Thinking Skills | Clear Thinking

“You will have relatively less problems to solve, if you don't confuse problems with inconveniences.”

Thinking Skills | Journey of a Strategic Thinker | Day 39

Last one month & a half in this journey has been exciting. You can find more about that here:

Thinking Skills | Journey of a Strategic Thinker

Today we step into the basics and try to understand how we can pause and think better. We are never taught how to think or make decisions. We are just expected to make good decisions. With age, this expectation is default in every conversation. In my pursuit to look for easy principles of thinking clearly, I landed upon this book - "Clear Thinking by Shane Parrish".

THE ENEMIES OF CLEAR THINKING

The unconscious mind

is powerful and
can control our thoughts and actions
there are invisible instincts that conspire against good judgment

Example

A CEO's inability to handle an unscheduled call leads to his downfall.

The importance of thinking clearly in order to make better decisions and achieve long-term goals.

Not Thinking at All

Many people are unaware

that their circumstances are thinking for them

Default behaviors often make situations worse
Training the mind is necessary

to identify moments when judgment is needed and
pausing to think clearly is crucial

Reacting without reasoning leads to

negative outcomes and damages relationships.

Biological Instincts:

control us without our conscious knowledge.
Unthinking reactions are a result of our biology

not rational thinking.

Our instincts served our ancestors well but can hinder us today.

Examples:

defending our territory (physical and psychological) and organizing the world into hierarchies
Consider these two scenarios
Do you know both these scenarios are driven by the same biological instinct?

Scenarios1: Territorial wars between clans when someone comes into their designated boundary.

Scenarios2: Angry people when someone crosses line in front of you in traffic.

Other Examples:

Instinctively lashing out when criticized at work

Instead: take a moment to respond thoughtfully and constructively.

Assuming malice when someone cuts you off in traffic

Instead: consider alternative explanations and respond with patience.

Immediately becoming defensive when confronted

Instead: practice active listening and open-mindedness when confronted with conflicting beliefs

Here are additional examples of default behaviors that can hinder clear thinking:

Confirmation Bias:

Automatically seeking out information
that confirms our existing beliefs
while ignoring or dismissing contradictory evidence.
example

only reading news articles that align with our political views

Availability Heuristic:

Relying on readily available information or examples
that come to mind easily when making judgments or decisions.
This can lead to biases and skewed perceptions. For instance, assuming that a rare event is more likely to occur because it has recently been in the news.

Anchoring Bias:

Giving disproportionate weight to the first piece of information encountered
when making decisions
This can lead to inaccurate judgments.
example

accepting a high price for an item just because it was initially proposed
without considering other options.

Emotional Reasoning:

Allowing emotions to dictate our thinking and decision-making
rather than considering objective facts.
example

refusing to try a new activity
because of fear or anxiety
even if evidence suggests it could be beneficial.

Groupthink:

Conforming to the ideas and opinions of a group
without critically evaluating them.
this can hinder independent thinking and
lead to poor decisions.
example

going along with a team's decision
even if you have reservations
because you don't want to disrupt group harmony.

Sunk Cost Fallacy:

Being influenced by past investments (time, money, effort) and
persisting with a course of action
even when it no longer serves our best interests
example

continuing to invest in a failing project
because of the resources already committed
rather than considering alternatives.

Halo Effect:

Letting a single positive attribute or impression
influence our overall judgment of a person or situation.
This can lead to biased evaluations.
example

assuming someone is competent in all areas
just because they excel in one particular skill.

Overconfidence Bias:

Having an inflated sense of our own abilities and
underestimating risks or potential difficulties.
This can lead to poor decision-making.
example

not adequately preparing for a presentation
because of the belief that we know the topic well enough.

Recognizing and overcoming these default behaviors is essential for clear thinking and making rational decisions.

Recommendations:

- Train oneself to recognize moments that require clear thinking and pause to think.
- Manage default behaviors by being aware of biological instincts and their influence.
- Avoid reacting impulsively and consider the potential negative consequences.
- Strive for rational thinking and overcome unconscious biases.
- Focus on long-term goals instead of fixing unforced errors.
- Develop self-awareness and consciously choose responses over reactions.

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