What are the different ways of thinking in humans? How to improve your thinking skills.

The highest level of human knowledge is considered thinking. Development of thinking is mental process creating obvious patterns of the surrounding world that do not require proof. This is a mental activity that has a goal, motive, actions (operations) and a result.

Development of thinking

Scientists offer several options for defining thinking:

1. The highest stage of human assimilation and processing of information, the establishment of cause-and-effect relationships between objects of reality.
2. The process of displaying the explicit properties of objects and, as a result, creating an idea of ​​the surrounding reality.
3. This is a process of cognition of reality, which is based on acquired knowledge, constant replenishment of the baggage of ideas and concepts.

Thinking is studied in several disciplines. The laws and types of thinking are considered by logic, the psychophysiological component of the process - physiology and psychology.

Thinking develops throughout a person’s life, starting from infancy. This is a consistent process of mapping the realities of reality in the human brain.

Types of human thinking

Most often, psychologists divide thinking according to content:

• visual-figurative thinking;

• abstract (verbal-logical) thinking;

• visually effective thinking.

Visual-figurative thinking

Visual-figurative thinking involves visually solving a problem without resorting to practical actions. Responsible for the development of this species right hemisphere brain

Many people believe that visual-figurative thinking and imagination are one and the same. You are wrong.

Thinking is based on a real process, object or action. Imagination includes the creation of a fictitious, unreal image, something that does not exist in reality.

Developed by artists, sculptors, fashion designers - people of the creative profession. They transform reality into an image, and with its help, new properties are highlighted in standard objects and non-standard combinations of things are established.

Exercises to develop visual-figurative thinking:

Question answer

If capital letter N of English alphabet turn it 90 degrees, what is the resulting letter?
Ear shape German Shepherd?
How many rooms are there in the living room of your home?

Creating images

Create the image of the last family dinner. Mentally picture the event and answer the questions:

1. How many family members were present, and who was wearing what?
2. What dishes were served?
3. What was the conversation about?
4. Imagine your plate, where your hands lay, the face of a relative sitting next to you. Taste the food you ate.
5. Was the picture presented in black and white or color?
6. Describe the visual image of the room.

Description of items

Describe each item presented:

1. Toothbrush;
2. Pine forest;
3. sunset;
4. your bedroom;
5. drops of morning dew;
6. eagle soaring in the sky.

Imagination

Imagine Beauty, Wealth, Success.

Describe the highlighted image using two nouns, three adjectives and verbs, and one adverb.

Memories

Imagine the people you have interacted with today (or ever).

What did they look like, what were they wearing? Describe their appearance (eye color, hair color, height and build).

Verbal-logical type of thinking (Abstract thinking)

A person sees the picture as a whole, highlights only the significant qualities of the phenomenon, without noticing unimportant details that only complement the subject. This kind of thinking is well developed among physicists and chemists - people who are directly related to science.

Forms of abstract thinking

Abstract thinking has 3 forms:

• concept– objects are combined according to characteristics;

• judgment– affirmation or denial of any phenomenon or connection between objects;

• inference– conclusions based on several judgments.

An example of abstract thinking:

You have a soccer ball (you can even pick it up). What can you do with it?

Options: play football, throw a hoop, sit on it, etc. - not abstracts. But if you imagine that good game hitting the ball will attract the attention of the coach, and you will be able to get into a famous football team... this is already transcendental, abstract thinking.

Exercises to develop abstract thinking:

"Who's the odd one out?"

From a number of words, select one or more words that do not fit the meaning:

• careful, fast, cheerful, sad;
• turkey, pigeon, crow, duck;
• Ivanov, Andryusha, Sergey, Vladimir, Inna;
• square, pointer, circle, diameter.
• plate, pan, spoon, glass, broth.

Finding differences

What is the difference:

• train - plane;
• horse-sheep;
• oak-pine;
• fairy tale-poem;
• still life-portrait.

Find at least 3 differences in each pair.

Main and secondary

From a number of words, select one or two, without which the concept is impossible, cannot exist in principle.

• Game - players, penalty, cards, rules, dominoes.
• War - guns, planes, battle, soldiers, command.
• Youth – love, growth, teenager, quarrels, choice.
• Boots - heel, sole, laces, clasp, shaft.
• Barn – walls, ceiling, animals, hay, horses.
• Road - asphalt, traffic lights, traffic, cars, pedestrians.

Read the phrases backwards

• Tomorrow is the premiere of the play;
• Come visit;
• let's go to the park;
• what's for lunch?

Words

In 3 minutes, write as many words as possible starting with the letter z (w, h, i)

(beetle, toad, magazine, cruelty...).

Come up with names

Come up with 3 of the most unusual male and female names.

Visual-effective thinking

It involves solving mental problems through transforming a situation that has arisen in reality. This is the very first way to process the information received.

This type of thinking actively develops in preschool children. They begin to combine various objects into a single whole, analyze and operate with them. Develops in the left hemisphere of the brain.

In an adult, this type of thinking is carried out through the transformation of practical usefulness of real objects. Visual-figurative thinking is extremely developed among people who are engaged in production work - engineers, plumbers, surgeons. When they see an object, they understand what actions need to be performed with it. People say that people in similar professions have their hands full.

Visual-figurative thinking helped ancient civilizations, for example, measure the earth, because both hands and brain are involved during the process. This is the so-called manual intelligence.

Playing chess perfectly develops visual and effective thinking.

Exercises to develop visual and effective thinking

1. The simplest, but very effective task for developing this type of thinking is collection of constructors. There should be as many parts as possible, at least 40 pieces. You can use visual instructions.
2. No less useful for the development of this type of thinking are various puzzles, puzzles. The more details there are, the better.
3. Make 2 equal triangles from 5 matches, 2 squares and 2 triangles from 7 matches.
4. Turn into a square by cutting once in a straight line, a circle, a diamond and a triangle.
5. Make a cat, a house, a tree from plasticine.
6. Define without special devices the weight of the pillow you sleep on, all the clothes you are wearing, the size of the room you are in.

Conclusion

Every person must develop all three types of thinking, but one type always predominates. This can be determined in childhood, while observing the child’s behavior.

Effective thinking is the ability to come to logical, useful and correct conclusions; the ability to set goals and build algorithms for achieving them; gift of sifting real information from the illusions that the psyche throws at every person. Effective thinking is a rather multifaceted concept that, in essence, needs no introduction. Everyone understands that it includes such qualities as speed, objectivity, effectiveness and originality. But how to achieve this efficiency? Is this ability given by nature, is it a talent, is it nurtured in childhood, or is it developed through training? Of course, in many ways, the prerequisites for the development of “thinking” are inherent in genes and parental upbringing. But the formation of effective thinking can also occur in mature age– for this you only need to consciously approach the process of “thinking” and improve your results through classes and exercises.

But first, let's look at the question of what prevents most people from thinking quickly and efficiently.

The main enemies of efficiency in thinking are habits of thinking in a certain way. The thought slides along the well-trodden road, because this is what our parents or friends thought, this is what humanity has thought for decades. And we thought so, and nothing bad seemed to happen - which means that our way of thinking is quite normal and suitable for life. Indeed, it is suitable for the average life of a person living from paycheck to paycheck. But it has nothing to do with the efficiency of thinking, which helps to implement far-reaching plans or make discoveries. To break out of the quagmire of standard thinking and move on to effective thinking, you need to get rid of a number of patterns.

1. Fear of change

This mental property is inherent in almost all people and humanity as a whole. Any new trend, be it a scientific thought, a creative breakthrough or a technical innovation, is initially viewed with suspicion, ridiculed or condemned. For example, many inventors tried to create a steam locomotive, but they all encountered a skeptical attitude from society. The idea was called an absurd fantasy, the steam engine was called a fiend, and travel around railway considered too dangerous. After all, at a huge speed of 40 kilometers per hour, passengers will not be able to breathe, they will begin to have convulsions, hallucinations, they will go crazy and die right in the trolleys! Now you are smiling while reading these lines, but in the 18-19th century, when the steam locomotive was slowly making its way to mass use, these were serious arguments.

The idea of ​​photography, television and going to the moon was ridiculed in the same way. Well, I think everyone knows about the fates of Giordano Bruno and Galileo Galilei.

What motivates these people who so zealously resist the new? Laziness and fear. Laziness - because every innovation causes a labor-intensive process of reforming many areas of life, including the way of thinking that we are talking about today. Innovations bring with them a chain of inevitable changes, to which, willy-nilly, you will have to adapt - and this is difficult and not always pleasant. Fear - because not everyone is able to go through these changes. People are afraid that they will not be able to do this, they are afraid of failure and shame, they are afraid of finding themselves on the margins of civilization, unable to adapt to its development. Therefore, they diligently slow down this development.

Get rid of fear and laziness, learn, at a minimum, to consider new products from an impartial position, without clinging to familiar stereotypes. Of course, not everything new is good - you shouldn’t immediately rush into the arms of novelty. But there is no need to be afraid of her.

2. Compliance with the rules

It is not bad in itself - it is useful rules, preserving our life and health, helping us understand each other and control social relationships. There are grammatical rules, traffic rules, laws - their observance makes our life easier, and experiments on this basis do not bode well.

But there are also rules that can be called controversial - moral rules, social traditions, religious dogmas. They are embedded in us as models of thinking and behavior; By deviating from them, we demonstrate nonconformity. For creative people and inventors, it is a symbol of search; for bigots and snobs, it is the quality of renegades and outcasts. Yes, nonconformists have always been black sheep, but they are the ones who make discoveries in science and creativity, change people's lives for the better, helping to get rid of outdated and useless models and traditions.

Conformity stems from cowardice, the fear of going against society and being a “lone psycho.” We begin to obey general rules to save the current situation. But by doing so, we deprive ourselves of the opportunity to think creatively and see solutions in non-standard situations. It’s sad that we are often pushed to this by those closest to us who care about our well-being - parents, friends, teachers. We are taught to keep a low profile and live by the rules, thereby depriving our personality of the individuality that is inherent in it by nature.

The best way to get rid of blindly following the rules is not to look at the opinions of others, but to live by your own mind. As my mother said: “And if everyone goes to jump from the roof, will you go too?”

3. Self-deception

Many people deceive themselves, although it would seem impossible. Alcoholics and smokers are confident that they can quit at any time, fat people are convinced that they eat little. Idlers blame others for their failures, and blame their bosses for low wages.

The point of self-deception is that a person changes his thinking depending on the situation. He thinks in the way that is most beneficial for him to think, while forgetting old agreements and own solutions, adopted earlier.

Often self-deception becomes an inertial effect from the deception of others. Someone pretends to be knowledgeable in some area, creates a certain illusion, an improved image for others, and over time begins to believe in this image.

How to avoid falling into the trap of self-deception? Remember that the first decision usually true - it comes solely from our logic, personal morality and conscience. When we get involved in the process and encounter difficulties, negative character traits such as laziness, envy or greed begin to work. These emotions force us to make new decisions that benefit the dark sides of our ego. Therefore, in order not to confuse yourself, you need to learn to clear your thinking from these whispers.

4. In the name of saving the image

Every person, at the subconscious level, has a need to maintain the positive image he has created for himself and those around him. When making mistakes or some unsightly actions, he tries to do everything to protect his image from destruction and his reputation from stains. And the most interesting thing is that he will deceive himself first, and then others.

The most common way to save your positive image– justification. Everyone justifies their actions by external factors, from small child, who broke the vase, and ending with the murderer. “I was forced, I had no other choice, I could not do otherwise, it just happened,” is a standard set of justifications, accompanied by spatial explanations of the circumstances.

Another scenario when saving an image is adjusting the facts. This is the sin of the media - in pursuit of a specific goal, they select facts that confirm their theory and discard those that refute it. True, they do this consciously, while average people adjust facts to fit their theories unconsciously. This is usually done retroactively, when the job is done - all that remains is to create a competent explanation of your actions. It's essentially the same excuse.

Subconscious urge in any controversial situations– deny your involvement and look for facts confirming your innocence. This urge stems solely from the fear that our ego will be defeated and humiliated. As you understand, this approach is devoid of constructiveness. You need to learn to honestly assess your role in the development of events, be objective in your judgments regarding your guilt or innocence, and not exaggerate the importance of external factors.

5. “Your shirt is closer to your body”

Each of us has interesting property psyche - we always consider ours better than someone else’s. Your friends are good, strangers are irresponsible hooligans. Their own children are smart and loved, strangers are not a match for them. They say that the grass is greener in the neighbor's meadow - but this is not always the case. In many situations, we evaluate two absolutely identical objects differently only because one of them is directly related to us.

This effect is best seen in wars and civil strife. The soldiers of their own army are “heroes-liberators”, those of the enemy are “occupiers and murderers”. Our own people are “forced to take measures”, others are “being outrageous”. In the USSR there were even two different concepts: intelligence officer and spy. The first one was proudly called the agents of the Soviet special services, and the second one, disgustingly, was the foreigners and defectors.

People tend to divide everyone into “us” and “them”, considering other people to be worse. This is where racism, male chauvinism, unhealthy feminism, misunderstanding between people comes from different ages, classes and financial status. Yes, we differ in many ways, but such a division alienates people from each other as if they were from different planets.

This effect makes us subjective to actions, achievements and proposals different people, depending on personal sympathies. You can rush around with the embodiment of the ridiculous idea of ​​​​the person you are in love with, rejecting the suggestions of intelligent specialists; You can invest money in a friend’s failed project, while refusing investment to a good startup. To be able to choose the best, you need to learn to put friends and strangers on the same level, guided solely by an assessment of the quality of the proposal or achievement itself.

6. Stereotypes

We all know that stereotypes are bad. The popular phrases “all women are fools” and “all men are goats” immediately come to mind.

But things are a little different. In fact, a stereotype is a product of induction, when we draw a generalizing conclusion based on multiple repeated premises. The brain automatically forms stereotypes so as not to create new reaction algorithms every time - if it finds itself in a similar situation, it will remember the same one and react in the same way. The problem is that not all stereotypes are true. To be more precise, every stereotype has weakness. And it comes from a simple logical rule that says that the truth of an inductive inference is never 100%. In addition, stereotypes tend to become outdated.

For example, having learned from various friends that in some store they hang and sell stale products, you will come to the conclusion that it is better not to go to this store, and you will be right. Maybe they don’t weigh it every time, and not all the products are stale, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. But the store’s management is changing, new policy, unscrupulous employees are fired. Those people who have not heard about this store will make a purchase there and create a new stereotype - they will recommend the store to their friends and go there themselves. You will continue to avoid it, following an outdated stereotype that may persist for many years after conditions change.

In general, the idea is clear - you shouldn’t make total generalizations and blindly trust them, you shouldn’t follow the lead of public stereotypes, because they could have become outdated a long time ago, and even self-created stereotypes can often play a bad joke on their creator.

Learning to think effectively

So, we've talked about what not to do. Now let's turn our attention to techniques that can help develop fast and effective thinking.

Let's start with the fact that thinking intersects with many inextricably linked components, each of which needs to be systematically developed - intuition, logic, creativity and fantasy, memory, concentration and intelligence.

An effective way of thinking cannot be developed, for example, without a certain knowledge base, attentiveness, the ability to analyze and compare facts, the ability to memorize complex information and many other useful things. It's like a language - to speak it, it is not enough to learn the words - you need to know grammar, punctuation, style, idiomatic combinations and a lot more. Let's look separately at all the components that form fast and effective thinking.

Since our site is dedicated to self-development, there is already a lot of material on the development of important components of mental activity. In order not to repeat ourselves and write too long an article, we will simply make references to these articles.

1. Logical thinking

We are simply not capable of thinking effectively without relying on basic logical laws. Successful people have strict logical thinking, which helps them come to unexpected and at the same time correct conclusions, using obvious premises accessible to everyone. While a person with lame logic will look at the facts and not understand what’s going on, the logician will organize everything, put it on the shelves, and build a beautiful and clear logical sequence. This difference is shown in the examples of Hastings and Hercule Poirot in the works of Agatha Christie, Dr. Watson and Sherlock Holmes in Conan Doyle.

The ability to think logically is a science and an art at the same time. Such talent is not given by nature, but is developed throughout life. This is well written about in the article “ Development of logical thinking" - this section is quite extensive, so we will not go deeper, but move on to the next one.

2. Creative thinking

Effective thinking presupposes creative thinking, because it is this that helps us get rid of stereotyping, banality, and narrowness of perception. A person can read books as much as he wants and retell the encyclopedia by heart, but until he knows how to go beyond the boundaries of the known, he will think with other people's thoughts - nothing more.

Creative thinking, or creativity as it is also called, is mandatory for anyone who creates their own product and does not copy others - be it intellectual creativity or industrial inventions. We will be able to think effectively only when our imagination embarks on an endless journey, giving us more and more new ideas.

You can find more information in the articles " Development of creativity» , « Imagination. How important is it?», « Convergent and divergent thinking» . Check out these resources to learn more about imagination, creativity, and ingenuity.

3. Strategic thinking

Tactics and strategy are military concepts that have migrated into everyday life. Planning and organizing any activity implies strategic inclinations. A strategist must be able to keep planned and already completed actions in mind, anticipate the enemy’s moves and other external factors beyond his control, and assume everything. possible results their actions and how to respond to these results. He needs to have a good memory, an analytical mind and the gift of foresight. To develop a strategic mindset, learn to play chess and turn-based strategies like "Heroes".

Well-developed logical, creative and strategic thinking is precisely the basis for effective thinking. But there are also auxiliary components that you cannot do without.

4. Memory, attentiveness, concentration

These are intelligent tools. And we all know that dull or rusty tools will never good helpers in development. Anyone who does not remember information well will not be able to operate with it. Anyone who skips details will not be able to piece together the picture of events. Anyone who is not able to concentrate on a mental task will perform it for a long time, being distracted by all sorts of nonsense. What kind of efficiency is there?

All these tools must be in a state of constant readiness, they must be trained and used. It’s like in sports - while the athlete is practicing, he is strong, fast and dexterous. But once you quit, after a while the muscles become flabby and weak. Returning to classes, after a while he will regain his shape and will be as strong again. It’s the same story with thinking tools. Train them to always be mentally sharp.

5. Intuition and emotions

It would seem, what do these irrational and uncontrollable properties of the human soul have to do with it? Very much so. Let's start with the fact that they are not so irrational, and not so uncontrollable.

Intuition is a subconscious appeal to existing experience - using its help, we operate with minor details that elude consciousness. It is not for nothing that there is such a term as professional instinct - an experienced specialist sometimes cannot explain in detail why he chose this particular path to solve a problem. But his choice almost always leads to a positive result.

Emotional intelligence is also not a fantasy. It exists on a par with rational thinking, having less accuracy, but greater volume and efficiency.

Both of these phenomena can either help or hinder effective thinking - it's all a matter of how you set them up and to what extent you rely on them. And, of course, you need to learn to control them.

For a more in-depth look, we recommend reading the articles “ Emotional and rational thinking in the decision-making process», « Development of emotional intelligence" And " Intuition and its role in decision making».

6. Clearing your mental space of clutter

No matter how smart, creative and educated we are, if we have chaos in our heads, our thinking will not be effective. To make your head clear, you need to follow two paths - clearing the information field and calming your thoughts. Our society is overloaded with a huge flow of information, and not always of high quality - you shouldn’t even try to digest it all. It is very important to be able to filter information - you can learn more about this in the article “ Causes of information overload and methods to combat it» .

When thoughts jump from one to another, you get nervous, and your brain panics and frantically mixes useful operations with useless ones - not at all effective. Those whose mental flow is like a stormy mountain river will find the article “ Steve Jobs Meditation Technique» , where ways to calm your thinking are well described.

In any activity, theory is always followed by practice. After all, a lot of smart words is, of course, good, but specific recommendations for putting all this information into practice are simply necessary. Each technique of effective thinking affects one of the above areas of human mental activity - memory, logic, attentiveness; helps in solving certain problems:

• « Mind maps: scope and recommendations for preparation»;
• « “RVS Operator” method: eternity and a fraction of a second to complete a task»;
• « Cicero's method of memorization»;
• “Synectics method”;
• « Focal object method»;
• « Edward De Bono's Six Thinking Hats Method».

P.S. : This extensive article did not touch upon such a concept as intelligence - not because it was unfairly forgotten, but because in many definitions intelligence is thinking. There is also a broader concept of intelligence - as a person’s ability for mental and mental activity, which includes thinking, memory, perception, imagination, sensation, etc. There are many of these qualities, so only those that are directly related to the effectiveness of thinking were mentioned. A good tool for improving your mental capabilities is described in the article “ Development of intellectual abilities».

We tried to reveal as much as possible the concept and essence of effective thinking, although, as you understand, this is not so easy due to the scale of the phenomenon. But we hope that this article helped you penetrate the veil of mysteries of thought and unravel its most important secrets.

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Hello, dear friends!

The outcome of the actions we perform depends on our way of thinking. The thought process is a deep and meaningful processing of incoming information in the form of a flow of thoughts, perception of emotional sensations and visual images.

Of course, this happens in unique and inimitable variations, degrees of immersion and passion in what is happening: the style and habit of thinking can be tied to logic and expediency, sometimes it can be complete nonsense or the standard of age-old wisdom. Ways of thinking influence a person’s development in life and, of course, his success.

Psychologists distinguish between types of thinking models based on content, namely: visual-effective type, figurative and abstract. There is also a distribution according to the nature of the tasks: a practical and theoretical way of thinking and, of course, according to the level of originality: reproductive or productive (that is, creative, non-standard) thought process that can help find.

Have you ever caught yourself thinking that depending on the situation, you use different ways cope with the difficulty? Often people refine their particular style and develop a level of other types and ways of thinking in order to approach problem solving more effectively.

What are the most common ways of thinking?

1. Logical

Of course, this is the most popular way to get your brain working. Logic is characterized by consistent reflection on the topic of an event. As a result, conclusions follow from each other. And when all the bricks are put together, a person comprehends what is happening thanks to personal arguments.

Often this process is quite energy-intensive and takes a long period of time. The individual refers to an internal dialogue with himself, trying to calculate all the options. This skill is excellent in those aspects or skills where a person feels like a fish in water.

And at the same time, if he encounters something previously unfamiliar, then such a linear process of comprehension may be ineffective.

A universal way to achieve more high performance- this is to combine the advantages various types thinking depending on the environment in which you find yourself and, of course, the tasks that face you.

2. Geometric

There are people who cannot concentrate their brain on a solution until they draw a scale, graph or diagram for a deeper understanding. This type of thinking is indicated by a long collection of information and is expressed by a graphic representation of the subject of reflection.

Based on the drawn elements, an individual can more specifically and easily predict the final result, make calculations, understand risks, opportunities and prospects.

Often, people who have an analytical mind resort to this method. But learning to use some of the chips from their everyday life is not bad idea! Developing a scrupulous habit of using constants, primary data and inputs, and then understanding the extent of their changes, is an important fact in avoiding strategic mistakes and strange behavior.

3. Brainstorm

This excellent technique demonstrates its strengths when solving collective problems. But once you have mastered the technique and features, you can conduct such forays into your mind in solitude and complete concentration.

It may seem to you that this is banal communication. But that's not true! This is a form of common sense, collaborative thinking, when informed people come together and, through joint brainpower, find the right solution. What's the plus, you ask?

The paradox is that the hidden and striking form of brainstorming is the power of “reasonable thought.” A person who is passionate about trying to find the perfect way to solve a given problem, due to the presence of other people in the room who are passionate about the same process, experiences an increase in performance.

The productivity of thinking increases, standards are eradicated and as a result we have pure productive thinking with a touch of creative solutions.

It is precisely because a person does not get hung up on one idea, but thinks through a whole host of moves, that space opens up for him to generate non-trivial options for implementing what is planned! This method of thinking is useful for every person to train, because brainstorming is also applicable in ordinary, everyday issues.

4. Insight or “sudden impact of an idea”

I will call this type “super speed”! Its essence lies in the very process of developing interesting finds. Insight often comes like a flash. Its effect is not long-term, but very productive.

A person in such a state sees all the smallest details of the case with which he happened to encounter. His eyes are wide open, the world is seen in a completely different light and the right decision is found instantly!

“Eureka!” he exclaims! The critical intensity of tension in the brain and the irresistible desire to find a way out of a room without corners pushes us to discover unknown facets of thinking in ourselves.

Such flashes of insight are observed not only in the work of scientists and discoverers, but also in people who find themselves in conditions that require an immediate response: a threat to life, a state of passion, etc.

It was then that he decides, running away from a pack of dogs, to jump over a two-meter fence. Adrenaline, you ask? “I don’t think it’s all his fault,” I’ll answer.

5. Discrete

The square-nested way of thinking has its own significant nuances. With this way of thinking, an individual thinks and acts on the principle of “hammering a nail with paper” and at the moment of work or translating a plan into reality, he is absolutely not worried about the fact that similar action could have been done better and more efficiently.

The habit of thinking and scratching your head in this way is filled with stereotypes, cliches, and the inability to predict the result and consequences of your own actions.

6. Dialectical

The dialectical way of thinking is based on the works of ancient Greek philosophers, whose philosophy insisted that if it is necessary to achieve truth, then only by revealing contradictions in the thoughts of the enemy and overcoming them.

The eternal search for truths and the constant comparison of contradictions in one’s own judgments can confidently be called the above-mentioned way of thinking, where a problem or task acts as an adversary.

Each of us concentrated in ourselves fundamental principles thought constructions and auxiliary ones. Methods of training gray matter are designed to ensure that a person finds new ways to achieve his highest performance and “inclusion” in the vast world.

How efficiently and effectively you important point move it to the side - the speed of the reaction also depends. Is it true, creative people, on the contrary, you should stick to your emotional passion, otherwise their level of motivation dries up.

Competent variation between logic and creativity, that is, what can be called the “golden mean” of common sense and the maximum of your capabilities can be called daily work above itself, which has no end point of its development.

Friends, on this philosophical note I am forced to end today’s article.

Subscribe to my blog updates and recommend it to your friends to read. In the comments, tell us what you think? What are you guided by?

See you on the blog, bye-bye!

It can rightly be called the crown of human knowledge. It is a mental activity with its own goals, motives, operational functions and results. It can be characterized in different ways: as highest degree assimilation and processing of information and the establishment of cause-and-effect relationships between objects of reality, as a process of displaying the obvious properties of objects and phenomena and, consequently, the formation of ideas about the surrounding reality, and as a process of understanding the world, based on the continuous replenishment of the baggage of concepts and ideas about it.

But, regardless of the interpretation, it can be established that the better a person’s thinking is developed, the more effectively he can interact with the world around him and other people, study and cognize, understand phenomena and truths. Thinking is formed as a person develops from his very birth, but life circumstances things don’t always work out in such a way that it continues to develop. It often happens that, having reached a certain level, development slows down. However, each of us is able to influence this process, like many others. In other words, everyone is capable
, and how this is done, we will talk in this article.

But before we get down to the main material, we should say a few words about what thinking is like in general. In total, there are several of its main types, studied by specialists most often and most of all:

• Visual-figurative thinking;
• Verbal-logical (aka abstract) thinking;
• Visual-effective thinking;

Below we will present short description each type of thinking and indicate effective and simple ways their development.

Visual-figurative thinking and exercises for its development

With the help of visual-figurative thinking, reality is transformed into images, and ordinary phenomena and objects are endowed with new properties. It involves visually solving problems and problems without the need to resort to practical actions. The brain is responsible for its development. Visual-figurative thinking should not be confused with imagination, because... it is based on real objects, actions and processes, and not imaginary or fictitious ones.

Visual-figurative thinking can be developed in adults and children in the same ways. Here are some good exercises:

• Remember several people with whom you had the opportunity to communicate today, and imagine in detail their clothes, shoes, hairstyle, appearance, etc.
• Using just two nouns, one adverb, three verbs and adjectives, describe the words "success", "wealth" and "beauty".
• Swipe: imagine the shape of the ears of your pet or, for example, an elephant; count the number of apartments in your entrance and imagine how they are located in the house; now turn it over English letter"N" by 90 degrees and determine what came out of it.
• Describe the following objects and phenomena in words: a flying swan, flashing lightning, the kitchen of your apartment, lightning, a pine forest, a toothbrush.
• Recall in your memory the image of a recent meeting with friends and give mental answers to several questions: how many people were in the company, and what clothes did each of them wear? What food and drinks were on the table? What were you talking about? What was the room like? What position did you sit in, what sensations did you experience, what did you taste from the food and drinks you consumed?

These exercises can be modified at your discretion - you can do whatever you want, but the main thing here is to use visual-figurative thinking. The more often you use it, the better it will develop.

You can also check out a course that will help you develop your thinking in just a few weeks. Check it out here.

Verbal-logical (abstract) thinking and exercises for its development

Verbal- logical thinking characterized by the fact that a person observing a certain picture as a whole isolates from it only the most significant qualities, not paying attention to unimportant details that simply complement this picture. There are usually three forms of such thinking:

• Concept – when objects are grouped according to characteristics;
• Judgment - when any phenomenon or connections between objects are affirmed or denied;
• Inference – when specific conclusions are drawn based on several judgments.

Everyone should develop verbal and logical thinking, but it is especially useful to form it with early age in children, because this is an excellent training for memory and attention, as well as imagination. Here are some exercises you can use for yourself or your child:

• Set a timer for 3 minutes and write down the time maximum amount words starting with the letters “zh”, “sh”, “ch” and “i”.
• Take a few simple phrases, such as “what’s for breakfast?”, “let’s go to the movies,” “come visit,” and “there’s a new exam tomorrow,” and read them backwards.
• There are several groups of words: “sad, cheerful, slow, cautious”, “dog, cat, parrot, penguin”, “Sergey, Anton, Kolya, Tsarev, Olga” and “triangle, square, board, oval”. From each group, select those words that do not fit the meaning.
• Identify the differences between a ship and an airplane, grass and a flower, a story and a poem, an elephant and a rhinoceros, a still life and a portrait.
• A few more groups of words: “House - walls, foundation, windows, roof, wallpaper”, “War - weapons, soldiers, bullets, attack, map”, “Youth - growth, joy, choice, love, children”, “Road - cars, pedestrians, traffic, asphalt, poles.” Choose one or two words from each group, without which the concept (“house”, “war”, etc.) could exist as such.

These exercises, again, can be quite easily modernized and modified, simplifying or complicating them at your discretion. It is because of this that each of them can be an excellent way to train abstract thinking in both adults and children. By the way, any such exercises, among other things, perfectly develop intelligence.

Visually effective thinking and exercises for its development

Visual-effective thinking can be described as the process of solving mental problems by transforming what has arisen into real life situations. It is rightfully considered the first way to process received information, and it develops very actively in children under 7 years of age, when they begin to combine all kinds of objects into one whole, analyze them and operate with them. And in adults, this type of thinking is expressed in identifying the practical benefits of objects in the surrounding world, being the so-called manual intelligence. The brain is responsible for the development of visual and effective thinking.

An excellent way to learn and train here is the usual game of chess, making puzzles and sculpting all kinds of plasticine figures, but there are also several effective exercises:

• Take your pillow and try to determine its weight. Then “weigh” your clothes in the same way. After this, try to determine the area of ​​the room, kitchen, bathroom and other areas of your apartment.
• Draw a triangle, a rhombus and a trapezoid on album sheets. Then take your scissors and turn all these shapes into a square by cutting once in a straight line.
• Place 5 matches on the table in front of you and make 2 equal triangles from them. After that, take 7 matches and make 2 triangles and 2 squares from them.
• Buy a construction set at the store and use it to create various shapes - not just those indicated in the instructions. It is recommended that there be as many details as possible - at least 40-50.

As an effective addition to these exercises, chess and more, you can use our excellent.

Logical thinking and exercises for its development

Logical thinking is the basis of a person’s ability to think and reason consistently and without contradictions. It is necessary in most life situations: from ordinary dialogues and shopping to solving various problems and developing intelligence. This type of thinking contributes to a successful search for justifications for any phenomena, a meaningful assessment of the surrounding world and judgments. The main task in this case is to obtain true knowledge about the subject of reflection with the basis for analyzing its various aspects.

Among the recommendations for the development of logical thinking, one can highlight the solution logical problems(and this is also an excellent memory and attention training for children and adults), passing IQ tests, logic games, self-education, reading books (especially detective stories), and training intuition.

As for specific exercises, we advise you to take note of the following:

• From several sets of words, for example: “chair, table, sofa, stool”, “circle, oval, ball, circle”, “fork, towel, spoon, knife”, etc. you need to choose a word that does not fit the meaning. Despite its simplicity, this is a very effective technology for developing logical thinking, and similar sets and exercises can be used a huge number find on the Internet.
• Group exercise: Get together with friends or the whole family and divide into two teams. Let each team invite the opposing team to solve a semantic riddle that conveys the content of some text. The point is to determine. Here small example: “The clergyman had an animal on the farm. He had strong warm feelings for him, however, despite this, he carried out a violent action on him, which led to his death. This happened for the reason that the animal did something unacceptable - it ate part of the food that was not intended for it.” Thinking logically, one can recall a children's song that begins with the words: “The priest had a dog, he loved it...”
• Another one group game: a member of one team performs an action, and a member of the other must find the reason for it, and then the reason for the reason, and so on until all the motives for the behavior of the first participant are clarified.

Let us repeat that these exercises (in particular the last two) are excellent ways to develop logical thinking and intelligence, suitable for people of all ages.

Creative thinking and exercises for its development

Creative thinking is a type of thinking that allows you to organize and analyze ordinary information in an unusual way. In addition to the fact that it contributes to an extraordinary solution to typical tasks, questions and problems, it also increases the efficiency of a person’s assimilation of new knowledge. By using creative thinking, people can view objects and phenomena with different sides, awaken in themselves the desire to create something new - something that did not exist before (this is the understanding of creativity in its classical sense), develop the ability to move from one task to another and find many interesting options for doing work and ways out of life situations.

Development methods creative thinking are based on the idea that a person realizes only a small percentage of his potential during his life, and his task is to find opportunities to activate unused resources. The technology for developing creativity is based primarily on several recommendations:

• You need to improvise and always look for new ways to solve everyday problems;
• There is no need to focus on established frameworks and rules;
• You should expand your horizons and constantly learn something new;
• You need to travel as much as possible, discover new places and meet new people;
• You need to make learning new skills and abilities a habit;
• You need to try to do anything better than others.

But, of course, there are also certain exercises for the development of creative thinking (by the way, we advise you to familiarize yourself with our courses on the development of creative thinking and thinking in general - you will find them).

Now let's talk about exercises:

• Take several concepts, for example, “youth”, “man”, “coffee”, “teapot”, “morning” and “candle”, and select for each of them the maximum possible number of nouns that define their essence.
• Take several pairs of different concepts, for example, “piano – car”, “cloud – locomotive”, “tree – picture”, “water – well” and “plane – capsule” and select the maximum number of similar features for them.
• Imagine several situations and think about what could happen in each of them. Examples of situations: “aliens are walking around the city”, “it’s not water running from the tap in your apartment, but lemonade”, “all pets have learned to talk human language", "It snows for a week in your city in the middle of summer."
• Look around the room where you are now and stop your gaze on any object that interests you, for example, on a closet. Write down on a piece of paper 5 adjectives that go with it, and then 5 adjectives that are completely opposite.
• Think about your job, hobby, favorite singer or actor, best friend or significant other, and describe it (him/her) in at least 100 words.
• Remember some proverb or, and write, based on it, a short essay, poem or essay.
• Write a list of 10 purchases you would make before the end of the world.
• Write a daily plan for your cat or dog.
• Imagine that, upon returning home, you saw that the doors of all apartments were open. Write 15 reasons why this could happen.
• Make a list of 100 of your life goals.
• Write a letter to your future self – when you are 10 years older.

Also, to activate your creativity and intelligence, you can use Everyday life two excellent methods - and. These ways to develop creativity will help you destroy all stereotypes, expand your comfort zone and develop an original and unique type of thinking.

In conclusion, we will say that if you have a desire to organize or continue your education and develop your thinking more effectively, then you will certainly like one of our courses, which you can familiarize yourself with.

Otherwise, we wish you every success and well-rounded thinking!

Comprehensively developed person it is impossible to imagine without critical thinking - an element that allows him to form his own view of things and not depend on the opinions of others. It promotes personal growth and pushes a person to develop. Analyzing a situation and choosing a solution is an individual’s ability, without which it is impossible to have an opinion. How to develop critical thinking?

To learn to think critically, you need to practice all the time. You can begin to develop at any age. By training thinking, a person is able to reach new level development and move closer to achieving goals.

Training your thinking and following the intended path is not as easy as it seems. But having determined life tasks and by developing a plan for their implementation with the help of critical thinking, a person is able to achieve success.

How to start developing your thinking

To train thinking, you need to allocate time that a person usually wastes. To do this, you need to analyze your daily routine. To develop thinking, time that was previously spent on:

• watching TV;
• computer games;
• social media.

The first step to developing critical thinking is to conduct analysis every day. At the end of the day, it is necessary to weigh and study the achievements made during the day. The number of misses must also be taken into account. The analysis should consist of identifying actions during which errors were made. Having identified shortcomings over the past day, you should think about how they can be eliminated. In the end, it is necessary to conclude whether what happened brought you closer to your goal or furthered you from it. Based on these simple actions, thinking will develop, which will subsequently develop into critical thinking. Records can be kept to identify repetitive activities.

You need to solve 1 problem per day. While rushing to work, on the way you need to identify some main problem and try to solve it during the day. A person should strive to obtain as much information as possible to help solve the relevant problem. To solve the problem you need to analyze various options and choose the best one. Once you have decided on your plan of action, you need to stick to the strategy. If circumstances change while solving a problem, it is necessary to promptly make changes to the plan. In the process of solving problems, one should develop intelligence, attentiveness, and logic.

Developing critical thinking skills

Thinking skills should be approached critically. It is worth reviewing them if they lead to undesirable consequences. You need to try to think positively and avoid negative thoughts. For, a person must learn:

When deciding to develop critical thinking, a person must draw a line between inference and observation. You can't speculate without checking the information. Only if you have accurate information can you draw conclusions. At the same time, during training you should ensure that your sense of humor does not disappear. The ability to make fun of yourself and see humor in situations helps you maintain a clear mind and subtly express your opinion about an issue. But caution should be exercised if laughter is used as a psychological defense.

Skills that promote self-improvement

To learn to think critically, a person must care about everything. There are many unexplored things in life. Curiosity develops the mind. Thanks to curiosity, discoveries happen and adventures happen. One who has developed the ability to be interested in what is happening will not only develop a critical mindset, but will also make his life richer and more varied.

Every inhabitant of the modern world must develop an objective perception of information. You cannot completely trust everything that is said in the media and television advertising. It is necessary to take a sober look at reality and verify information that causes mistrust. The truth is established through thinking, and not under the influence of public opinion. Not everything assumed is true. You need to learn to resist strong emotions. When they manifest themselves, a person’s mind may be clouded.

Development of a critical mind and modern society

A person living in modern society, constantly trying to impose someone else's opinion. You should be critical of information obtained from:

• advertising;
• the mouth of the agitators.

Information disseminated among people is not always true. You need to learn to distinguish truth from lies and not trust everything blindly.

A person must remember the prospects. Any situation must be assessed critically, and a plan of action must be thought out soberly. You should not overestimate or underestimate your self-esteem. You need to soberly understand your capabilities and act based on them. At the same time, you should engage in self-improvement. Reading books, playing sports, getting new information and skill training can take a person to the next level. It happens that a person’s behavior is dictated by unspoken rules. Knowing them leads to making the right decisions and behavior. If you are in an unfamiliar situation or in a foreign culture, you need to be observant or ask those who are closer familiar with the situation. The unspoken rules of the modern world need to be studied.

Conversation is only integral part communication that occurs daily between people. There is an exchange of non-verbal signs. It is necessary to know and be able to apply this type of communication in practice. If a person smiles sweetly and behaves friendly, but at the same time seeks to cause pain to the interlocutor when shaking hands, one should question the sincerity this person. If the listener claims that he is interested in the story, but at the same time openly yawns and shows boredom with his whole appearance, the speaker appears good reason doubt the words.

If a person is under pressure, then in order not to make a mistake in making a decision, you should stop and think, weighing all the pros and cons. A quick decision under someone else's pressure is not always the right one. By learning to analyze before trusting, a person will take a big step toward developing critical thinking.

Feelings and ability to think critically

To learn to think critically, a person must strive not to succumb to feelings and public opinion. Labels and stereotypes can be confusing and lead to incorrect conclusions. Before making an important decision, you should learn as much as possible about all aspects of it.

Negativity is a feeling that can confuse anyone. Often a person is too critical of himself. We must try to replace the negative with the positive. This will not only have a beneficial effect on the decision, but will also increase self-esteem.

Having embarked on the path of self-development, one should not forget about universal human feelings. You cannot judge others without understanding the specific situation and actions of another person under certain conditions. With empathy, you can make the right decision. If you judge a person without understanding the situation, you may later regret it greatly. When deciding someone's fate, you should put yourself in his place. Trying to understand By understanding other people, you can learn to think and make decisions correctly.

The facts influencing the decision must be verified repeatedly. There should be many points for analysis. If there are insufficient facts, the decision may be made incorrectly. It is necessary to obtain as much information as possible from reliable sources.

An important skill is the ability to listen. Often a person asks a question, and another simply ignores his words. Preoccupation with thoughts does not allow you to concentrate and delve into important things. This simple skill is very difficult to develop. If you listen carefully, you can get more useful and important information.

Learning to think illogically

Philosophy books describe logical thinking and also give examples of its distortion. IN modern world Creativity and originality are valued. It is necessary to understand this and soberly evaluate life examples.

When developing a critical train of thought, the 6th sense can come to the rescue. Guesses about things, events, and actions also exist on a subconscious level. Intuition is not subject to logic, but it is valuable as an adjunct in decision making.

The benefits of being a critical thinker

It is believed that critical thinking is a natural process, a normal train of thought. However, in life situations people deviate from this . To educate and develop thinking means to improve the quality of life, to accept right decisions and achieve success in life. The train of thought forms the correct view of the world and develops logic.

There are many benefits to developing your mindset. These include:

• the ability to make correct conclusions;
• ability to collect necessary information;
• ability to reason and reason;
• the ability to clearly know the problem;
• ability to use ideas;
• interaction with people;
• ability to use alternative thinking.

Having developed a critical mindset, a person begins to think directionally, adjusting his conclusions. This kind of thinking differs from standards and allows you to solve complex problems.