If your thinking is confused or shortsighted, your decisions could lead to undesirable consequences. Cognitive abilities are often taken for granted. “Of course I can think!”, You might say to yourself. The question is, can you think skillfully?
Steps
Step 1. Evaluate objective reality
Our thinking can only be effective if it is based on reality. Reality is objective; exists regardless of your desires, whims and goals. Your thinking will be productive if you are able to accurately perceive and interpret reality. This requires objectivity: the ability to separate "what is" from what you would like to believe or it would be easier to believe.
Step 2. Keep an open mind
A closed mind is cut off from reality. A closed-minded thinker is easily recognized; has a set of rigid opinions and attitudes that are not open to discussion. With such a thinker one cannot reason, as he would have to process new data. If you feel like you're talking to a wall, you're probably dealing with a closed-minded thinker. However, being open-minded doesn't mean you don't adhere to the truth as you know it or that you have to accept any point of view. The truth can cope with questions; only illusion is threatened by the exchange of views.
Step 3. Don't tolerate unproductive ambiguity
Most of the decisions you face involve a level of ambiguity, a gray area between the obvious black and white alternatives. This is not an argument for tolerance of uncertainty: it is the recommendation to exercise the power of thought to clarify. Ambiguity is often a symptom of neglected, incomplete or irrational thinking. When you experience such a state, it is time to carefully examine the premises, principles, knowledge and effectiveness of your cognitive process. Knowledge is the progressive recovery of clarity from uncertainty and confusion.
Step 4. Avoid the "bandwagon effect"
When a concept becomes popular, many people jump on the bandwagon to embrace it. This is usually more a conforming function than critical thinking. Observe (and think) before jumping on the bandwagon.
Step 5. Distinguish between observation and inference, between determined facts and conjectures that follow
Step 6. Avoid judging until you are sure you have adequate information
It might be tempting to jump to conclusions, but you could end up in a pit you haven't seen. On the other hand, once in possession of complete information, do not hesitate to judge based on it. Judgment is a part of the cognitive process, the application of your ability to come to conclusions about reality.
Step 7. Maintain a sense of humor
You can't think clearly if everything seems like a matter of life or death. The ability to laugh at yourself and see humor in situations can often help you maintain clarity of thought and perspective. However, be wary of laughter used as a weapon to denigrate what you value or as a psychological defense; such uses require a serious answer.
Step 8. Cultivate intellectual curiosity
The world is full of things you don't know yet. Curiosity is the sign of a mind that is free and open to the wonders of reality, fearless in facing the unknown to obtain knowledge. A curious thinker will explore new ways of looking at things and making them happen. Learning can be an adventure of constant and continuous discovery, if you cultivate a curious mind.
Step 9. Don't always take things for granted
Very soon most of us learn not to believe everything we hear. Imagine how disappointed you would be if you believed all the advertising claims you see on TV. The same principle should be applied to information that comes from the media, even if presented as "news". It should be chewed (and sometimes spat out), but not swallowed entirely! Be wary of beautiful packaging that hides reality. Sometimes a large box with a nice picture on it has little to do with what it contains; open it and realize it for yourself!
Step 10. Challenge conventional wisdom
Each culture is based on certain assumptions that remain mostly undisputed. Galileo Galilei, astronomer and mathematician, was brought before the Inquisition because he dared to question the "truth" about the Earth as the center of the universe. Even today, members of the Flat Earth Society still believe the world is as flat as a pizza! You cannot assume that what is commonly believed to be true without a shadow of a doubt. Truth is established by rational thinking, not by a public opinion poll or past experience.
Step 11. Resist the appeals to emotionality
Emotionality sometimes blurs reason. If you are angry or elated, your cognitive processes will not work as they usually do when you are in a more unruffled state. Be wary of situations where your emotions are intentionally aroused (with flattery, fear, or expectation) as they ask you to make a decision. It could be a strategy to manipulate the outcome.
Step 12. Do not automatically accept authority
Appealing to authority is one of advertising's favorite ploys. Hollywood stars, sports stars and past heroes are used to promote everything from breakfast cereals to underwear to deodorant. We are led to think that if that character says it is something exceptional, it must be! The fact that such an authority is paid millions of dollars for its opinion may be enough to doubt it as an objective authority.
Step 13. Be wary of the complacent behavior of others
Flattery is an old method of persuasion. If someone starts flattering you, they might be interested in pocketing your thought - or your money. It's not always easy to find the difference between a sincere compliment and a statement made to manipulate you.
Step 14. Be aware when your ego tries to improve behavior
Decisions can often be influenced by how you want to appear to yourself or to others. If you're too busy maintaining a certain image, you may be doing or saying things that aren't really in your best interest. When you have good self-esteem, appearance-based behavior often loses interest.
Step 15. Maintain a sense of perspective
When you are in the middle of an important matter, it is easy to lose a balanced view of the situation. It can often be good to "distance yourself" and look at the problem in a broader context. Here is a method to establish a perspective: on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being for the death of a tuft of grass and 10 for nuclear destruction, how would you rate your situation? Is the situation really as critical as it appears at the moment?
Step 16. Be wary of unspoken rules
Sometimes the behavior is dictated by hidden rules. If you are not aware of such unspoken rules, you will not have the knowledge to make a decision. If you are in a familiar situation, you will probably know the rules (for example: don't rock the boat, don't question the boss, don't challenge the professor). If, on the other hand, you find yourself in an unfamiliar situation (or in a foreign culture), it may be useful to remain very alert and ask for information from those who are most familiar with that situation. This is not to say that you should be limited by certain rules, just that awareness of them would be advisable.
Step 17. Be aware of non-verbal clues
The impact of verbal communication is less than half of the message you receive from others; the rest of the message is communicated by non-verbal behavior. You will be influenced by both of them. If someone acts like a friend while shaking your hand too much, you may have reasons to question what they say! The same is true if someone is slumped in their chair and yawns as they tell you they are interested in your ideas. The clearer the perception of facts in a situation, the clearer your thinking will be.
Step 18. When under pressure, stop and think
Impulsive decisions often turn out to be bad decisions. When the pressure to make a decision builds, the temptation to make an impulse is strong. You could even rationalize this process by thinking that any decision is better than indecision; this, however, is rarely true. Indecision often results from poor decision making skills. Impulsiveness only guarantees that you will soon reap the consequences of bad decisions!
Step 19. Look beyond labels and stereotypes
Labels and stereotypes are a type of mental shortcut that can facilitate thinking and communication. If you need a piece of furniture with four legs to sit on, it's easier to ask for a chair and ignore the many variations in design and materials. However, if you are probing a possible career choice, you should not be satisfied with a stereotypical description of the job you are interested in, you should want to know exactly what it really means to be a policeman, a neurosurgeon or a financial analyst. Likewise, dealing with people from a different culture or social origin is made even more difficult by stereotypes that obscure the truth.
Step 20. Eliminate dialogue with yourself
Much of what appears to be thought is actually a conversation with yourself that you have over and over again. This dialogue with yourself takes the form of critical judgments and attitudes about yourself. Your cognitive abilities can be destroyed by the dialogue with yourself that continually reports negative messages, reinforcing a negative self-image ("I can't do anything right", "I'm not as good as others") or attitudes ("It's better not to trust anyone "," School is a waste of time "). Unless this type of negative thinking is challenged and replaced by a more positive self-talk, it will tend to influence your decisions in an undesirable way. The key element in such a change is to cultivate self-esteem. Therapy is a good solution for this type of problem.
Step 21. Look for consistency
Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote: "Stupid consistency is the spiteful goblin of poor minds." Careful consistency, however, is the hallmark of accurate and precise thinking. Consistency and logic are the criteria to be applied to everything you take into consideration. Incoherence is often used to obscure the truth.
Step 22. Practice empathy
There is an Indian saying that says to walk a kilometer in another person's shoes before judging them. In other words, you shouldn't judge others until you understand their situation well. By practicing this type of empathy, you will diminish potential rash judgments that you may one day regret. You may also find that a little understanding facilitates a better understanding of others' behavior. The greater your view of yourself and others, the wiser your decisions will be.
Step 23. Take some time to check the facts
If you are not clear on the facts, your decisions are likely to be skewed. In important matters you should try to have direct access to the most relevant facts. If you are making a decision at work and want to know about your professional skills, it is better to take an aptitude test than to ask your friends what they think you are "good" at. Likewise, it is better to find the job typology of a certain position based on references and interviews with other workers, rather than stereotypes that may be filled with partial truths and meaningful omissions. Check the reliability of your information. Did you get it from a reliable source? Can you find another source that confirms this information? If the answers to these questions are yes, you can have more confidence in the facts you use as a basis for your decisions.
Step 24. Verify the validity of your information
The information can be reliable but not valid. Validity has to do with the relevance of the information in the context in which it is applied. It might be reliable information to say that if you strike a match the result will be fire - unless you are underwater or in space! Context matters!
Step 25. Cultivate listening skills
When it comes to conversation, what you hear is what you get. Listening is another skill we tend to take for granted, but it is rarely used as effectively as we think. How many times have you been in the middle of a conversation and suddenly realized that the other person asked you a question you didn't even hear? How many times have you been so worried about your thoughts in the classroom that you shut off your teacher's voice? It happens to all of us and demonstrates the difficulty of practicing this seemingly simple skill. If we listen more carefully, we get more correct information; if we get more correct information, we make better decisions.
Step 26. Be aware of illogical thinking
There are whole books on philosophy devoted to logic and how it can be distorted. Stereotypes often rely on illogical thinking, applying specific characteristics universally without a real verifiable basis or assuming a causal connection between two connected events. Advertising often encourages illogical associations: Beef is passed off as "food for real people" (what do "unreal" people eat?) And white teeth or the right deodorant seem to warrant a flock of beautiful women (or charming men) at your feet. It might seem obvious that certain claims are ridiculous, but someone pays these ads a lot of money for a reason!
Step 27. Listen to your intuition
Everyone has feelings about things, sooner or later. These sensations are often the result of information recorded on an unconscious level. It's like when you notice that someone is watching you, then you look up and find that it's true. There was no logical reason to believe that someone was watching you, but it is still recorded. Intuition cannot take the place of logical thinking, but it can be developed as a valuable aid. By trying to be more aware of your intuitions, you can increase sensitivity to this type of information. Once you put it to the test and trust it, you can improve your decision-making skills.
