Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with thinking

Critical Thinker

jasondigitized — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 06:11:47 -0800

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?

cricket chirps in my head

The Biggest Dreamer — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 14:31:19 -0800

How can I become more opinionated? Some background on myself: I'm a somewhat introverted person who doesn't have a problem with talking. I'm not shy. However, I usually don't think I ever have anything useful to say. The way I see it... everything happens for a reason. Why argue. At least, I'd rather let someone more competent with words and persuasion take care of any arguing.

When it comes to having an opinion, my mind feels very... blank. I'm a very mellow person (no drugs or anything like that, I'm mild-mannered and usually happy), and I get riled up over very little. Sure, I think some things are nice and some things are not very nice, but I can't seem to form any strong opinion I can get behind. Doesn't everything have its good aspects and bad aspects?

But sometimes I need to form opinions. Particularly for this weekend because I have an assignment to write an op-ed -- a fun writing exercise, but I can't really say I am devoted to the issue we need to write about -- but also because people seem to like opinionated people, and nothing in this world seems to be able to move forward without a talented and opinionated force pushing it.

TLDR: So, in short, I, a laid-back, uncaring transient being in this noisy world, would like to learn how to form opinions. Eventually I'd like to learn how to have persuasion skills and support those opinions, but I figure I best start from the basics.

What motivates seagulls to fly away from the flock?

marcurios — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 16:12:34 -0800

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?

Do you remember the day you started thinking in your current spoken language?

querty — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 00:10:45 -0800

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? I thought about this while reading At what age do your memories begin?

I think this is an important question (especially for immigrants who spoke a different language) because for example, let's say a Japanese man started learning French at the age of 35, he might be able to master the French language; but I would highly doubt that he would be able to think in French because he has been conditioned so long under the Japanese language. So one might say that kids under a certain age would have an advantage in learning a second language.

And it would be interesting to know if anybody out there actually remembers the day when their brain switched to another language.

Are there studies/research done based on this?

So as to resist appeals to their dearest prejudices and all kinds of cajolery...

jammy — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 11:44:58 -0800

BookFilter: Looking for an engaging introduction to critical thinking. A friend is going to be teaching a course for an open university. The course is for non-traditional students and is aimed at introducing them to critical thinking, improving their writing, and helping them to develop a program of study.

She’s looking for an engaging set of readings--or even a single-authored book--that could help them with critical thinking skills. The book does not have to be on critical thinking per se, but rather one which could be used as inspiration for exercises & discussions of critical thinking. So, for example, we already know about things like Weston's Rulebook - something a little more creative than that? More literary maybe?

The students could go into any range of fields so while the book can be discipline-specific, it should be of interest to a wider audience.

(Extra, possibly relevant info: They’ll be using Zinsser’s On Writing Well for the writing part of the course.)

How to develop "number sense"

Busoni — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 10:53:28 -0800

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?

Please help me research human "parity errors".

rwhe — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 19:52:30 -0800

Can anyone point me to literature about conceptual "sign flipping" or "parity errors" and confusion of opposites in humans? I'm interested in material about errors such as subtracting time instead of adding it, or vice versa, when converting local time to GMT; grammatical double negatives; the erroneous expression "I could care less"; confusing left with right when giving directions; and so on. The more general the discussion, the better.

Even suggestions of good keywords would be helpful. Googling "parity error" brings up pages of results about errors in computer RAM.

Yes, I am familiar with the paper called "The Ghost Not", but it comes with a lot of metaphysical luggage I'm happier not to lug.

Thanks!

Slogans, Quotes or Mottos Lauding Action Over Overthought/Overplanning?

WCityMike — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 15:25:51 -0800

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.

I'd like to buy a book for my girlfriend to help her structure her ideas in academic writing.

limon — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 16:23:31 -0800

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. What I don't want:

A general textbook on critical thinking
A manual of style

I want to be smart so I can write clever Askme Headlines

Bageena — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 13:45:34 -0800

What are some easy, relatively quick ways to learn to write better, think clearer, and express myself better? There are a thousand reasons that I'd like to learn more about everything, not that anyone should need a reason to want that. Basically, when I'm writing on Mefi or on my blog, I keep finding myself grasping for words to express myself and coming up short. I know my grammer stinks as well. I want books, movies, and other means and mediums by which I can raise my intelligence quota a little. I'm interested in not just learning to write better, but learning to think clearer, argue my beliefs and values better, and feel more enlightened all-around. Extra points for pointing the way to free and/or 'fun' (ie: Nintendo DS games) paths to enlightenment.

NEGATIVE THINKING IS ALL AROUND ME

Anonymous — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 17:14:24 -0800

How do I ignore negative thoughts without suppressing them? I've been having a hard time focusing lately. Here are a few facts about my life:

I smoke pot at least once a day.
I am 22 years old and still going through my sophomore year of college.
I feel physically shitty most of the time.

Since going home for the holidays, I've been feeling very insecure about myself. I had a lot of tough talks with my mom, my sister, my girlfriend and other such people who have awakened a sense of despair in my soul that I haven't felt for months.

Getting back to my question, how do I ignore negative thoughts without suppressing them? I know that I'm feel crappy because I'm thinking crappy right now. I've been too damn introspective these days and have a lot of trouble expressing myself without letting my demons get in the way. How do I let myself be?

Thoughts about my thinking?

Anonymous — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 05:20:37 -0800

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? I love argumentation and discourse, but I've realized recently that deliberative thought holds very little interest for me. Unfortunately, as a college student and member of a post-industrial society, that skill seems almost essential.

I've got a strong interest in law, and am on my school's mock trial team, where I'm the lead attorney, although I'm only a sophomore. It's the most fun experience I've had in a long time, and it makes me think I might like to pursue litigation, trial lawyering, or a judging as a career.

I was diagnosed last year with dysthymia and have been undergoing counseling for nearly a year and a half, along with anti-depressants for a little over a year now. Aside from any chemical imbalances, my philosophy tends towards the nihilistic and can't quite make the reach to existentialism; it pushes an attitude towards life of a certain degree of apathy, although even when I do care about something, my self-discipline and interest are usually not enough to get me to do it thoroughly.

That makes me question whether my disinterest might actually be related to laziness, or to the fact that it's a difficult skill, as I've never developed serious critical thinking skills. I cruised through school intellectually on natural intelligence, although my grades reflected my boredom and disinterest in the environment, which challenged only my tolerance for seemingly-unnecessary work.

Assuming my lack of interest in deliberative thought isn't a function of either my depression, the medication, laziness, or a lack of practice (and if it is, please say that, too):

a) What could it be due to?
b) What should I do? I've been thinking "Maybe college just isn't right for me, if I really don't like this central activity." But dropping out doesn't seem like a sensible option, either.
c) Is there a field of study which might be better suited for me than others? I'm currently a political science major, and philosophy and legal studies double-minor, at a second-tier liberal arts college. Oddly enough, I like political theory more than the other stuff in the field, and I loved talking with my professor for tens of hours last semester, but I don't like thinking about the arguments.

In sum: I do like thinking, to some extent. I like being smart. I like gathering knowledge, although not by memorization. I like arguing about and discussing ideas. I don't like deliberative thinking. And it seems that's a problem.

Thanks.
Anonymous for any of my professors who are seeing this. Also my mother, who would probably flip if she thought I was going to waste tens of thousands of dollars at this point in my career.

Peter Block books and more?

zeek321 — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 09:20:07 -0800

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. This is really a two part question. The first question is, do any of Block's more recent books articulate the ideas presented in Answer with more maturity and clarity? (I know all of his books revolve around similar themes.) Second, are there books by other authors that touch on these themes in similar ways?

Here's what led me to this book in the first place: On a personal level, I focus way too much on "how" for the things that matter most to me.

Generally speaking, for most areas of my life, I am neither a procrastinator nor a perfectionist. Most things in life are pass-fail, and I generally "pass" and don't look back. I think I use GTD pretty effectively--it stays in the background, and I spend very little time on it each week.

But when it comes to those most stirring visions, values, and dreams, I'll read twenty books on a subject, learn all sorts of things, but still feel like I'm spinning my wheels. It seems like I need a big, grandiose plan to motivate myself into some semblance of action, but then I waste all my energy by reading twenty books because I'm thinking, I don't know how to make this a reality. Or, If I start moving on this, I'll lose my vision and it'll all slip away. Or, I can't fully articulate this yet. I need to learn more. Rather than enjoying the experience of drawing, for example, I have to pick out and read the best book on learning to draw that there is. So maybe I didn't really want to learn how to draw in the first place? And yet, clearly I feel like something's missing. (Drawing is just an example, even though I did go through that phase. If someone put a gun to my head, I'd go with writing, speaking, and teaching.)

I act intuitively on all sorts of things, but I still succumb to analysis paralysis, over analyzing, and over researching on wants and desires that I can't articulate or won't allow myself to articulate.

Is another book the answer? I would vote, no... :) But clearly, "just do it," isn't going to work, because it would have already. I've skimmed through a bunch of creativity books like Twyla Tharp's, Steven Pressfield's, and several more.

Part of the problem, I think, is a tension between personal actualization and service, and an unflinching awareness of a finite lifespan. I realize these are good problems to have. Anyway, help?

Navigating uncertainty

concourse — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 05:51:07 -0800

How do you know if you're doing the right thing? What sort of workaday, mental rules-of-thumb do you use to ensure your thoughts or actions are best suited to deal with an uncertain (moral or otherwise) situation?

Maybe you already use a range of 'mental heuristics', such as these.

Or perhaps you abide by one simple principle, like Abraham Lincoln's: "When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad. That's my religion."

In general, what on-the-fly thinking works best for you (i.e., no pen and paper around to sketch and figure things out with)?

Looking for an engaging, well-written book that explains scientific thinking

ManInSuit — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 19:34:51 -0800

Looking for an engaging, well-written book that explains scientific thinking A bunch of friends of mine are starting a science book club. They are mostly artist/poet/musician/writer types, who want to learn more about science.

As the most scientifically-minded of the bunch (ie: not very), what I really want is for them to learn a bit about how to think scientifically. So while they may be initially drawn to mind-blowing stuff about cosmology or quantum physics, what I really want is for them to get down to earth, and learn some solid basics of critical thinking, and scientific method. I want them to learn how to respond critically to science reporting in the papers, maybe get a little smarter about statistics, get over their innumeracy, maybe be smart about the perils and temptations of drawing inferences too quickly.

Mostly, I guess, I just want them to stop being such artist/poet/musician/writer types all the time.

Can anyone recommend any good book(s)?

Something well-written and interesting, that'll apeal to some pretty literate readers?

Thanks!

Smokin' and Thinkin'.

TryTheTilapia — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 05:58:50 -0800

What to do while noodling? When I'm thinking something through, I smoke. I hate that I smoke, I want to quit, and I realize that part of my thinking ritual, particularly when I'm working on a writing project, is to smoke my way through to completion. I also pace and google things, two habits that I'd like to replace with something more productive, or, really, just something new.

I'm curious what others around these parts do when you're noodling over a project, a problem, a puzzle of any sort - do you go for a walk? Do you make pasta from scratch? Do you occupy your hands with knitting or some such? What are your healthier habits? Ideas and experiences would be appreciated. My lungs, my wallet and my brain thank you in advance.

Changing unhealthy thinking patterns

SpacemanStix — Fri, 30 May 2008 18:43:29 -0800

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? I'm realizing that there are ways that I process my interactions with others, and the way I think about the world such that it creates unneeded tension in my life, and keeps me from doing what I want to be doing at times. However, realizing a problem and changing a problem are two different things. It would be encouraging to hear stories from people who have been successful in changing unhealthy thought processes, and also how one actually goes about changing a destructive or unhealthy thought process, such that an interpretive grid for life is restructured, and changes life for the better.

I realize this may be a bit vague. As a general example: a success story would be the person who learns how to not internalize criticism such that it eats away at them anymore, as they've learned that excessive criticism often says more about the person criticizing than the person being criticized, and what may be sometimes interpreted as criticism may actually be a desire to help. It's hard to change this interpretive grid, but once done, can be very freeing.

I guess in the end, I'd like to know the best way to change an interpretive grid for life such that it really is changed internally, and not simply lip service or basic self-awareness of the problem.

What should I do with my life?

Anonymous — Thu, 08 May 2008 18:12:06 -0800

20-something INTP, bored to death in his corporate gig, asks: What should I do with my life? I'm in my mid-20's. I studied philosophy at a very good school. I'm now working in a corporate job that would probably be a great job if I didn't completely hate it. It's well-paying, humane, and I'm surrounded by smart people. I think the problem is just me. I find I'm unable to work hard on stuff that I don't find intrinsically interesting. I get bored quickly, and I'm not motivated enough by money or approval to overcome it. Some people are able to profitably rent out their minds; I'm not.

I spend most of my time reading papers on the Internet, dwelling on philosophical, social, and scientific problems, and writing lengthy emails to friends and acquaintances about Big Ideas. I don't purport to claim any of this is productive or valuable. But what's clear is I'm not a good fit for my employers, my employer isn't a good fit for me, and I'm just wasting everyone's time and money. It's been this way in my last two or three jobs as well. The stuff I'm good at -- deep thinking, complicated problem solving, coming up with new ideas and working out their implications -- just doesn't seem to overlap much with the job requirements of most jobs.

The question is what to do instead. I've applied to law school for the fall and have gotten into some great programs. I think I'd be good at law. I'm an analytical thinker and I actually take pleasure in working through dense thickets of language. But I'm afraid if I wind up in law, I'll run into the same problems I face in my current job, only worse: I'll be stuck in an office all day (and all night), working on problems I don't find interesting, wishing I could just write and think and work on interesting problems instead. I don't know though -- if I totally hate the practice of law (I'm pretty sure I'll like law school), I could always practice for a few years, pay off my loans, then get out, with a lot more "options" available to me than I have now.

Alternatively, writing/journalism and academia both seem like decent choices. At least with those, I could write, think, and have a lot more control over my work day and the projects I pursue. But they both have their drawbacks: while I'm not out to get rich, I don't look forward to a life of instability, unease, and relative penury that seem to await many people in those fields. I do value security and comfort.

As you can see, I also tend to talk myself out of things. I'm a thinker and an over-thinker. In the process of trying to figure everything out, I just wind up taking the path of least resistance. Hence my current situation. So, before I plunge $180k into debt, please advise me: what should I do with my life?

Do you lose brain cells when you hit your head?

meta.mark — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 18:36:24 -0800

When you hit your head, do you lose brain cells? If so, how many? Also can you get them back? If yes, how? Sorry if this is an elementary question but I've never found out whether this is just a myth or not. Do you really lose 10,000 brain cells everytime you hit your head? Can, and how do you regenerate these brain cells?

Methods to achieve better tactical and strategic thinking?

DetonatedManiac — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 14:41:58 -0800

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? I noticed it especially in the middle of a 10 hour game of Twilight Imperium, and then the next day in the middle of an 11 hour long game of Axis and Allies. I suffer from strategic bog down, where I can see a number of diverging paths forward and cannot commit to one over the other and execute a unified strategy effectively.

I have also been playing many, much shorter euro games etc, and I have chalked up my lack of winning to the fact that I am playing most of them for the first time... but the more I lose the more I fear my losing streak is due to my lack of good strategic analysis of situations.

I'd say I am reasonably good at tactical decisions, but I know that I let tactical elements influence my strategic decision making too much (ie being too conservative and not knowing when a strategic risk is necessary). Also I have a tendency to get "psyched out" and make silly play errors due to trying to keep the game going and such.

So basically what could I do to improve the speed and strength of my strategic and tactical mind?

Books?
Philosophies?
Exercises?
Logic Puzzles?
computer software?

any ideas welcome. Thanks in advance!

post hoc ergo propter hoc

robotdog — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 09:51:12 -0800

Can you help me fix poor critical thinking in my high IQ but low education friends? I don't know about other industries but in Hollywood there are a LOT of people with very high IQs and little-to-no education. A lot of them are actors who got such great traction early on that they went to performing arts High Schools and skipped college. That is the case for the person that is the focus of this question.

I have begun to notice a pattern in her thinking. It is something like a mix of confirmation bias with an almost-paranoid suspicion that there is conspiracy in anything they don't agree with or from anyone they don't like.

I should probably here request that we don't dwell on the arrogant, paternalistic and basically obnoxious tone of what I am trying to do -- let's just focus on the "how do you teach these skills?" aspect of the question.

To help clarify the kinds of thinking I am trying to get my friends to at least evaluate more critically:

"Airborn MUST work because I take it and I don't get a cold."

"Studies showing Vitamin C isn't effective at stopping colds are done in a field (general doctors and medecine) that competes with over-the-counter products like Airborn and so can't be trusted." "In other words, doctors don't want you to know you can just get Airborn and eat oranges to stay healthy."

"Bush must have known about the 911 attacks before-hand because he is the President."

"Bush personally knew that it was just a matter of time before the Katrina disaster and didn't do anything because those people don't vote for him."

Okay, so you get the idea of the kind of thinking I am trying to fight.

Putting aside the possibility that she is right about all those things and putting aside the question of whether they are right or wrong...

There is some kind of solipsism going on in these claims. Some kind of poor critical thinking. So the big questions is...

How do I teach a hostile listener that they are making these logical errors? Is there a good pop-science book that gives insight into this klind of thinking?

Help me think abstractly

gadha — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 18:02:26 -0800

Any tips on improving my abstract reasoning? I find I have below-average abstraction skills. Specifically, when problem solving I find I am unable to think of things in the abstract, removing all details to hone in on the problem.

Often, when solving problems I am unable to make progress unless I visualise it, and even when I try and abstract away detail I find they cloud my thinking and bias my solutions.

Personally I feel like this is "fuzzy" thinking because I have all these wishy washy answers and then some person will come along, abstract away the cruft, come up with a solution and I'll go "I wish I could think like that!" I really want to be able to do it.

Even more so, I find that presented with a technical solution I seem to have inifinite capacity to remember all the tiny tiny details but tend to loose the big picture about what problem the solution is addressing or how it could be adapted elsewhere.

Does anyone here have any ideas how I could build these skills? Is there anything I can read or anything I can do? Is there a process for this? [This is in the area of compsci btw]

Does the study of math sharpen critical thinking skills?

jason's_planet — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 12:07:16 -0800

If a man’s wit be wandering, let him post a question about mathematics and reasoning to MetaFilter. The quote that inspires this question is

“If a man’s wit be wandering, let him study the mathematics.” – Francis Bacon

Is Bacon’s recommendation accurate? Does the study of math sharpen the critical thinking and reasoning skills? I ask because I’m kind of . . . intellectually lazy. I don’t think things through as much as I should. I kind of blurt out opinions based on gut feelings and personal prejudices. I want to get into the habit of thinking and am wondering if there are tools available that will sharpen the mind the way that free weights and kettlebells can sharpen the body. And if math might be one of those tools.

Many thanks in advance.

Critical Thinking for the Uncritical Thinker

zippity — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 18:26:54 -0800

Critical Thinking Skills - Apparently, I don't have any. What exactly entails "having" this skill and is it something I can develop? I've recently started college (for serious this time) and managed to test into one of the higher level English classes. Yay for me. However, now that I've been in the class for a couple weeks, I realize that I lack the ability to critically think.

In fact, I didn't realize there was even such thing as having critical thinking skills until the professor mentioned it in class.

Yea. UH OH time.

During class discussions it seems like everyone knows how to pull out these super vague ideas implied in the text.

Even though I really would like to do well in school this time, I've had pretty terrible experiences in the past with asking for help from teachers/tutors (though I do realize I will have to bite the bullet on this eventually), so I'm avoiding that avenue for the moment.

Can anyone please explain to me what exactly critical thinking skills even are? Is there any way for me to develop them on my own? Any kind of help or encouragement would be greatly appreciated.

(oh, and let's just assume that dropping the class or switching to another one is not a viable solution at this time)

going home: I don't want to become a baby

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 07:21:26 -0800

will living at home for a semester revert me back into being a baby? I'm 21 years old and haven't really been capable of taking care of myself for the last year or so. What I want most is to be able to stand on my own feet but I've gotten myself to such a point where I can't really seem to be able to do that without breaking down and demanding help from a medical professional. I am so inside of my own head that I can't seem to be able to get myself to think about anything else. I can't focus on school, I can't focus on other people. I ask my friends for help but I can't seem to get them to actually help me, probably because I won't let them help me. I get stuck so quickly and easily that I can't really function on a social level without breaking down and wanting to go to sleep. Now part of me says that I need to accept myself and what I've become. As I write this, I've forgotten what I even tried to say in the first place. My mind has become a horrible chaos of crappy feelings of guilt and shame that everything I talk about has to do with myself and what I need. So here's what's up. If I go home, I'm afraid that I'm going to become so coddled to the point that I won't be able to function in ordinary society again. That is definitely not what I want. But living here in the city (chicago) right now is not working either. I can barely talk to my roommate (I really don't have interests or hobbies anymore to talk to him about) and subsequently can't really interact with people in general either. Has anyone ever taken a semester off from school to come bouncing back the next semester? Am I doomed to just live at home as a nutcase, never able to interact with anyone outside my family again?