Thinking is that very complex mechanism, one of the most important psychic processes, which allows us to find the adequate and advantageous solution to a problem, based on the data we have.
It is often said that thinking, expressed through speech, distinguishes us from animals — this is also a topic of discussion… but for another time.
Thinking can be of many kinds: lateral, critical, negative, positive, limiting, deductive, inductive, analytical, investigative, systematic, creative, conceptual, etc.
Thanks to thinking, three other psychic processes exist: imagination, memory and speech.
Unlike sensations and perceptions, thinking appears consciously: I have a situation and, to solve it, I pause briefly and try to find solutions. The impulse to think, however, comes from a sensation that first indicates the state of discomfort.
Moreover, another very important psychic process — affectivity — also participates in the way we choose to find a solution, that is, to think. Affectivity influences the way we think, which is precisely why it's so important to maintain constant emotional hygiene.
Temperament also contributes to thinking style. A choleric will think faster, but also more impulsively; a melancholic may tend to think more pessimistically. Education is equally important — home being the environment where we first begin to think.
"Teach your child to think" may sound odd, since thinking is created within each of us. But thinking is a conscious process and so we can learn to think.
How does that happen? First, take your time for any situation — don't rush. Then analyze whether you are objective. Analyze whether emotions are involved and how they affect your thinking. Try to view the situation from outside yourself.
Thinking involves many operations, such as analysis, synthesis, generalization, particularization, abstraction, concretization, classification, comparison, analogy.
You can validate the solution you offer yourself with the sensations produced in the body. If you are calm, at peace, without discomfort sensations, the solution is probably good.
If, however, the solution you reached creates a sensation of physical or psychological unease, it's better to continue searching for solutions.
Thinking is not an autonomous psychic process, but it is still the one that offers us solutions for life.
