How to learn to think: 9 tips from the smartest people on the planet

Various thoughts constantly arise in a person’s head. Therefore, many people think about how to think correctly in order to quickly complete the task, achieve success and provide for themselves financially. The influence of thoughts on a person’s life is enormous, because thoughts are clothed in words or deeds. To act more effectively, you first need to learn to think. There are several ways of thinking and among them you should choose the most suitable one.

Albert Einstein: “Find new ways to use ordinary objects”

A great way to develop breadth of thought and stimulate a brain tired of routine. Choose one item every day and come up with creative ways to use it. And bring to life the most interesting one, in your opinion.

Make an hourglass out of a holey sock? Yes, easily! A mousetrap made from a hairpin? Great idea! Try it - it's a fun, easy and exciting way to become smarter. In the end, the creator of the theory of relativity will not advise anything bad.

Just please don't hammer nails with a microscope.

I recommend that you take a look at the Wikium site and wander around. You will find a large number of courses, simulators, useful articles on the development of thinking, imagination and memory. I will return to this project at the end of the article.

Steve Jobs: “Do meditation”

The Apple founder was seriously interested in Eastern philosophy and even professed Buddhism. Meditation helped him focus and relieve stress. They also opened the door to knowledge that was inaccessible to rational perception. Here's what Steve said in an interview:

“If you just sit and contemplate, you will notice how limitless your thinking is. If you try to calm him down, you will only make things worse. After a while, it will calm down on its own, and you will gain control over it. At this moment, intuition awakens, and you see everything around you much more clearly and deeply than you saw before.”

I guess I'll follow his example right now. Which is what I advise you to do. I just have a suitable video in stock.

Laws of logic

The laws of correct thinking are the objective foundations and principles of logic that lead reasoning to genuine conclusions.

The law of identity - the idea is clear, precise and simple (every A is an A).
The law of contradiction - if one judgment rejects something, and another declares the same, then they cannot be true at the same time (A is not A).
The law of the excluded middle - every judgment is either genuine or erroneous (either A or not A).
Law of Sufficient Reason - Every idea, to be valid, must be supported by reasoned conclusions (A, because B).

The laws of correct thinking apply always and everywhere. It doesn’t matter who you are, who your interlocutor is, whether you believe in them or not. They are irreplaceable and indestructible. By violating the laws and forms of correct thinking, you risk drawing false conclusions.

Dmitry Mendeleev “Broaden your horizons”

The famous Russian scientist did not limit himself to chemistry alone. His interests included physics, geology, meteorology, and hydrodynamics. This breadth of knowledge and depth of immersion in the topic helped him reach a new level of thinking. The result of logical reasoning, analysis of information and identification of objective patterns was the same table.

Take this advice and start taking an interest in something outside of your core area of expertise. These could be disciplines related to your work or something completely new to you. Fresh information will shake up your brain and make it work at full capacity. In addition, this method will help you develop your memory.

Components of consciousness

The thought process consists of external and internal sources:

External sources are all kinds of tasks and objective data.
Internal sources - desires, dreams and attitudes.

Tasks and objective data give the brain food for thought and trigger thought processes from the outside.

Desires and dreams lead to a distorted picture of the world. A person who dreams a lot cannot adequately perceive reality; he seems to fall out of reality and lives in his own world. Such people are poorly adapted to independent life and achieve little. But that doesn't mean you can't dream. Dreams are the driving force behind our actions. You just need to know when to stop.

Negative attitudes lead thinking to stereotypes, when concepts and solutions are used out of habit. Often our beliefs do not correspond to reality, and instead of making life easier, they make it more difficult. Since we see only what is consistent with attitudes, many moments are missed from our lives that could open up new opportunities for us and expand our horizons.

Rosy dreams and old attitudes lead to the fact that a person is poorly oriented in the surrounding reality. He cannot live consciously, he is overcome by psychological problems, things do not work out, circumstances cease to obey and subjugate the person. Often such people live either in the past or in the future, but not in the present. To manage your life, you need to manage your actions, and for this you need to learn to manage your thoughts.

Correct thinking is a way of thinking that follows the rules of consistency, logic and action.

A correctly constructed thought will give an unmistakable result. To achieve your goals, your mind must work for you, so pay close attention to what and how you think.

Anatoly Wasserman “Learn to evaluate information”

The famous scholar advises first of all to pay attention to information that contradicts your beliefs and views. In most cases, your knowledge will be enough to detect inaccuracies and errors in it.

If you cannot immediately refute information that disagrees with your views, rejoice. You have a chance to expand your understanding of the world and enrich your own knowledge.

He gives the example of the “cholesterol-free” label on a bottle of sunflower oil. What is she telling you? If you know that vegetable oils, by definition, cannot contain cholesterol, the meaning of this inscription boils down to one thing: the manufacturer is taking you for an idiot.

Wasserman also advises everyone to read four books to form a holistic picture of the world:

“Anti-Duhring. Dialectics of Nature” Friedrich Engels;
“The Sum of Technology” Stanislav Lem;
“The Blind Watchmaker” Richard Dawkins;
“The Science of Parallel Universes” by David Deutsch.

Why visualization?

We have repeatedly used this technique. Visualization is the power of imagination, available to each of us, which appeals to the creative energy of the Universe.

By focusing your attention on positive thoughts, on good and bright intentions, you launch the very magnet that was discussed at the very beginning. Experts advise presenting a “picture” that describes the fulfillment of your desire or the successful outcome of a particular situation in as much detail as possible. You need to use this technique until your intention is realized.

Let us give an example of the simplest and most accessible visualization technique. Let's assume that you are waiting to meet your loved one from whom you are separated for a long time. Relax, close your eyes, make yourself as comfortable as possible (sitting or lying down). Imagine the moment of your meeting at the airport, at the train station, at the hotel, on the street, at home. Allow your imagination to paint this picture: sounds, smells, sensations of touching each other, the very first glance of eyes into eyes... Immerse yourself in this picture, feel the thrill and excitement, joy and embarrassment. Let your subconscious mind work with this visualization and launch important processes for realizing your desire.

Return to this “picture” before going to bed or immediately after waking up. This time on the verge of sleep and wakefulness is best suited for such practices.

Nikola Tesla “Appreciate solitude”

The great physicist liked to repeat: “Be alone - only in it are brilliant ideas born.” He made most of his discoveries alone. Like 9 out of 10 great scientists. Only in solitude can we immerse ourselves in deep reflection and comprehend the essence of the phenomena under study.

By the way, Bill Gates actively uses this advice. Once a year he goes to a secluded corner of the planet to immerse himself in reflection away from the hustle and bustle. He returns from there full of ideas and inspiration.

I'm not asking you to become a hermit and stop communicating with people. You don't even need to specifically find time to be alone. You may simply be using the solitude you already have more productively. Think less about all sorts of nonsense, don’t wander aimlessly on the Internet and don’t stare at TV, but think about philosophical topics. Or think about implementing some idea.

Catch the state that will happen when you get what you want

Imagine that your wish/goal has come true. Concentrate on your feelings, on your inner state. What do you feel?

How to fulfill any desire? John Kehoe method

Perhaps you have felt warmth in a certain area of your body, or you have noticed a rapid heartbeat. What emotions do you have? Try to increase these emotions/feelings. For example: unwind the joy inside to insane happiness.

Being in a state where you have already received what you wanted attracts into your field what will help you achieve what you want.

Elon Musk “First study the problem thoroughly and only then begin to solve it”

The genius of the 21st century criticized the existing education system in one of his interviews. According to him, it focuses on learning tools for solving problems, and does not pay enough attention to the problems themselves. As a result, we end up with narrow-minded specialists who are unable to solve non-standard problems.

He cites training for auto mechanics as an example. Without forming a clear idea of the engine structure, they are taught to use screwdrivers and wrenches. It is much more effective, according to Musk, to first study the engine from all sides, and then manipulate it.

When the SpaceX program existed only as an idea, Elon first studied the aerospace industry. For several months he studied books on the physics of space flight, and then independently calculated the cost of all the parts and the launch of the rocket. He demonstrated through his own experience that it is always a good idea to think things through before doing anything.

How to apply his advice in life? For example, you need to solve some practical problem. Change the socket or make the dough more fluffy, for example. Before Googling ways to solve a problem, get to know the object you will be dealing with better.

Once you gather the information, you may find several ways to achieve your goal. And in global terms, learn to think independently and think faster with your head.

Creative thinking

The pinnacle of the human mind. It is expressed in the ability to invent and create something new, hitherto unknown to the world. A creatively thinking person generates original solutions to problems or problems. Creativity is pure creation.

A harmoniously developed person contains parts of each type of consciousness. Their symbiosis represents a standard type of thinking, when a person can clearly monitor thoughts, weed out unnecessary ones and generate fresh ideas from them.

Aristotle “Learn to assimilate a thought without accepting it as truth”

In other words, learn to think critically. In a continuous flow of information, it is very difficult to separate truth from lies. Don't take everything for granted. Especially something about which you have very little information.

Remember that many people try to manipulate the minds of the masses to achieve their own goals. Therefore, always check the information entering your head according to the following criteria:

the presence of specific facts (dates, numbers, names);
indication of source;
objectivity of presentation (lack of assessments, emotions, interpretations of the author);
reputation (opinion of people and communities authoritative in the field).

But even the information meets all the above criteria does not guarantee its 100% truth. Therefore, conclusions often have to be made on a whim, relying on a sixth sense.

How to think?

Requirements for correct thinking:

Certainty - the accuracy and rigor of the thesis.
Sequence is a logical structure of thought.
Consistency is the absence of mutually exclusive thoughts.
Validity - the presence of arguments confirming the truth of the thought.

Say no to vague, vague and scattered thoughts in your head. Only clear and concise thoughts will lead to the goal.

Mark Zuckerberg “Play sports”

Expressiveness and Confidence

You cannot express your thoughts beautifully by wagging your tongue sluggishly. Just remember: at least once have you admired an insecure person muttering under his breath?

Another thing is charisma. Posture, lively voice, correct accents and no confusion. To bring yourself closer to the model of an ideal speaker, you can use the following tips. [adsense1]

#1. During a conversation, do not concentrate on yourself, do not think about your appearance. Focus on what you want to say.

Visualize the object, savor your knowledge. At first you will have to make an effort to hold onto your thoughts, but then it will be automatic.

With this method, you will reduce your anxiety level and become fully invested in the conversation. At one point in time, the brain can only hold one thought , and when you forget about the possibility of making a slip of the tongue or being blunt, the words will flow out on their own. This happens because the brain completely focuses on the conversation , which means it selects sentences faster.

#2 Voice recorder / camera

Record your speech on electronic media so you can listen to it from the outside. First, the voice will seem unfamiliar, second, you will immediately hear your shortcomings.

It can be:

Parasite words
Long pauses
A large amount of “water” in conversation
Uncertainty and weak voice

Once you recognize the problem, it will be easier to deal with it. You'll learn what to focus on so you don't try to improve everything at once.

#3 Feel the mood

Say goodbye if the person wants to leave
Change the subject if the person is bored
Show your knowledge if there is an important person in front of you

Be on the same wavelength with the person so that he remembers you as a pleasant interlocutor. Among the annoying and boring storytellers, you will stand out.

#4 Don't try to please

The best confidence is not being afraid to be real. You will only harm communication if you bend and flatter.

Naturalness inspires trust . The simpler and more relaxed you are with yourself, the faster you will join the conversation. And the easier it will be for you to express the desired thought.

#5 Magnetism

Your speech should attract attention in every way. Somewhere you need to stop, somewhere you need to increase the volume, somewhere you need to insert a digression. Don't let the person fall asleep, let him feel your story.

Here are some quick ways to brighten up your conversation:

Gesture actively
Include facial expressions
Insert jokes or stories
Make accents
Break your speech into small paragraphs

The most important thing is don’t be shy! If emotionality comes from within , then you will only win. This will show your honesty and openness, which will play into your hands in the future.

#6 And finally

You won't learn to ride a bike without falling. Don't be afraid of mistakes and don't focus on failures. The interlocutor has his own problems , and he doesn’t care about your passages.

The person will either understand you or smile. But in any case, he will forget about it in 5 minutes.

Several useful things from Vikium for all those who want to learn to think

I am returning to the site that I recommended to you at the very beginning of the article. This is a great help for all those who want to become smarter.

There are courses and simulators on Wikium. The courses are paid, but most of them are very cheap - from 990 to 1,690 rubles. There are only about 10 courses. The simulators are completely free, there are more than 90 of them on the website.

First I will recommend courses to you, then I will list a few top trainers.

Development of thinking

Description . The training is generally aimed at developing your thinking. The course teaches you to work with different types of information, be more thoughtful and attentive, and concentrate on tasks that require a lot of mental activity.

The first material - about how to overcome apathy forever - is sent by the authors of the course for free - go to the training page, enter your email address and wait for the letter.

When you complete the training, you will be able to easily count in your head, construct your speech competently and convincingly, find solutions in difficult situations, and skillfully argue your point of view. These skills will be useful to you in absolutely any field.

Authors : Vikium project specialists.

Cost : only 990 rubles. Hurry before the price goes up.

Find out more and sign up

Development of creative thinking

Description . Here the material is narrower, the emphasis is on the development of creative thinking. You will develop creativity in yourself, even if you have not previously engaged in creativity at all in any form. Please note that the teacher is a mathematician by training.

The material is presented in video format; there is also text information, diagrams and tables, and many practical exercises.

You will get the ideal result if you combine this course with 2-3 free exercise machines, which I recommend below.

Author : Sofya Kosyak.

Cost : 990 rub.

Find out more and sign up

Emotional intellect

Description . A person who knows how to think must be able to subordinate feelings to reason. The course will teach you to recognize the emotions of other people and better control your own emotional manifestations. After completing the training, you will be calm in conflict situations and confident in yourself when communicating with other people.

The program includes 20 lessons, which are 80% practical. You will find here many techniques, exercises, tests, and simulators.

Vikium takes its products seriously - purchase with confidence.

Author : Oleg Kalinichev.

Cost : 990 rub.

Find out more and sign up

Mentalist

Description . The course will help you become a more thoughtful person in a short period of time. You will develop logic, be able to find non-standard solutions to complicated situations, and easily see cause-and-effect relationships in a variety of problems and conflicts.

The training is aimed at teaching everyone to “see ahead” - to predict the actions of themselves and those around them.

You will find here several problems for practical practice, a huge number of logic exercises and puzzles of various types, and tests.

You will count in your head, think through your actions in advance, like a professional chess player, without resorting to any auxiliary means. It will be useful in both life and career.

Authors : Vikium project specialists.

Cost : 990 rub.

Find out more and sign up

Mnemonics

Description . Mnemonics help to remember information that is difficult to memorize: names of a large number of people, numbers, mathematical formulas, words and grammatical structures of a foreign language.

The essence of the techniques is the creation of vivid associations that help to imprint the necessary information in memory and associate it with something. In 15 lessons you will learn several mnemonics at the same time; they will open the doors to a wide variety of areas of knowledge.

The administration sends the first course material for free - enter your email address and start studying. You will be convinced that the course is a must-purchase.

You can start practicing techniques on simulators - the teacher will give links to 7 different types of simulators, you can practice on them daily if you have the time and desire.

Authors : Vikium project specialists.

Cost : 990 rub.

Find out more and sign up

Polyglot

Description . If you want to become smarter and immediately find a use for your mind, start learning a foreign language. The “Polyglot” course is a collection of exercises that help you find the “key” to all languages, learn them as quickly as polyglots, federal translators, and world leaders learn.

You will know how to memorize words correctly, how to quickly figure out complex grammatical structures in your head, how to work on pronunciation, and “grasp” texts in a foreign language.

The course is universal. After it, you will be able to take up English, French, even Chinese and successfully learn it, start speaking in the first 2-3 weeks of classes.

Authors : practicing psychologists and linguists from the Vikium team.

Cost : 1,690 rubles.

Find out more and sign up

Brain fitness

Description : The most expensive Vikium course. You pay not so much for the course, but for a special device - a neural interface. It can be purchased separately, costs 11,990 rubles. The neural interface reads electromagnetic waves that come from your brain and sends them to the Vikium platform for analysis.

Reading can occur when you are doing creative work or doing some kind of calculations, when you are resting, cooking, worrying about something, and so on. All data will be analyzed and the site will create personalized advice for you.

The good thing about the course is that it is “tailored” to you personally. You will learn how to calm down, concentrate, distribute your workload - and absolutely all the advice will be adjusted to your “biorhythms”.

In addition to the neural interface, you will work on neurosimulators - these are unique programs that train your brain in different directions. Go to the course page and see what it all looks like.

Authors : psychologists and programmers of the Vikium service.

Cost : 12,990 rubles.

Find out more and sign up

I introduced you to the best training programs. Now I will recommend you several simulators, they are completely free:

Aquarium - teaches you to concentrate on one subject and not be distracted by others. Trains memory and attention, helps to better remember lectures and instructions from superiors.
Detective - you will associatively connect the word and the image. The program will improve your imaginative thinking, increase your active vocabulary, and teach you to better understand texts.
Stories - improve your verbal and logical memorization. Learn to keep large amounts of information in your head that cannot be expressed in formulas.
Cat and mouse - the simulator is aimed at the simultaneous operation of two hemispheres of the brain. The left will be responsible for analytical memory, the right - for the perception of shape, color, etc.
Master of words - you will learn to work with words, “feel” them better, remember them, and construct statements correctly.
Memory matrices are needed primarily for those who study foreign languages or plan to do so in the future. Matrices will help you learn grammar and pronunciation correctly, move from memorizing words to speaking, and so on.
Mosaic - improves voluntary attention. You will look for some object, learn to quickly refocus from one element to another, and concentrate.
Paired associations - the so-called “working” type of memory will develop, which is needed to solve logic problems and understand some particularly complex material.
Counting - the simulator is aimed not so much at counting as at searching for an element; its structure is close to Mosaic.
Continue the Row is an ideal exercise machine for those who want to learn how to count quickly in their heads. You will continue different series of numbers and learn to quickly make calculations, remember that, for example, 7+5=12, 8+6=14 and so on.

The Wikium site is really cool. In addition to the well-developed content, it is also very nicely designed - I psychologically relax when I come here. Don't pass by - register, add the project to your bookmarks and begin your path to perfection.

Vocabulary and variety

To build a house you need bricks. To formulate and correctly express your thoughts, you need words. Below we will look at methods for replenishing vocabulary. [adsense1]

#1 Food is obtained by hunting

The simplest and most obvious option is reading books. And it’s true: if you want to speak beautifully, you need to love literature.

But! We rarely need beautiful literary words . Much more important are connectives, transitions and figures of speech. Therefore, you can read completely different books, the main thing is that you like them.

If you love the classics, letters from great people will help a lot. In them they communicate with their contemporaries and you can borrow some expressions for yourself.

Another option is to watch lectures. They are good for their conversational style and the presence of a narrator. Imperceptibly, you will adopt his manners: correctly place accents, maintain pauses and use bright comparative phrases.

Choose a field of activity that interests you and a worthy speaker. In this case, you will chase two birds with one stone at the same time: you will improve your knowledge and learn to express your thoughts.

#2 Exercise Game

Write down the word and choose synonyms for it. You can do this in your mind, or you can arrange a competition between your family. In any case, no one will lose and will only improve erudition.

#3 Environment

To learn to express your thoughts and expand your vocabulary, you need to immerse yourself in the appropriate society. You can do this in real life, or you can do it on the Internet. For example, try watching speakers’ speeches (like TED), video lectures, webinars. The main thing is to do this consistently , so that the “wave of vernacular” does not absorb the rudiments of intellectuality

#4 Memory development

Vocabulary requires a good memory. The catch is that it is quite difficult to train it specifically and it will take a lot of time. Therefore, we will consider memory as an emerging phenomenon .

What's the point? It is not memory that needs to be improved in order to memorize, but memorization that needs to be improved in order to improve memory. Don’t try to “inflate your brain” on purpose, but try to fill it with useful information so that it inflates itself.

That is, if you want to remember a word, you need to use it in speech as often as possible and the result will be improved memory. The more words you learn and practice, the easier it will be to remember the others.