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Deep Thinking Skills
for Better Decision Making
- in 21 Visual Tweets!
Presents
Brain is efficient but lazy!
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Brain boils down every input it receives to a pattern that can be stored and recalled easily.
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This pattern making behaviour of the brain leads to creation of assumptions, perceptions, instincts and heuristics (mental short-cuts).
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For routine tasks the brain working on a reflex (without thinking deep) is an efficient way of working.
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And at times ‘acting on instinct’ is the right approach...
When in danger the brain decides ‘fight or flight’ instinctively.
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However, such ‘intuitive thinking’ is not always advantageous.
We have to be wary of ‘bad habits’ of the brain...
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Bad Habits of the Brain - 1: At times our emotions and beliefs may lead us to wrong assumptions and perceptions.
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Bad Habits of the Brain - 2: Brain can become ‘ethnocentric’ - influenced by own society and culture, oblivious of other ways of thinking
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Bad Habits of the Brain - 3: Brain can become ‘egocentric’ - influenced by own ego ( “I am right, others are wrong” )
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Instead of relying only on intuition for making decisions and choices learn the steps for deep or reflective thinking...
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Deep Thinking Step - 1: Discipline your brain to challenge intrinsic assumptions, perceptions and instincts.
Use techniques like Six Hat Thinking, Plus-Minus-Interesting Analysis, Role Playing, Critical Questioning, Games & Simulations.
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Deep Thinking Step - 2: Make a deliberate effort to think of ‘alternatives’.
Use techniques like brainstorming, creating ‘what-if’ scenarios, word association and De Bono’s ‘Po’ analysis.
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Deep Thinking Step - 3: Weigh all alternatives by working out the possible downstream consequences of each.
A ‘Socratic Dialogue’ with self or others to explore pros & cons of alternatives further clarifies thinking, leading to better decisions.
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Deep Thinking Review - 1: For complex situations, where more than one factor can vary, Reflective of Deep thinking becomes imperative.
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Deep Thinking Review - 2: In complex situations decisions should not be influenced by first rush of emotions, instincts or impulse.
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Deep Thinking Review - 3: Decisions and choices should not be based only on perceptions formed by past experiences.
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Deep Thinking Review - 4: Decisions and choices should be based on deliberate and conscious thinking... start with generating new alternatives.
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Deep Thinking Final Thought: Work out the downstream consequences of alternates and then decide. Such a decision will be better than an intuitive one!
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Co-founder, www.TimelessLifeskills.co.uk
Co-founder, www.EnablingDimensions.com
Blog: http://atulpant.blogspot.com
About the Author
Thanks for reading. I welcome
your comments.
- Atul
