Thinking in a broader sense means the combination of all conscious mental (mental) actions. In a narrower sense, we are talking about their most complex, inherent in a particular person, part that provides abstraction and reflection.

Thinking moves from individual perception to general concepts, and through them - to the practical and theoretical perception of the world. The property is associated with sensory and spatial perception. It uses memory and creativity. This specific way of linking, distinguishing, comparing and evaluating is significantly correlated with language, which is its means and, at the same time, its defining environment.

Logical thinking

Thinking logically before making emotional decisions is an ability most people desire. Logic is useful not only during study, work or various professional meetings. Logical thinking is essential in Everyday life, in interpersonal communication, in establishing relationships (with friends, family, partners).

There are several ways to develop thinking in an adult and a child and improve logic.

Train your brain

The brain, like the rest of the body, can be trained. Try to improve its function every day by following the steps below.

Memory and logic development technology:

  • Memory is the basis of all types of thinking. Training memory and attention is an important step in the development of mental abilities. Try to improve it by doing small tasks like memorizing a shopping list, favorite quotes.
  • Pay attention to details. Do you like to count the steps on the stairs? Do you often look for errors in the text? Or noticed that a colleague has a new watch? These are small details that can help in training the brain, and therefore thinking.
  • Solve puzzles, crosswords, sudoku. You will find that, just like in sports, your Sudoku solving skills will improve over time. And this is one of the characteristics of a well-trained memory.
  • Learn new things. Painting, a musical instrument, a foreign language - this can help you think logically.

The development of logical thinking in children

From an early age, it is necessary to teach the child (except for speech and walking) the ability to think logically. The basics of logical thinking are especially useful for a child preparing to enter the 1st grade. These skills will be useful not only in mathematics, but also in solving everyday life problems.

Learning through play

The age at which children can reason logically and master this skill is 3-4 years. It is best to start with board games, puzzles, building blocks and simpler puzzles. Puzzle is the best game for developing logical thinking. It helps younger children to develop their imagination. They have to not only choose the appropriate shape of a single component, but also present the picture in a general form.

Alternate games

Often a game, the meaning of which becomes clear to children, ceases to be interesting. The child does everything automatically, does not find anything new. This does not support the formation of logical thinking, so it is advisable to alternate puzzles and toys. Do it according to age - children aged 3-5 years old will suit appropriate puzzles, older preschoolers and younger students will appreciate the constructor, thanks to which they will improve technical and spatial perception.

Take part in games

It is good to set aside time to join the children in the game. Especially at the beginning, when the child does not know the puzzle or the constructor, explain to him what to do. If he has already created something, take an interest in the creation. Children love to make up stories. Your question will prompt him to think. This will contribute to the development of fantasy, general logical thinking. Be genuinely interested. Do not leave during communication to hang laundry or wash dishes.

Waiting for a child's story is a good lesson in patience, concentration, and attentiveness. These features will come in handy in school. It is also good to explain to him what the past, present and future are, how these terms are related to each other.

Together with parents, the child learns faster, better understands events and connections.

Abstract thinking

The ability to think is given to a person from birth, it is important to develop it, for which there are many books, games, programs and expert advice designed to help develop abstract thinking. Exercises include a number of puzzles, rebuses. Work and creativity are no less effective: music, dancing, drawing.

There are many exercises aimed at developing abstract thinking. All of them are interesting and exciting, so there will be no problems with the attention of children.

Shadow play

An interesting way to develop abstract thinking is shadow theater. With a shadow, you can create anything. For example, you can think of various stories, subsequently reproducing them. To organize a home shadow theater you will need:

  • desk lamp;
  • cardboard figures that you can make yourself.

Ask your child to reproduce their favorite story. In the visualization process, he uses abstract thinking and memory.

You can also play with the shadow on the wall, creating various images with your hands: a flying bird, a dog, a hare. Next, the child will come up with his own abstraction.

Cloud exercise

While walking, invite your child to look at the clouds and describe what they look like. This is a very exciting activity. It will be no less interesting for adults.

At first, you can help the child a little, make him think. come up with interesting stories. He will like this activity, in the future he will play with pleasure.

Abstract thinking is not difficult to develop. The main thing is to conduct training systematically, to encourage the child in his attempts at imagination. Help him to draw first simple, then complex conclusions.

Creative thinking

Many people believe that creativity, hard work, a high level of self-organization and order are incompatible. But people with creative minds have great experience highly developed creative abilities. All this requires considerable effort, hard work and responsibility. Creativity is a successful combination of thinking, skills, experience and internal openness to the world, the ability to learn at any age and in any situation.

Creativity is an open mind and heart. There are a number of practical methods and exercises to develop creativity. Remember that each exercise should help get rid of anxiety, change the habitual way of thinking. Consider the most simple and effective exercises for the development of creative thinking.

Unusual uses for ordinary things

Take an ordinary item used in daily life. Try to come up with the most non-standard options for its use. For example, a spoon. It is not only a device for eating. You can make a unique lamp out of it, mark the place for planting flowers in the garden with it.

Changing habits

From time to time interrupt the normal course of things, change your habits. For example, if you go to the same restaurant for dinner every week or every day, change it.

Try dishes from other cuisines of the world, choose a new route to return home, etc. There are many small habits in life that hinder the development of creative thinking. Try to expand the limits, go beyond them.

Search for new solutions

If a problem occurs, do not try to solve it as usual. People often think that coming up with new ways to solve a problem when the old methods work is crazy. But A. Einstein argued that insanity is doing the same things with the expectation of a new result. So don't make a decision until you find at least one alternative way.

creative activity

Another great way to develop creative thinking is dedication to any kind of creativity. Start drawing, write poems or songs, learn to play musical instrument. The goal is not to be successful in this activity. The main thing is getting a new experience, a new perspective. When learning new things, the brain starts to work differently. After all, creativity is the interruption of thoughts, the usual sequence of words, actions, the course of life.

Sports, travel

It is useful to travel, engage in new sports. In general, new places or changing situations greatly expand horizons and encourage creativity. It is important to travel with open eyes and heart so as not to miss anything new.

Development of associative thinking

Train your brain to put together seemingly unrelated concepts. This will improve memory, train the brain to combine different concepts, because not every person is able to create such an association.

One of effective ways associative thinking training - search for related words. For example: wheat → bread, herbs → plants, etc.

Development of children's creativity

A strategic step in the development of children's creativity is the provision of space and freedom. Babies and young children explore the world with all their senses. You can support their development even at the cost of dirty trousers and skinned knees.

Later, children begin to manipulate objects more meaningfully. Their game is more thoughtful. It's about, for example, building a sand castle with stones instead of windows and leaves as flags, a garage for cars made of wooden cubes, a city made of matchboxes. An adult in a game with a child should not be the leader. It is better to take the place of the second. You can offer the child a theme, in accordance with which he himself will develop a game. You can come up with a story for a city: who lives in it and where, where they go to work, how many children they have

How older child, the more abstract and non-standard methods of development of creativity can be. With schoolchildren, you can try different games with words: come up with a sentence in which the players alternately add more and more words, tell stories together (parent and child alternately come up with them).

An artistically or technically gifted child can actively help in arranging and decorating his room or the entire apartment.

Analytical thinking

Analytical thinking is a process of thinking in which one proposition follows from another, and final result is the correct conclusion. Therefore, it is about the key to making the right decision. The analytical mind processes information, selects important points, considers correlations. people with developed analytical thinking are able to quickly assess the situation and respond appropriately.

Analytical people are always trying to figure out the root of the problem. Their main assets are comparison and research. They can divide complex relationships into separate parts, which they then classify, prepare a strategy for the next action. In the same way, they determine the positions of their communication partners, the possibilities for removing obstacles, the necessary measures.

People with developed analytical thinking are good planners who can quickly process texts (especially those containing a large number of numbers). This ability is particularly useful in areas where accurate information plays a leading role, theories are developed and new knowledge is organized (eg, science, systems management, medicine, information technology).

Employers value employees who are able to quickly and efficiently investigate problems and find solutions. To be successful in the future, it is important to focus on these skills from the outset (ideally already during the interview).

Below are 4 steps that make up a general method for developing thinking in adults to maintain and improve analytical skills.

Training

Prepare your mind by emptying your head in the morning. Start tomorrow. Wake up 25 minutes earlier for 30 days. Go to the desk, take a pen, paper and write. Do not modify what is written. Everything that comes out of your head and ends up on paper should be a stream of consciousness. The goal is to fill out 3 sheets of paper (both sides) that will serve as a container for unproductive thoughts that can distract you during the day.

Think alone

Give yourself enough time for yourself, think about the pressing problem. Create an event in your diary and set aside time each day to reflect on it. At this time, you can sit at your desk, walk, relax in the car with the windows down. Wherever you go, the mind should be focused on one problem to be solved.

Find a helpful source

Find a colleague to help analyze the situation. This is not an example of an analytical approach; rather, it is about asking an employee for help. Perhaps he will offer his own analytical approach. We often forget that colleagues are a valuable resource. When faced with obstacles at work, wanting to clarify an idea, schedule a meeting with colleagues to consider a different point of view.

Before asking for help, make sure you understand exactly what you need. Need advice? Or questions aimed at clarifying the situation? Each of these approaches can help create a creative idea that you haven't considered before.

Summing up

Thinking is one of the cognitive processes. It is about working with information, ideas, concepts. It allows you to find relationships, solve problems.

Thinking functions are the formation of concepts, recognition and finding relationships, reasoning, decision making, creating something new. The result of thinking is new information (new knowledge). Therefore, the development of thinking in general or its individual types is an important step in achieving success, both in the personal and professional spheres.

In this article we will talk about the types of thinking and their development. AT modern world without the ability to think outside the box, it is very difficult to get into people. A person is not if he does not develop his thinking. After all, if you look closely at rich people, we will find that they all have developed non-standard thinking. All outstanding people think differently than ordinary people, therefore they have exceptional results. So how to develop thinking? More on that below.

How to develop creative thinking?

How to develop imagination? I will not talk about how deductive and inductive thinking develops, I will rather focus on the development of creative thinking. Most people have a problem with this kind of thinking. We are accustomed in school and student years to be guided by the logic that our imagination has atrophied. Why am I so bold about this? My observations of people, analytics and logic helped me see this. If you have been reading me for a long time, then you know that I go to dances, do acting, study English. On course acting skills teachers made us come up with miniature scenes. I do not want to brag, but such tasks were given to me easily and simply. I had serious problems with the solution of equalities, inequalities, logarithm, but I never had any inventing jokes. So I noticed how many people can’t come up with anything at all, they can’t even play their ready-made roles normally.

It's the same at dancing: what the teacher gave, the person learned. There we learn ligaments and sometimes freestyle. Few people go to freestyle, because it also needs imagination plus courage. Many people are afraid to show themselves. It's easier to memorize the link and that's it. So, any combination can be altered for yourself, some movements can be removed, some can be added. The teachers don't mind it. But for some reason, of all people, I'm the only one doing this? I don’t change anything drastically, I just add my movements somewhere. Other people stupidly memorize movements.

On course of English language same problem. People stupidly perform exercises and do nothing. The task was to compare animals. There were pictures of animals, and at the bottom there were ready-made options, you had to read them correctly. For example: big/rhino/elephant. Correct Answer: An elephant is bigger than a rhino. Any dumbass can do it. We worked in pairs, I worked with one not very ... generally uncreative girl. I tell her, compare a bear (bear) with a giraffe (giraffe). So she answered me that there is no such option in the task (I mean in the list of ready-made answers). I insisted that she try to come up with her own version, not ready, and she did it. She said: A bear is stronger than a giraffe. I said: A giraffe is taller than a bear and more yellow than a bear.

To develop creative thinking, a person needs to constantly invent something, remake it for himself, create and compose. What are your brains for? Read the article -. Even if you come up with complete nonsense, it's better than stupidly following the system, being like everyone else, thinking like everyone else, doing like everyone else. Successful and rich people have become successful because they are guided by imagination.

On this article on the development of thinking and types of thinking came to an end. I wish you big brains and endless creative imagination. Chao!

development of thinking, types of thinking, how to develop thinking

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If you decide to develop your thinking, then you need to understand a few basic principles.

First, the brain can develop at any age, it has neuroplasticity. New neural connections can constantly arise, and connections that are not used can be disbanded over time.

The technique is simple. Let me explain with an example.

If, for example, you want to learn how to run fast, then you set yourself such a task, and then start training. You can run every day, or maybe every other day. You form a specific training schedule, gradually increase the load until you reach the physical form you need.

Accordingly, the development model is implemented in such a way that the body receives a load and develops in the direction where the load comes from.

The same with our thinking, the situation is the same, only here you need not to run, but to strain your brain by setting certain tasks for it.

And if you do this constantly, then the “muscle of intelligence” will be pumped similarly with the muscles of the body.

There are two tricks here, on the one hand, you can perform the exercise, which I will discuss below, this is actually the second part of the article.

On the other hand, you can go through a special training program and master the basics and techniques of creative thinking, and apply them to every situation in your life, making them your daily habit.

In this case, your ability to solve complex problems will grow imperceptibly and you will have a powerful mind that will be able to find answers quickly and to the most difficult questions.

Exercises for the development of thinking

However, here you need to decide what tasks you set for yourself. I think that the most difficult thing is to create something new, to find an extraordinary solution to complex problems.

As a rule, our brain acts according to the usual algorithms, it chooses the simplest solution based on past experience or previously known solutions.

People who achieve success, create new businesses and launch interesting products, have a different type of thinking, they are able to think outside the box and find new facets of what is already known.

Therefore, the exercises presented below are aimed at pumping your ability to think outside the box and creatively, the ability to find new ideas.

This is the most valuable thing.

Of course have different types thinking, on the one hand there is creative thinking, analytical and logical.

But, no matter what type of thinking you use, the ability to find new things and create new combinations is the most valuable and sought-after skill.


A cup of coffee

This is a very good exercise that helps to develop the ability to find new solutions.

In general, all our training at school or in a higher educational institution is built on repetition after others. We see examples, we solve template problems, but we improve the ability to create something new very little.

Therefore, the parts of the brain that are responsible for creating new ideas in ordinary people poorly developed.

This exercise helps close that gap. But it must be done regularly and then it will give a tangible effect. You will learn to see what others do not see, gain the ability to find solutions that are inaccessible to the majority. But all this after a certain amount of training.

So, for starters, take a cup of coffee or some kind of mug. The task will be to find 10 or more non-standard ways to use this item.

How can you use a coffee cup? You can give it to her, you can throw it at someone, you can sell it, you can use it not only for coffee, but for solving other problems, and so on.

At first, the brain begins to throw on the most primitive, simple solutions, there will be several 3-4 of them, but your task is to go further. To find all the extraordinary opportunities, you need to sit and think, reflect, spend time on this, and then you will begin to find the most unusual options that you would not have thought of before.

A cup of coffee is taken as an example. In fact, you can take any items. Once you've completed the coffee cup exercise, you can use another item that you have in your home, or optionally, you can take an abstract item and come up with unusual uses for it.

This exercise develops creative thinking and helps you pump up neural connections that will later help you solve a variety of problems.

Exercise is fun and you can do it on your own or with someone. If you have children, then you can try to do this exercise with them, they will like it and help raise geniuses from your children.

Free associations.

This exercise is a bit similar to the first, but its essence is different. Choose an object, it can also be a cup of coffee or a tangerine or anything else that comes to mind.

And think of what associations can be with this object, but a tangerine can have a ball, a glare of the sun ... and so on.

Again, in the first sentence, the brain first slips you the most familiar options, those that are most similar to the original subject and do not immediately appear in your mind.

You need to pass this level, write three or four options that are the easiest and go further to come up with 10 or more associations for one subject.

At first, this exercise may seem a little difficult to you, but the more difficult the exercises for the brain, the more effective it is.

This is where creativity comes in, and your ability to find free associations can help you solve creative problems.

Many problems are solved this way, you just need to find some kind of association and, based on it, already develop a new idea.

You can alternate the first second exercise. That is, at first they thought over how many ways to use a cup of coffee could be found, and then they came up with a number of free associations for the same subject.

Such a combination will be very effective and will certainly give rise to your thinking abilities. Here the main thing is to do it all the time, turn it into a small game and everything will work out, the main thing is not to get bored and not to abandon these exercises in a couple of days.

Games

There are also a lot of games for pumping intelligence. Of course, the most famous is chess and checkers. You can play, it will only benefit.

However, one thing must be taken into account, each action that we perform corresponds to a certain neural connection.

If we train our thinking by playing chess, then accordingly the brain will pump the neural connection that is responsible for playing chess. We can do a great job, checkmate and beat strong opponents. But for solving other problems, for example, for finding new business ideas, this thinking will not work.

I think that logical games are additional methods that help develop attention, memory and the ability to strategic thinking. That is, calculating the situation several moves ahead.

If you decide to play chess, for example, then try to develop in yourself going beyond the standard options, think a few steps ahead. Try to remember the location of the pieces and carefully analyze the opponent's actions. In this case, you will get more benefit from the game.

You can also play other games, the main thing is to give a constant load on your brain, then it will be strong in terms of solving various problems.

Here you can draw an analogy with sports, if you pump muscles, then you become stronger. It's the same with intelligence.

P.S.

I specifically did not begin to tell a large number of exercises, the point is not in the quantity, but in how many exercises you will actually do.

Each of them can lead you to a result. Many people are surrounded by books, read a lot of materials, but they don’t do anything.

Do the main thing and you will get a positive effect from this.

If you want to learn more about how to improve your creative thinking, find out what are the traps in thinking and actually get some strategies on how to solve problems, how to find new ideas, then we recommend that you take my training course on creative thinking (the course is still under development) . It will be your guide in terms of self-development with your intellect and finding new meanings.

Developed tactical thinking is the key to success in almost any activity. It helps to win in war, in sports and in more everyday things - in learning and solving everyday problems. Today we will learn more about tactical thinking and its structure, and look at exercises to develop this useful skill.

A bit of theory

A tactic is a set of techniques, means to achieve a specific goal. Most often it is mentioned in connection with the conduct of combat (combat tactics), with sports (competition tactics), with the game (game tactics).

Tactical thinking is a fast, efficient and expedient course of thought processes aimed at finding rational ways problem solving and goal achievement. A person with this mindset thinks through all actions a few steps ahead. This can be compared to a game of chess, when in order to achieve victory a player needs not only to think over his moves, but also to predict the opponent's moves and adequately respond to them. A simplified diagram of the results of tactical thinking will look like a chain of logical conclusions with the structure “If ..., then ...”.

Tactical thinking has the following characteristics:

  1. Effectiveness. This type thinking is inextricably linked with practical activity, is included in it. The student will think about which solution to the mathematical problem to choose, precisely in the process of working on it.
  2. improvisation. In the process of solving problems and on the way to achieving the goal, various unforeseen circumstances may arise that have not been taken into account and thought out. Tactical thinking allows you to quickly navigate the situation and make an improvisational decision. For example, the child thought over his answers to the questions of the teacher in the lesson. But he was asked something that he did not expect. A student with a developed tactical mind is able to easily deviate from a previously planned plan and issue an impromptu response.
  3. Efficiency. Such thinking is always fast and clear. For example, a student is called to answer a paragraph on history at the blackboard. In the few seconds it takes to get up from the desk, the child thinks through what and in what order he will say, how he will answer questions, etc.
  4. Probability. It lies in the fact that any assumption cannot be absolutely accurate - there is always some fraction of the fact that the conclusion made through tactical thinking is incorrect. For example, a student solves a problem in physics. Based on the conditions, the student can already guess what the answer will be, but cannot be 100% sure of this.

Thus, tactical thinking is a very useful skill that helps students even in the most common learning situations. It includes the following tasks:

  • Goal setting. For example, solving a specific mathematical problem, a brilliant answer at the blackboard, winning a school olympiad, etc.
  • Analysis of own capabilities in this moment time. The student needs to weigh his strengths and weaknesses.
  • Accounting conditions. It is necessary to analyze and take into account all external factors for solving the problem/problem: where does it take place, at what time, who is nearby, etc.
  • Forecast of obstacles and difficulties. It is necessary to assume what kind of difficulties may arise and how to resolve them in this case.
  • Drawing up a backup plan. Because tactical thinking is characterized by probability, the student needs to think about how he will act if his original plan does not work

At first glance, these tasks seem quite difficult, especially for a child. But with the help of interesting game exercises, tactical thinking can be developed in a representative of any age and gender.

Guess the meaning of each symbol

Each character is equal to a certain number. Using the table below, guess the meaning of all the figures. Each row and column is followed by the sum of the character values.


Balloons

There are four balls (two black and two white) with numbers printed on them. They are arranged so that the numbers on them form the following sequence: 3, 4, 2, 1. They have been swapped. Task: find a new sequence that meets the conditions:

  • The number on the far left is twice the number next to it.
  • Odd numbers are next to each other.
  • The white balls are next to each other.

Non-standard "sea battle"

In a grid of 6 by 6 cells, you need to place three cruisers (4 cage decks), three boats (3 cage decks) and three buoys (1 cage). In this case, the values ​​opposite the rows and columns should be taken into account. Each of them should not have more or less filled cells than indicated. For example, the first row of the grid below should not have more/less than 5 cells filled in. In this case, there must be at least one gap between one and four filled cells.


If...then...

This exercise can be used in absolutely any situation. It is necessary to provoke the child to predict the result of his actions and the possible development of events. For example:

  1. If you go for a walk in the rain...
  2. If you don't learn well, then...
  3. If you win the school olympiad, then ...
  4. If you are called to the board, and you are not sure, then ...
  5. If you start to solve the problem in this way, then ...
  6. Etc.

Keywords

A keyword is a kind of crossword puzzle, with numbers inscribed in a grid, under each of which a certain letter is encrypted. For a hint, one word has been added to the grid, on the basis of which further decoding is carried out.

To solve this crossword puzzle, you need to think two steps ahead, which is an excellent training in tactical thinking.

Improvisation

You can use exercises for creative improvisation and improvisation of solutions:

  1. Creative. Think of the end of the song, poem; show a sketch on the theme of school life, etc.
  2. Solutions. Exercise is included directly in the performance of any activity, in the solution of a problem. For example, come up with a different way to solve the problem, since a new variable has appeared; which way will you go if the two roads that you planned to go earlier are blocked, etc.

Sudoku

Another type of puzzle for the development of tactical thinking is Sudoku - the Japanese "numerical crossword puzzle". It consists of a 9 by 9 grid (inside there are 9 squares each in 9 cells), which must be filled in with numbers from 1 to 9 so that they occur only once in each column and line.


Drawing up an action plan

To develop tactical thinking, the student needs to learn how to plan his activities. To practice this skill, you can:

  1. Plan classes for a day, several days, a week, etc.
  2. Think over the sequence of any action: going to school, washing dishes, solving a chemistry problem, answering at the blackboard, etc.
  3. Make large-scale plans, taking into account all the little things. For example, a plan for a trip, a plan for achieving a goal (getting an A in a quarter, winning an olympiad / competition, etc.).

Drawing up a plan, especially a large-scale one, should take a lot of time. It is recommended to do this in stages, gradually adding new details and making adjustments.

Place Hexagons

Below are some hexagons and the field where they need to be inserted. You need to place the figures in such a way that the numbers in the triangles coincide at the points of their contact (bold lines). You can't flip hexagons.

Orientation, map reading

The exercise can be performed in real or virtual conditions (computer games). Here the child needs:

  • Set a goal. For example, get out of the forest, find a river, choose the shortest route, etc.
  • It is good to familiarize yourself with the map of the area in advance. If necessary, help the student to decipher some signs, determine his location, etc.
  • Match the map data with what he sees in reality. For example, the number of trees on the map and in the clearing.
  • Choose a route. It is determined depending on the goal.
  • Achieve the goal, making adjustments as needed. In the process of passing the route, various obstacles may arise, as a result of which the original plan may change. You can ask the student in advance to think over these difficulties and ways to solve them, or leave it for later to train the speed and improvisation of tactical thinking.

Alphabet Journey

In the ovals below, you must enter the letters from A to L (inclusive). In order for the grid to be filled correctly, the following conditions must be met:

  • The letter D is located to the east than the letter G.
  • G is located strictly (any place on the same horizontal/vertical line) north of D and west of B.
  • A stands next to K.
  • K is directly north of A.
  • B is located due west of A.
  • W is further north than E and B.
  • And it is located next to W, strictly to the north.
  • L is strictly west of E and strictly north of G.

Chess

Perhaps this is one of the most difficult, but effective exercises. If the child does not know how to play chess, then it is recommended to start with the basics: explain the rules, show possible moves.

When the student can already play the game on his own, you need to help him with the tactics of the game: ask him about the meaning of each move and its possible consequences.

The issue uses pictures from Phillips C.'s book Logic + Tactical Thinking.

How to develop logical thinking? This question is asked by millions of people in order to avoid mistakes, solve tasks in study and work faster, apply it in life, be the best in their field, achieve their goals and just develop. To do this, you need to figure out: what it is, what varieties it is and how to train it.


What it is

Every day, every person is faced with thousands of tasks that need to be solved and affect his future life.

For informed decisions, it is necessary to reason logically, sensibly assessing the situation. Often life experience acquaintances and personal can fail, and advice from the Internet can be useless, so you need to turn on the brain and develop logical thinking.

To better understand the definition of this word, let's break it down into its components: logic and thinking.

Logic is the science of the correct thought process, the ability to reason. It includes the skills to think consistently, based on real facts and arguments without distorting them. This science studies the forms and laws of thinking, the course of conclusions.

She has basic concepts and laws that help to understand any situation and solve the problem from the side of rationality and science, without emotional overtones that cloud the mind.

Logical laws are valid in any situation and are equally valid in mathematical problems and life.

Thinking is part of the brain and mental activity of a person, highest level knowledge of reality. Thanks to him, we process information and are able to think, reason and draw conclusions. It is a distinctive human trait as a rational being. This process is characterized by generalization and cognition through the surrounding world.

Information comes to us through the organs of perception, and then we process it in the brain. From what drives us and how we think, the conclusion drawn depends. Objective reasoning is logical thinking.

From these two definitions, we can conclude that developing logical thinking is the ability to process information based on logical laws and arguments, making an objective conclusion.

We often make poor decisions based on emotions, advice, assumptions, fear, or doubt. To avoid dilemmas and mistakes, you need to train your brain and instill in yourself the habit of reasoning logically without the interference of irrational phenomena. The brain loves difficulties and new knowledge, it trains no worse than muscles and bears the fruits of “pumping”. By performing certain exercises, clearly realizing the purpose of these trainings, you can completely change your thinking and become better, smarter, more reasonable.

What is it for

We constantly think, the brain does not stop activity even for a second. A person processes tons of information every second, and in order to objectively assess what is happening, make the right decisions and make fewer mistakes, one must rely on logic. At first it will require effort, but then the brain will make the right decisions automatically, because it will be trained.

These are not only single conclusions, but a chain of personal behavior, a way of life, a part of individuality. The future depends on every decision, even if it seems insignificant. Having mastered the skill of logical thinking, a person is able to:

  • choose a rational way to solve a life situation and find a way out;
  • choose fast and effective method achieving the set goals;
  • pre-calculate the steps of competitors, be ahead and bypass them, anticipating every action;
  • be able to conduct discussions, small talk, scientific debates and just keep up the conversation;
  • speak clearly, concisely and understandably for everyone;
  • draw conclusions based on their mistakes and become better every day, thanks to competent introspection and reflection;
  • critically approach other people and oneself, soberly assess what is happening;
  • master oratory, to influence other people, giving weighty arguments;
  • avoid manipulation from the outside, do not become a victim of deception and scams;
  • be able to competently answer questions, twist the line of conversation in their favor, not fall for tricks on the interlocutor;
  • not succumb to self-deception and the Barnum effect - a subjective confirmation based on a high assessment of the accuracy of one's personality characteristics from generalized conclusions (horoscopes, tests, socionics).

Logical thought processes

We are all individuals and have unique experiences, however, similar processes occur in our brains leading to information processing and inference.

Here are the basic operations that take place in our head:

  1. Analysis. During this operation, our brain decomposes the phenomenon into several components in order to consider each of them separately, to identify its influence, relation and impact. Any object or event has main elements into which the brain automatically breaks it down for information processing.
  2. The reverse process of analysis is synthesis. This mental operation involves the compilation of small parts and parts of a single whole to assess the situation. A striking example of synthesis is the putting together of a puzzle.
  3. Comparison. For this process, it is required to find the differences and similarities of the object / event relative to something. It can be superficial, incomplete, or deep, complete. Comparison is based on analysis, because in order to compare two objects, it is necessary to mentally break them down into components.
  4. Generalization. A process that combines objects or events into a single whole according to similar characteristics. Often we use it to summarize.
  5. Specification. The complete opposite of the previous thought process. Its essence lies in the accuracy and determination of individual characteristics of an object / event, the disclosure of its internal content.
  6. Abstraction, on the other hand, helps a person to focus on a particular object or its feature, discarding outsiders. This is an isolated study of the characteristics of an object / event for deeper knowledge.
  7. Classification implies the use of a system for dividing objects according to certain characteristics, is based on analysis and helps to organize objects / events for oneself.

Some mental operations are mutually exclusive, so you need to use certain types in appropriate situations. It is worth choosing a thought process depending on the goal that a person wants to achieve after processing information, and therefore it is necessary to develop logical thinking.

Varieties of logical thinking

Logical thinking is a complex process of information processing. It is of several types:

  • Visually effective, practical. It is based on observation, taking into account small things and details, the ability to use spatial images. It is typical for practical thinking to quickly switch between thoughts and actions, and vice versa. Theory and practice are applied equally.
  • Visually figurative. The essence lies in the images and ideas that arise in the process of processing the received data from the outside. Common in children, imagination and images help them solve problems, understand the world.
  • Abstract-logical. This type is based on the very process of thinking, finding common patterns, operating with facts and categories.

Each type of logical thinking is important and necessary in its own way for an objective perception of reality and problem solving. But the most rational way of thinking is abstract-logical, it should be developed from early childhood and trained throughout life.


Forms of thought

Thinking has three forms: concept, judgment and inference.

  1. The concept reflects a group of homogeneous objects through the fixation of their common essential characteristics.
  2. A judgment can be in the form of an assertion, doubt, criticism, statement, etc. But its essence lies in establishing a connection between concepts, during which an opinion is formed.
  3. Inference implies mental work with judgments and concepts, their processing, after which a new judgment is made. We often use two common types of reasoning: deductive and inductive.

How to learn

Before starting training, it should be understood that there is a theory and practice of logical thinking.

Theoretical training implies familiarization with the basic terms and logical laws on the basis of which judgments should be made.

Practical training is the application of acquired knowledge in real life and everyday situations. Practice also includes exercises that help train the brain.

Our brain loves to learn new things, think, face challenges and work. In order not to consume a lot of unnecessary information, but to engage in conscious self-improvement and develop logical thinking, you should perform the following exercises and follow the recommendations of experts.

Tip 1. Read more. By consuming useful information that requires analysis, our brain trains, and we become multifaceted and well-read personalities. You should not chase the number of pages and books read, the main thing is quality. Analyze, argue, make predictions: how the book will end, if it is fiction, outline if it is non-fiction.

Tip 2. Play educational games. These include various board games, chess, checkers, backgammon, Scrabble, various riddles, puzzles, Rubik's Cube. This helps to develop and at the same time have fun with friends.

Tip 3. Spend at least 15 minutes a day practicing logic development. You can deal with solving mathematical problems, building logical chains, arranging words or events in a certain order, making logical judgments based on the laws of logic.

Tip 4. Solve crosswords, puzzles, puzzles, riddles. This not only brightens up leisure, but also perfectly develops thinking. You can buy a magazine the old fashioned way or solve it online, since now there are a lot of such puzzles.

Tip 5. Learn foreign languages. New information always has a positive effect on brain activity, especially regular classes in another language. Sign up for courses in the city or online, or study on your own through mobile applications. This will not only help to pump thought processes, but also develop horizons, allow you to travel around the world and make friends of different races and nationalities. This will lead to the exchange of information, which helps to feel like a different culture and mentality.

Tip 6. Play associations. This helps to simultaneously develop both figurative and logical thinking.

Tip 7. Changing your hand when performing mundane tasks helps you look at routine processes in a different way and engages a different part of the brain.

Tip 8. Come up with original ways to use items. Helps to discover the creative in oneself and find unusual application ordinary things.

Tip 9. Investigate natural sciences. These include physics, chemistry, astronomy, biology, geology, geography. So you will obviously become smarter and expand your knowledge about the structure of the world. And maybe you will find a new hobby or purpose in life.

Tip 10. Arrange debates and reasoned arguments with friends. It is not enough to know a lot, you must be able to use your knowledge in the form of arguments. Argue, seek the truth, share new information, learn to express thoughts correctly, listen to the interlocutor, and engage in a constructive dialogue.

Conclusion

Logical thinking needs and can be trained, and the exercises are exciting and help not only to think better, but also to become the best version of yourself and interesting personality. It is enough to perform several exercises every day and the effect will not be long in coming.

Our life is the result of the decisions we have made in the past. And for the future to be what you want, you need to learn how to make the right decisions based on logical thinking.

Ekaterina Chistyakova

Freelancer. addicted to free time business.