Four Thinking Styles
The quality of your life is dependent on the quality of your thinking.
If you develop the ability to think well, then you will say the right things, do the right things, and feel terrific. If you are a good thinker, your life, in all its aspects, will be a wonderful adventure.
Your thinking is what makes you, YOU.
How could you improve the quality of your thinking?
To improve anything, you need to look at its component parts and see how they relate to each other. Then, to improve it, you either improve the components, or improve the way they interact (or you do both).
So what are the "components parts" of thinking?
There are four basic thought elements:
- Logic.
- Imagination.
- Memory.
- Emotion.
Let us say a few words on each.
Logic.
Logic is the study of coherent thinking. Logic is systematic, orderly, organised, hierarchical, well-defined thought. Mathematics would be a good example of logical thought. But mathematics is not itself a study of logic. If you want to improve your understanding of logic, read 'Elements of Modern Logic' by S H Mellone. You can buy it on Amazon for a measly £3.40. Buying and reading that book would be money and time well spent.
Imagination.
Imagination is the art of creating images in the mind, of things that don't yet exist. Imagination is the realm of the artist, the inventor, the story teller.
Imagination is what made Walt Disney, Ian Fleming, JRR Tolkien and JK Rowling very rich and famous. They weren't more knowledgeable than the people around them. Imaginative people do not need to be knowledgeable because they do not deal in facts. They created their legacy by means of harnessing the power of their creative imagination. You can train your imagination only through practice.
Write, paint, draw and create mental images. Make up stories and write them out.
If you want help with creative and imaginative writing please read, 'Asimov on Science Fiction' by Isaac Asimov. Asimov is the one of the most prolific writers in history, having published over 500 books. He is well known for his science fiction books, many of which were made into movies. (I Robot, Bicentennial Man, The Fantastic Voyage). Asimov also loved to write books on the art of writing. If you want to improve your creative imagination and writing, then Asimov has many things to say to you.
Memory.
Memory is the art of storing information in the mind; and being able to recall that information on demand.
That is not easy. Most people are not satisfied with their memory capacity. Most would like a better memory. But most people have never read a single book on the development of memory. There are many fine books on memory development. My favourite is by Dominic O'Brien 'How to Develop a Perfect Memory'. If you study and apply the methods in this book you will multiply your memory power by 10.
Emotion.
Emotions are the subjective elements of your psyche. Your feelings.
Your thoughts create your feelings. If your thoughts are negative, then feelings will be negative. If your thoughts are optimistic, then your feelings will be positive. You feel whatever you think about.
If we assume you want to feel positive most of the time, then you need to think in ways that will cause you to feel positive most of the time. What a gift to yourself that would be.
What if you could make yourself happier by taking control of the content of your mind?
If you could control the content of your mind, then you can control how you feel. You would never again be at the mercy of outside events, nor the whims of other people. You could become the master of your mind; the captain of your cranium; the emir of your emotions.
If you would like to know how to improve your powers of positive thinking, read 'The Magic of Thinking Big' by David Schwartz.
Summary of book recommendations.
Elements of Modern Logic by S. H. Mellone
Asimov on Science Fiction by Isaac Asimov
How to Develop a Perfect Memory by Dominic O'Brien
The Magic of Thinking Big by David Schwartz
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thinking style
In personal development, a thinking style is a mental framework that shows how a person mainly uses logic, imagination, memory and emotion. It guides how we grasp facts, make ideas, store knowledge and feel. A thinking style is a stable habit but can be trained. Change the style and you change what you say, do and feel.
CG4D Definition
Context: Personal development
Genus: Framework
- Shows which of the four thought elements-logic, imagination, memory, emotion-a person uses most
- Guides the way a person understands facts, forms ideas, keeps information and feels
- Works as a steady habit yet can change with planned practice
- Shapes the quality of words, actions and mood
Article Summary
Your life improves when you train the four thinking styles-logic, imagination, memory and emotion-each day; together they guide clear speech, wise action and happy feelings, turning every challenge into an exciting adventure.