I Like the Way You Think
What does that mean to you?
Which of these have you heard or said often in your life?
Don’t overthink it.
What were you thinking?
I like the way you think.
What do professionals, communicators, and adults with gifted minds seem to have in common and discuss endlessly? Their life, their decades of work, and the millions of pages of writing they have done and reading they have digested contain themes of mindfulness, decision-making, overthinking, innovation, and anything that sparks dialogue. All of that comes from thinking.
Our favorite questions are thought-provoking questions that touch on philosophy, cognitive science, and information theory. Why are these important? To get anything done, to love and live fully in a healthy way, to connect with other people, and to make a mark or leave a legacy, you experience the daily challenge of managing your mental processes.
Brain science as we know it has happened in one lifetime even though humans have been evolving for six million years. Cognitive psychology and neuroscience emerged in the 1950s and the discovery of DNA’s structure in 1953 began our understanding of brain functions at a molecular level. In all of our advances and investigations, we still don’t know how many thoughts per day most humans have. Rough estimates range from 6,000 to 80,000 thoughts per day.
What is your favorite thinking?
One of my high goals in life has been to have an original thought. To do this, you have to become a lifelong learner, stay curious, and have deep conversations with many people every day. You have to figure out what nobody knows yet and would love to experience.
By the time I turned 50, I accepted the reality it is increasingly rare to have a completely original thought. The uniqueness of thinking has more to do with the uniqueness of each human. The way we combine ideas, applications, and expressions of our thinking creates a novelty and excitement that no two humans experience the same way.
Another day and another article we can talk about artificial intelligence, technology, and the impossibility of a microchip having an original thought, feeling, or great laugh.
Today, let’s unpack thinking and get your comments on which ones seem to help you the most with complex issues, problem-solving, and relationships with humans and nature.
Overthinking—This can be detrimental in writing, sports, and mental health. It’s positive in fields like safety planning and aerospace engineering, where obsessing over every detail can save lives.
Critical thinking—This is Sherlock Holmes and your love of questions. This is how you evaluate evidence, question assumptions, and draw logical conclusions. When someone asks, What were you thinking? they are pointing to the lack of critical thinking.
Creative thinking—Communicators, professionals, and exceptionally talented humans thrive in the creative zone. In creative thinking, we are all artists or creators who combine things that don’t seem to go together and challenge perceptions to build something that sparks awe.
Analytical thinking—This is how we make progress and money. Our brain handles more datasets than any computer and loves to find patterns. This is the thinking that leads to breakthroughs in every profession, every communication, and every brilliant brain. The key word here is systems. When you see that all of life and every thought you ever had is part of a system, then analytical thinking serves you well.
Tinkering—This is the favorite of most brains because it combines hands-on, exploratory thinking with elements of creative and analytical thinking. It's often done without pressure or strict deadlines. As a child, you did a lot of tinkering. Most of it was fabulous. As an adult, you may call this a hobby, such as working on a vintage car or you may become an everyday genius who keeps coming up with fresh ideas or inventions that make millions.
Metacognition— This is thinking about thinking. Starting in the 1970s we saw the growth of metacognition principles and practices in educational psychology, self-help and personal development, business leadership literature, neuroscience, and mental health in therapies for anxiety and depression.
Thinking Inside and Outside
Is it possible that your thinking approach depends on whether you believe it is necessary for what happens inside of you or for what happens with your actions and day-to-day or minute-to-minute movements, decisions, and conversations?
Inside thinking happens in our continuous effort to discover the truth that exists within everyone and everything. To find truth, we look beyond words and look for a feeling. Insights and wisdom can only be found within. Discovering truth feels like peace, unconditional love, and overwhelming joy.
Outside thinking happens when we interact with the world and other humans. It seems to us that most of our thinking is external and affects everything, such as our choice of careers, collection of friends, golf games, food decisions, spiritual explorations, and family behavior.
The truth is most of this is one big perfect storm of millions of neurons in our brain and processing hundreds of thousands of experiences through all senses —sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste, at a speed not yet reached by any computer.
Please Comment. Don’t Overthink It.
What kind of thinking do you prefer?
Can you think of a time when you learned something small that changed something big in your life?
I like the way you think. Has anyone said that to you? What does that mean?
Through this newsletter, you will start to see yourself - and others around you - in a different light. It’s a blessing to have your eyes and heart on this newsletter and the community of Gifted Professionals and Communicators, exploring how we practice, relate, listen, and create. Every time a new person subscribes, I feel a nudge to keep writing; thank you. Each time you show up in the comments or respond by email, I learn about the conversations and desires important to you.
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