Thinking about thinking

Thinking can be fun , profitable and even relaxing. Imagine having a problem which is hovering in the back of your mind. If you focus on it, think it through and come up with a solution, that problem is removed from the back of your mind. The result is a less cluttered and hence less stressed mind.

The problem with thinking is that it needs lots of data. You think only of what you know and the more you know, the better your thinking and the better your solution. The other problem is that we are beset with a wide array of problems from how to handle your baby, children, career, investments, hobby , politics to religion. Often we like to read in one particular area leaving us exposed in the areas where our ignorance reigns amok.

Instead of thinking, we base our decisions on personal prejudice and past experience. In many ways we are all bigots as most of us will have areas where we defend our opinions like mad even though what we know factually is so little that it can be written on a post-it note with room to spare.

Thinking should be natural. Perhaps schools have made us detest thinking. How sad. It is like eating. Imagine if we treat eating as a chore rather than as one of the pleasures of life. Thinking is not deviod of emotion. It is not just logic. If someone does not love you, that is as hard a fact as the fact that your keyboard is black or white or beige. If you think someone loves you when in fact she does not, then that faulty logic will result in much pain and angst!

So for a start, let us think about thinking!