Elements of Effective

Thinking
READING TIME: 2 MINUTES

Do you want to come up with more imaginative ideas? Do you stumble

with complicated problems? Do you want to find new ways to confront
challenges?

Of course, you do. So do I.

But when is the last time you thought about how you think?

Do you have a process for making decisions? Are you using mental

models and connecting big ideas from multiple disciplines? Are you
taking steps to reduce cognitive biases? Have you defined the problem,
and do you know what success looks like?

Just as with any skill, some of us are better at thinking than others. Why?

We’re seduced into believing that brilliant thinkers are born that way. We
think they magically produce brilliant ideas.

Nothing could be further from the truth while there are likely genetic
exceptions, the vast majority of the people we consider brilliant use their
minds differently.

Often, these geniuses practice learnable habits of thinking that allow them

to see the world differently. By doing so, they avoid much of the folly
that so often ensnares others. Eliminating stupidity is easier than seeking
brilliance.

“It is remarkable how much long-term

advantage people like us have gotten by
trying to be consistently not stupid,
instead of trying to be very intelligent.”
— Charlie Munger
I came across The Five Elements of Effective Thinking, authored by Dr.
Edward B. Burger and Dr. Michael Starbird, which presents some
practical ways for us to improve our thinking.

They make a pretty bold claim in the introduction.

You can personally choose to become more successful by

adopting five learnable habits, which, in this book, we not
only explain in detail but also make concrete and practical.

The five habits are:

1. Understand deeply
2. Make mistakes
3. Raise questions
4. Follow the flow of ideas
5. Change

Let’s explore each of these a little.

Understand Deeply

Don’t face complex issues head-on; first understand simple

ideas deeply. Clear the clutter and expose what is really
important. Be brutally honest about what you know and
don’t know. Then see what’s missing, identify the gaps, and
fill them in. Let go of bias, prejudice, and preconceived
notions. There are degrees to understanding (it’s not just a
yes-or-no proposition) and you can always heighten yours.
Rock-solid understanding is the foundation for success.

Make Mistakes

Fail to succeed. Intentionally get it wrong to inevitably get it

even more right. Mistakes are great teachers — they
highlight unforeseen opportunities and holes in your
understanding. They also show you which way to turn next,
and they ignite your imagination.

Raise Questions
 Constantly create questions to clarify and extend your
understanding. What’s the real question? Working on the
wrong questions can waste a lifetime. Ideas are in the air —
the right questions will bring them out and help you see
connections that otherwise would have been invisible.

Follow the Flow of Ideas

Look back to see where ideas came from and then look
ahead to discover where those ideas may lead. A new idea is
a beginning, not an end. Ideas are rare— milk them.
Following the consequences of small ideas can result in big
payoffs.

These are the four basic building blocks for effective thinking. The
fifth is Change.

Change

The unchanging element is change— by mastering the first

four elements, you can change the way you think and learn.
You can always improve, grow, and extract more out of your
education, yourself, and the way you live your life. Change
is the universal constant that allows you to get the most out
of living and learning.