This is a revisit … of sorts. I wrote on this subject back when I was just beginning my blog, 2010. This topic has always been an attitude, mindset, way of interacting that I value, something I aspire to be my personal MO. I said:
“It is the critical thinkers that press the boundaries of ‘conventional
wisdom’. …
These are the minds who are engaged in developing technologies to
enhance our communication and lives, and research to eradicate
cancer and other deadly diseases. Critical thinkers expand our
conception (and perception) of what can be accomplished. These
are the activities that need encouraging. …
I realize that much time can be lost if we are ignoring ‘logic’, but
also sometimes the wheel does need to be reinvented. In the
reinvention we may discover a ‘better mousetrap’. …
My point is that there really is a balance between the status quo and
the extreme.”
I still passionately believe this. Too often we get sidetracked or blindsided (two entirely different obstacles) but I hope that this doesn’t cripple the creative process. This method of thinking and deciding is available to us all. It may take a readjustment since this does require attention, but I believe the rewards far outweigh the cost.
I’m an options planner… this means, in my world, that I enjoy ‘what – if’. What – If always reminds me of puzzles, of which I am incredibly fond, that expands how I think about a topic, a question, many things. Closely related are the ‘if… then’. These kinds of mental gymnastics are great fun and greatly improve our ability to think outside the box. This gives us a creative edge to resolution of difficult situations.
I suspect that the bottom line is that I enjoy critical thinking and believe it is perhaps the single most important skill one can learn. Never be limited by what others believe you can do or accomplish. The definition of who you are and how you go about being and doing you is your decision. Circumstances may be an obstacle, but they should never be a definer.
Quoting me again,
“Refinement is a great ally in maintaining a smooth flow from what
is to what might be. Critical thinking is the engine that moves us
from what is to what might be. We should not abandon nor embrace
either… and we need to remember that what might be is yesterday’s
what is.”
