I have been reading through How to Think Like a Philosopher by Julian Baggini . It did take me some time, because I was never a very organized and logical thinker. Mostly is being unorganized. So think clearly has always been a challenge to me. And recent post from Parker’s Pondering by Parker Settecase gave me some insight. I have a small conclusion below and also added some of my own experience for extra messy brains like mine.
Five tips from Parker Settecase with my own take
- Think slow, speak slow, feel slow
- Write ideas and thoughts down, this can help organizing thoughts (exactly what I did when preparing this post)
- Justify your beliefs from time to time like someone is debating with you
- Think about how people opposing you in this debate will reply to you. What is the weak point in your beliefs and statements
- Find the empirical information that would be important to know regarding to your current position. Than learn it.
Five experience I have from life
- Question every piece of information and stats you received. Where did it come from and what is backing it. Especially when making decisions. (lesson learnt from How to Think Like a Philosopher by Julian Baggini and The Decision Paradigm by Derek Flint, both good read)
- Ask yourself hard questions and ponder on them. The main point is not the answer, it is the process.
- Do breathing exercise when the brain get messy and freaking out, calm down than carry on
- Read broadly for knowing what not known yet, read deep for true knowledge.
- Have some go to questions when you face choices. For me is the ask whether I can’t do something or don’t want to do something. The other one is whether I like a position that I stayed long or I am stuck at that position.
Why the two go-to questions?
Because it let me know a few things:
- If I am facing a problem and got stuck, why? If the answer is procrastinate, seek the emotional reason behind it, solve it and the problem.
- If it is because I lack essential knowledge, learn it and solve the problem
- If I stay in a position for too long and like it, it has become my comfort zone. Breakthrough it and grow even if I might fail.
- If I am stuck instead of liking the position, find way to breakthrough and seek a way out. Even if it takes some hard work.
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