We think over 1000 thoughts a minute. This is true for most people not just the highly intellectual ones who think even harder! Thinking is almost involuntary. The mind travels in the vaguest of directions; it is unchained, it is free. To soar to the heights it deems or delve to the depths it desires. A thought is a cognitive activity, something one is aware of in subjective consciousness. Thoughts can be channelized, focused and directed; or they may indeed be muddled and disorganized. They involve arrangements of ideas that may be real or imaginary. Thinking offers meaning to existence. A world without thinking would be relatively meaningless. Thoughts are the most important cognitive processes; wherefrom arise emotions, memory and behavior. There is little one can do in this world without thinking. We occasionally remark when we hear something we feel is bizarre:
- What were you even thinking?
- What do you think of yourself?
- Do you think before you talk?
- What do you think about this?
Several theories of cognitive development
elucidate the importance of the environment in thinking. The perception of
varied stimuli in the brain allows the generation of electric and chemical
processes in the brain cells that facilitate specific thoughts. These form
representations in the mind and are used repeatedly in the future. However
abstract thinking requires constant assimilation of experiences from everyday
living to form the superior thinking processes. Einstein and Newton’s brain
definitely thought differently from the rest of us. They accommodated a
significant quantum of information and processed it differently to offer new
meanings and interpretations of worldly events.
Think and then what?
Thoughts essentially precede emotions. Once
the perception has been made, there are mental images placed in parts of the
brain that sense the actuality and remake interpretations in the form of
thoughts. These arouse emotions. Emotions are the driving forces to action. Hence
perceptions must be precise so that thoughts are in order; so as to generate fitting
emotions that direct suitable behaviors. It’s all about what we think…
The role of memory
Classical learning is nothing but conditioning
the mind to behave in a particular manner on the basis of prior experience. Everyone
has the ability to learn; mice, guinea pigs, horses, giraffes as well as human
beings. Humans have that added advantage of a superior brain that has several specialized
cognitive processes. They can use their reminiscences to change their future
interactions. The present is largely influenced by the past. However that shouldn’t
disallow the mind to choose innovative processes and tread on novel paths to
learn and improve thinking.
Practice makes innovate
If practice merely made perfect, we would
never revolutionize. With repeated failed attempts at a task or a particular
emotion, we learn diverse ways that don’t work. That is what allows one to
think differently. Meditating on failure is better than pondering over success.
Positive pessimism suggests alternative thinking and generating victory from letdowns.
Rising after falling is a learning experience as against taking the elevator to
the top without hindrances.
Reflection
The mirror doesn’t reflect what lies within
itself, it has no innate abilities. The mind however has been blessed with the aptitude
to organize ideas and reappraise situations. Critical thinking implies a
skillful conceptualization of what has been gathered beforehand; and guides
belief and action for personal advantage. It need not be manipulative. Those
who have the ability to reflect are undeniably pure and untarnished.
Think about it…
Conscious awareness of thought is an
ability of the better developed souls. To know what you think, why you do so
and have control over it. Several abnormalities in thinking have been
identified. Few know of them; yet several are afflicted and have no insight
into the same. Thoughts replicate character. They are more important than
clothes and hairdos. If only we make the time to think about what we think…
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