Have you ever wondered what your style of thinking is. Why you go through certain thought patterns or ways of how you solve problems. The way each one of us thinks affects how we go about our lives. One way of thinking is not necessarily better than the other and we might display even different types of thinking depending on the situation that we're in. Because we are fluid and can learn new things, we might jump from one type of thinking to another, so we're not just regulated to only one style. But many of us do tend to think in a certain way and knowing what that is can help us better manage ourselves to where we can improve the quality of our lives.
The different ways we all think causes us to learn and comprehend in various ways which explains why some excel in a traditional school and work setting while others thrive with more freedom and others do well with a mixture of both and many others with hands on experience. This can help explain why maybe someone struggles in school yet that does not determine how bright or intelligent they are. Or it could be quite the opposite where somebody really excels in the school system of that structured environment yet when their out on their own they have a hard time finding that same type of success.
There are about 7 common types of thinking which include creative, analytical, critical, concrete, abstract, divergent, and convergent. Some of the advantages of knowing your type of thinking is you can better understand how to comprehend information better, you know what motivates, why things can be difficult or boring, improve your interactions and build stronger relationships, and improve productivity and expand your mind.
The traditional school system of you just sit in a classroom and you get stuffed with a bunch of abstract information just seems very ineffective. It's no wonder why students are not compelled to pay attention to what the teacher has to say. The motivation really is not to fail instead of the urge to learn. The teachers understand where they're coming from and they have years of experience so that gives them the advantage, but for the most part there's kind of an unreasonable expectation set on students and then we wonder why they don't care, why don't they want to learn. And it simply comes down to their learning needs are not being met in how to best take that information that suits them. We'll explore each one and come to find out how they might show up in your life and use them to your advantage.
Creative thinking
Creative thinking and is the ability to bring about new and innovative ideas by getting out of the accepted norms. It's what many people might refer to as thinking outside the box. These are those pioneers that have a great vision that most people are not able to really comprehend because it's coming from their very unique perspective. These types of people include those like the Wright brothers who had the idea and put it in a place of one of the first airplanes, or obviously someone like Henry Ford who brought the automobile to a level where it was common for people get around quicker, or inventors like Thomas Edison.
But there's also the flip side of it when people say you're crazy for thinking that this is the type of characteristics that fall into that category. But the great thing about this type of thinking is that it can open a whole new world of what's really possible. This will include those dreamers that are fixated on a world of what could be. We all have a bit of this within us and we might be wondering what our best life would look like or what fantasy land do I want to live in.
Some of the common things that creative thinkers show is that ability to question things, to questions themselves, others and why things are done in certain manners. In a world that wants obedience this can make it difficult for creative thinkers to be accepted but honestly, they're not to be accepted that's why they have that ability to be outside of what's normal. They also show the ability to change their minds, they'll admit when they're wrong and say you know what that was a mistake on my end.
This is a great thing to have because according to research about 70% of the decisions that we make turn out to be wrong in the long run. This gives them the mental flexibility to adapt so they can be successful at what they choose to do. Because the wheels start turning on wanting to make their ideas a reality, they're more inclined to continuously learn because they’ll drift into unexplored territory. This can lead them to be more goal oriented, knowing clearly what they're striving for, and they'll have less ego involved as they're more concerned about what's right than who is right.
Analytical thinker
The analytical thinker is the one has structure and procedures to how they do things. Even their daily routine must be followed to help them be at ease. Almost like a check list to make sure things are lined up in place so things go smoothly. Surprises typically are not welcomed so there is more work required to handle when changes do come about. They can take what seems like one big thing and break it apart examining each component, so it becomes more comprehendible instead of seeing it as overwhelming.
Their need to get more information helps them find answers they need. This could lead to consuming a lot of information that causes procrastination that makes it harder to make a decision as some decisions will not be so obvious. It could be very fine, minute details that make they difference and they can get hung up on them. They are great problem solvers as they can see things separately and how they affect each other. Their focus will be laser like where they can really get into the work that’s in front of them.
They have very little time for fooling around and are straight to the point, right about their business. The advantage is it's very hard to fool them so they can spot out those that are trying to pull a fast one on them and will be quick to move on from that type of messing around. Their reliability makes them very trustworthy that ensures they deliver consistently with excellence.
Instead of just going with the flow, they can assess things to see what direction to take. This makes numbers more crucial as they’ll want to quantify things to properly weigh the options available. They typically avoid going with the gut feel, data will drive them on a particular route. That system of checks keeps them balanced because they know or have a good idea what to pay attention to.
Critical thinker
The critical thinker is one that carefully evaluates things and is good at being objective. There still is bias involved because each person leans on their experiences and viewpoints to help them navigate things, but this will not completely take over a critical thinker. This helps them self-reflect to find their blind spots and challenge their own thinking to make sure they have reasoned with it. They determine the accuracy or the authenticity or finding the worth in things.
They’ll deliberately take their time and will not solely rely on information but will also use feel to gauge things. Questions are what guide them forward and then have follow up questions to understand more. Listening is a big component that they display as they are putting together what they have taken in. This leads them to communicate effectively because they have grasped the ideas they have processed, and this results in quality of what they say. Being careful with their words is crucial because they understand that it carries more weight and meaning than just saying things to be heard.
Combining all these components together is what gives them their ability to be very decisive. They've thought through enough of scenarios and situations that they're very confident going forward with their choices. So with any decision there's still certain levels of uncertainty that will always be present but that feel that they have developed along with their experience helps guide them to make a decision.
Even if they make a wrong or bad decision it is preferable to not making one at all. This comes in great when making a difficult choice and makes them more accountable. They won’t shy away from taking calculated risks which can prove very rewarding or very costly. And even if they suffer from a big setback, they can move past those unsettling feelings to see what was gained from their experience. Overtime this helps them make significant progress in their life.
Concrete thinking
Concrete thinking involves being practical, where one can see what is going on. Something that they can touch and see makes things more understandable. It is extremely beneficial during difficult times such as trauma like experiences because it helps separate the emotional sharpness from being objective. This lessens some of the negative effects that helps build that resilience and handle themselves with greater composure.
Concrete thinking has been shown to reduce depressive symptoms as it counteracts the tendency to ruminate and worry. So in high pressure situations, this way of thinking aids in staying calm, being able to regulate emotions from running the show so they can perform effectively. Sometimes experiencing stage freight or the moment being too big comes from our imagination running rapidly into the disasters that could happen that cause nervousness or even the wonderful things that can occur that can throw off our focus.
These wild thoughts make us fixated on the result, but concrete thinking helps us focus on what is in front of us, where it is solely about the task at hand and truly becomes taking things step by step. This results in being highly effective in executing objectives because you are not too far ahead of yourself and not too far back looking at what happened. Where it is about staying in the moment, being even keeled and emotions do not get too high or low. It’s what many might see in performing at a high level during critical times because the moment is not seen as too big.
With concrete thinking there tends to be a little less empathy involved and imagination might be limited. This might restrict opening up to people where others might not feel connected. This could be a good thing in a sense because those with this style of thinking makes them more efficient with their time, so they’ll be less willing to use their time on chit chat. Overall, the results are you can learn well from your experiences because of that ability to be objective. Sometimes when we recall a memory, how we feel affects how we recall it so if you had a great or bad time, this overrides what happened and it becomes about why you felt the way you did.
Abstract thinking
An abstract thinker tends to find random things trying to relate them to one another, where they add up and connect them. Looking for the possibilities and finding meaning from what might seem ordinary. It tends to be centered around theories that can lead to many different routes. The gears are constantly turning, pairing things together to see if they mesh well. Because of this style, it is like creative thinking because it is about creating something new.
There is a high tendency to describe things in metaphors and form theories about why things happened. It helps move past what is physically seen to allow to be ahead of change. Their curiosity leads them to see the bigger picture and how things come together. So instead of just taking in an incident that could be taken in as random, they’ll further explore to see if it is correlated to something else, looking for a pattern.
Abstract thinking can sometimes get lost in thought where the future can be seen with fear because of catastrophic possibilities. This can lead to higher levels of anxiety based on their own experiences. Those difficult times that they experience can lead to clinging on to painful memories, replaying them over that causes one to stay stuck in place. The great thing about this is it allows one to think through complex ideas, problems, and solutions in unique ways. It further develops that resourcefulness needed when a wall is hit. It makes one more fluid where they can take in new information and pick it apart to build on their strengths.
Divergent thinking
Divergent thinking is an unstructured way of thinking that is centered around finding the most effective way by searching for as many possible solutions. It goes beyond just fixing things but what caused things to break or unravel. By understanding how things function, it gives a long-term view that is willing to exercise patience for what is best instead of making things happen quickly only for it needing to be maintained more frequently.
This gives greater emphasis on the sustainability of implementing ideas. So a common thing that many of us worry about is how to make a living and the short-term of needing money it might compel us to find the quickest way to do so which could lead to compromising what we want to do instead of searching and working for what we really want. Divergent thinking will be more focused on pursuing what is you really want, willing to take the pain in the short-term for the long-term satisfaction.
It is a free way of thinking that happens very fast where ideas are just firing off and they’ll be explored to see if it is something worth pursuing. Time is not so much important as the quality of what is delivered. So deadlines are not what divergence thrives on because the ideas and solutions can be found at any time, maybe even when you least expect it like late in the evening.
Obviously, productivity is not going to be measured in a set time period but will be more concerned with the quality of the results. Instead of doing 20 things it becomes about maybe only doing 2 or 3 really great things. If we think about a to do list, sometimes they can be never ending where you might have 17 things that need to get done which include wash dishes, wash clothes clean the floor, clean the bathroom, pick-up groceries in a day and this can give a sense of accomplishment. But divergent thinking is focused on a handful of things that can take a few weeks or months to get done. This could be landing that big sale client you have been working on or finishing that term-paper you put all your energy to.
Convergent thinking
Convergent thinking is focused on finding the one correct answer. Reflection and logic are used to find that answer or solution where creativity is not part of the process. Standardized multiple choice tests are a great example of convergent thinking where it is vertical and specific that results in an exact unique answer. This style of thinking leaves no room to wiggle, that there are no different options available. It is about knowledge, action, and precise results.
Those decisions in situations that can be complex come in very handy because of the ability to not be impulsive or passionate about it. They look for specific criteria to move forward in solving problems. They’ll be confident and secure in their decisions because they have evaluated different alternatives and select the one they see as the best and most concrete. So when the stakes are high, convergent thinking really helps when under pressure because emotions are kept in check that allows logic and critical thinking to lead the way.
This shows up in our daily lives where the tangible things are seen and understood that make clear what action needs to be taken. Things like a traffic light or a stop sign are logical information on what needs to be done to drive safely, if you don’t follow them, it will cause potential damage. It makes things clear so there's no confusion on what's the difference as it can mean staying safe or being hurt. It makes the system or information at hand constantly reliable.
But this way of thinking can overlook that there can be multiple correct ways of doing things. It can bring down the mood of others because of the serious tendency that one takes to focus on reasoning through situations. This makes one less flexible, which could be both beneficial and a hinderance. The reliability of doing things well is something that is highly sought after but so is finding ways to make things better which will involve change and sometimes information alone is not enough to move forward with a decision. In cases like this, that is where intuition helps lead the way in those unclear moments.
Final thoughts
These are just the seven common types of thinking there's obviously more than this and you're not only regulated to 1 but you do tend to have a certain style of thinking where it becomes your default mode. The seven have some sort of commonality to them but they also have their differences that distinguish between each other and you're going to come to find out that you might be using a hybrid of some. Depending on the situation that you're in or the people that you're around you might even show certain characteristics of traits that you might typically not use.
When you can come to understand your thinking tendency, you're going to better understand what motivates you, why you make certain decisions and how you can leverage that to enhance the quality of your life. This makes you more aware of yourself to catch certain biases that might be getting the way of the progress that you want to make. Knowing what thoughts you’re constantly processing then you know where you headed because that is where you energy is going to.
Commentaires