5 habits of the deep thinker and how to enhance them

Defining what a deep thinker is is not easy. You could say that it is one that examines various levels of the whys and hows.. That is, the one who investigates not only the why, but also the reason for this; the one who perceives the how and is also able to see other alternative paths to that central “how.”

A deep thinker usually has a systematic method of analysis . In other words, he organizes his thinking based on logical schemes that he applies rigorously. In this way, he ensures that he maintains a reasonable and coherent thread in his own thinking. Also not to fall into the traps of cognitive biases.

More than a skill, the deep thinker has an effective method. This is made up of intellectual habits that give solidity to the process and the conclusions it reaches. What are those habits? We will talk about five of them soon.

1. Identify the type of situation you are facing

The deep thinker usually begins his analysis processes by making a diagnosis of the situation.. That is, a general visualization of the situation in front of you and that requires analysis. In principle, it focuses on answering whether it is a simple, complex or novel reality.

Faced with a simple situation, he knows he has the tools to solve it. If it is complex, understand that it requires new knowledge or skills, or perhaps advice, to understand it. If it is novel, it will demand exploration and experimentation to get to its essence.

The way to enhance this is by doing the exercise of evaluating and categorizing the situation, as indicated: simple, complex or novel.

2. Seek to expand your vision with different points of view

Complex or new situations are the most challenging for the deep thinker. They require patience, slowness and curiosity. The best way to address them is to get rid of previous beliefs.while looking for means or sources to expand one’s vision regarding these.

The way to train this skill is, first of all, understanding that there are no obvious solutions to complex problems, nor previous answers for new problems. You have to give yourself time to explore and get to know each situation little by little. The lights appear after a long unsuspecting observation.

3. Experimentation, one of the habits of the deep thinker

The main job of a deep thinker is to solve problems or find new solutions.. Thinking deeply is not ruminating ideas, but rather organizing the mind in pursuit of a practical objective. It doesn’t matter how abstract it is: the purpose is not to go around in circles, but to find the way out.

In this task, few tools are as useful as experimentation, that is, testing ideas and possible solutions or answers. The trial-error methodology is the most appropriate when we face unknown situations or conditions.. This implies knowing how to value the contribution of the error and apply that learning to a new test.

4. Don’t take anything for granted

Many times solutions to problems or answers to big questions are not found because we start from preconceived ideas, perhaps without realizing it. A deep thinker knows this and therefore cultivates the ability to have an open mind. It is also customary to tolerate uncertainty.

We precisely help ourselves little when we interpret uncertainty as a damage to be eliminated, instead of as a natural circumstance. What we think of as certainty increases our sense of security, but they also limit vision.

To get to the bottom of something it is necessary to enter the adventurous perspective of the explorer.. That is, be attentive to everything and prepared for the surprise.

5. Project long-term situations

One of the decisive traits of the deep thinker is his ability to see things in the long term.. He sees not only the immediate consequences, but also those that may occur after a few months or a few years. This helps make the solutions you propose more reliable.

Training “long-term” thinking requires discipline. It is applicable to any aspect of life. It is enough to try to visualize how the probable evolution(s) of a given situation will be, over time. This helps identify stable patterns and gives projection to thinking.

The deep thinker knows, above all, that When faced with complex situations or problems, we have great limitations. The fact that you apply orderly and thorough thinking does not guarantee certainty. What it does do is increase understanding of what is happening and reduce the risk of major errors.

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