQ but low education friends? [more inside]
posted by robotdog on Feb 24, 2008 - 34 answers

Any tips on improving my abstract reasoning? [more inside]
posted by gadha on Nov 2, 2007 - 14 answers

If a man’s wit be wandering, let him post a question about mathematics and reasoning to MetaFilter. [more inside]
posted by jason's_planet on Sep 25, 2007 - 20 answers

Critical Thinking Skills - Apparently, I don't have any. What exactly entails "having" this skill and is it something I can develop? [more inside]
posted by zippity on Sep 22, 2007 - 43 answers

will living at home for a semester revert me back into being a baby? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Sep 6, 2007 - 11 answers

Hangover question--why the "fuzzy" feeling? [more inside]
posted by mintchip on Aug 26, 2007 - 7 answers

How can I become less of a pessimist and less of a negative thinker? [more inside]
posted by damn dirty ape on Aug 18, 2007 - 20 answers

What is the shortest sentence that would highlight differences in dialects and accents in the English language? [more inside]
posted by Samuel Farrow on Jul 21, 2007 - 26 answers

Books/wares to help kids think like mathematicians? [more inside]
posted by O Blitiri on Jun 27, 2007 - 22 answers

Is my knack for coming up with "revolutionary" social policy ideas independently of the thinkers who get a lot of media attention for them anything special? And what can I do with it? More explanation inside. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jun 24, 2007 - 30 answers

Who are the writers and philosophers of today who are grounded and realistic but think outside the linear, relentless and monotonous data stream consciousness that pervades the internet and society at large? [more inside]
posted by dropkick on Dec 7, 2006 - 26 answers

How to learn to break a problem down into manageable pieces and analyze a challenge logically and think under pressures? [more inside]
posted by cluelessguru on Nov 20, 2006 - 12 answers

Help me get better at thinking on my feet in rugby. [more inside]
posted by devilsbrigade on Oct 11, 2006 - 15 answers

Why am I so scatterbrained? How can I get my brain back? [more inside]
posted by divabat on Aug 10, 2006 - 24 answers

Can someone help me find an article that defends american football NOT baseball as the thinking man's game? [more inside]
posted by indiebass on Aug 9, 2006 - 14 answers

How does one go about "remembering how to think"? A good friend recently mentioned to me that she no longer has any motivation to think deeply about anything, be it religion, philosophy, or even which side of her toast to butter. Help me kick-start her curiosity by suggesting films and books. [more inside]
posted by thewhitenoise on Jul 31, 2006 - 28 answers

Are there any games or programs similar to Brain Age for Windows or OS X-based systems? I love the concept, but I can't see myself buying a Nintendo DS to play a single title.
posted by mrbill on Jul 31, 2006 - 8 answers

Strategic thinking vs. Tactical thinking. Help me understand the difference and improve my abilities [more inside]
posted by junkbox on Jul 26, 2006 - 18 answers

Thinking too much: I believe I have too many thoughts going on in my head almost constantly. How do I quieten my mind when it says - No! you have to finish this stream of thought or you will lose not coming to conclusion. [more inside]
posted by raheel on Jul 8, 2006 - 32 answers

Any thoughts on why we (humans) roll our eyes back while thinking. We also sometimes crunch our brows. I notice people, including myself, do this when no one is looking at them as well as a signifier during conversation. But it is the action acted out alone that interests me? Could this action actually improve the brains ability to think? What, if any, evolutionary advantage could this offer?
posted by shawnzam on May 5, 2006 - 15 answers

Why do we look upwards or into the distance when trying to recall something, answer a difficult question or solve a puzzle? This arose from a word game we were playing in the office, during which I pointed out that those taking part were all displaying this behavior. Best guess was that it was perhaps some instinctive thing - automatically scanning the horizon for predators or prey whilst engaged in another task.
posted by Dr Phibes on Feb 25, 2006 - 16 answers

Since we are nothing more than our synapses, do we have limited thoughts? [more inside]
posted by sk381 on Jan 23, 2006 - 20 answers

How do you override gut emotional reactions? In other words, how can you bring your feelings into agreement with a conflicting conclusion you have reached via rational thinking?
posted by koenie on Jul 14, 2005 - 18 answers

Richard Feynman described thinking as basically just talking to yourself. Then a friend told him to picture a part of a car and then asked him how he explained to himself what the part looked like. He then realized that you can see when you think as well. Then later on he tried counting up to 60 and seeing how accurate his perception of time was. He usually counted to around 48 by the time 60 seconds had gone by. Then he figured that he could count pretty much all of the time and not get distracted, but he couldn't talk and count at the same time. (+) [more inside]
posted by pwally on Mar 6, 2005 - 37 answers