Learn how to think effectively – from some of the world's top thinkers.
The collective of philosophers and psychologists at Alain de Botton's The School of Life. It's a global organisation helping people to lead more fulfilled lives through useful resources and tools. It pledges that aim of all its books and content is to help people lead more fulfilled lives.
The book is based on the idea that while most of us tend to think we are pretty rational creatures, our thinking and decision-making are too often guided by habit or impulse.
To think effectively is to interrogate our existing thought process (or lack thereof) and overcome the flaws in the process that cause us to make bad decisions. ‘Thinking effectively’ means giving ourselves the best shot at succeeding.
The folk at The School of Life are in the business of ‘life’ not just work, so this process does reach into the realms of work, family, relationships, hobbies and ambitions. There is a heady mix of philosophical musing and tactical advice which adds up to a full picture of what effective thinking is in practice.
Yes. First, we should all spend more time evaluating our values and goals so that we know why we are bothering to think effectively in the first place. For example, consider each area of your life and question what you want from it:
Are you staying in a job you despise just because a promotion might be around the corner? To what end? How much money do you actually need? What profession would truly fulfil you?
Are you staying in a stale relationship? Why? Would being alone really be worse? What do you really need from a partner?
It is! The idea is to get to know yourself. The good bits and the bad, and to help yourself accordingly. There are some fun questions to answer as well as the difficult ones:
Who do you envy? What do they have that you want? Why do you want it? How did they get it?
Think about death. Does life’s finite nature make you feel like every moment is precious and valuable? Or does the inevitability of the end make you feel like it’s all for naught?
Ok. While these bigger questions certainly serve a purpose, there are also some gentle tactics for effective thinking which act as a soothing balm for the reader who might be feeling a little raw from all the big talk:
Accept that ideas develop in fits and starts. In business and in life, we are too often presented with a perfectly finished article which betrays none of the mistakes, deletions, redesigns or botches that brought the thing into existence. If we can accept that the line of progress is usually bumpy, we can enjoy the process and not get hung up on each little issue.
Distract your mind to help find new ideas. Staring at a blank sheet of paper waiting for the big idea rarely works. Instead, as you have probably noticed at some point, moments of revelation and epiphany come to you when you’re busy doing something else – shampooing your hair or driving to the shops. Allow your brain to relax and focus on something else, let the ideas come and give them space to settle.
Be sceptical about your own beliefs. Effective thinkers are aware of the mind’s potential for tricks and distortions, errors and biases. Before taking any viewpoint, you must genuinely entertain the idea that all your beliefs could be wrong.
“Know thyself.”
“Ignorance is bliss.”