Exercises to develop creative thinking. Basic Thinking Skills

I am glad to welcome you, dear readers of my blog! What distinguishes us from animals is not only the ability to recognize our needs and set goals, but also the presence of such a thing as abstract logical thinking. And it not only distinguishes, but also makes a person unique, since no living creature has this ability. Today we will look at methods by which it is possible to develop it.

Species

First, let's figure out what types exist and what the difference is between them:

• Specific action , or it is also called practical. It appears in our lives when there is a need to solve specific problems. Can be domestic or industrial. Simply put, this is what we do based on our experience, as well as our ability to understand drawings, designs and other technical details.
• Concretely figurative , or artistic. A distinctive feature is the connection to the present time, from which inspiration is drawn and ideas appear. There is also an emphasis on feelings and emotions; thanks to various experiences, a person becomes able to create.
• Verbal-logical , abstract. Thanks to him, we see the picture of the world as a whole, abstracting from details and concentrating on broad concepts. It is necessary to develop this type, first of all, because it helps us make non-standard decisions, going beyond the boundaries of everyday life and modeling the relationships between real objects and images.

Forms

In our daily lives, sometimes unconsciously, we use three forms of abstract logical thinking:

1. Concept – the ability to characterize an object according to its main features, which must be justified, using one word or phrase. For example, “night”, “cat”, “warm tea”...
2. Judgment describes processes in the world, their connections with each other, and methods of interaction. It can deny something, and vice versa, confirm it. It has two types, simple and complex. The difference is that the complex takes on a more narrative character. For example: “Snow has fallen,” and “The water in the pan has boiled, which means you can pour in the porridge.”
3. Inference – a very interesting form, really a foundation, because, based on one or several judgments, a process of summarization occurs, as a result of which a new judgment is born. It contains premises and conclusions. Example: “Winter has come, snow has fallen and it begins to get dark early.”

Signs

There are signs by which one can determine that this type of thinking predominates:

• The need to build cause-and-effect relationships;
• Clear systematization of the information received;
• In communication, the use of formulas, calculations, and any conclusions predominates; hypotheses are put forward, and skillful manipulation of words is also noted.
• High ability to summarize and analyze
• The ability to argue your opinion, justifying it logically

If the above signs are not your strong point, do not despair, because it is easy to fix, you just need to be patient, because this is a long process, but very necessary. Because with the help of abstractions and logic, we can find our truth by questioning certain information. Quickly build a chain of certain conclusions and possible solutions to problems. A person becomes able to quickly make a decision and rely on his experience without devaluing or ignoring it. And who doesn’t want to calculate options for events in advance, anticipating them?

If you want to increase your level of development, you need to find time for classes lasting an hour and a half at least several times a week. Even with a heavy workload, this is quite possible, the main thing is desire and perseverance. And within a month you will be able to notice how easier it has become to make plans, solve tasks that were not so easy to cope with before, and generally think.

This type of thinking is inherently an acquired skill, an ability. It develops only through mental work, when the brain is busy solving problems, and is not simply an innate ability, the level of which is inherited. So it’s up to you how effectively you can use the gift given by nature.

There are two most basic ways to develop it: theoretical and practical. Theory is mainly taught in higher educational institutions, where they talk about categories, laws and, accordingly, the rules of logic. If you missed these points, it wouldn’t hurt to look for the information yourself. But practice is aimed at translating the resulting theory into reality, consolidating and applying it in order to gain experience. It is ideal when a person uses these two methods in a comprehensive manner. So, directly the most relevant practical methods of development:

1.Games

Yes, having fun playing games helps keep your brain sharp.

• The most popular are considered chess, checkers and backgammon . Because you have to calculate your steps in advance, anticipating events and possible moves of the enemy. If you don't know how to play, there are many mobile applications that will help you not only learn, but also practice without wasting time in a long line or on the road.
• "Words", "Cities" ... Who doesn’t know the game where you need to make up others from the letters of a very long word? Or use a single letter to name objects that will fit in a bottle? Educate your children, because they could use not only mental development, but also information, for example, about existing cities.
• Puzzles . A very painstaking process, especially when choosing a complex picture, for example, a landscape. In fact, this method not only helps to develop logic, but also perseverance, patience, and self-control. Fine motor skills in action, attention is focused as much as possible on finding the necessary parts, while the brain “completes” possible options for those already found. If you gather him as a family, this will also be able to bring you closer, because there is no better way to improve relationships than spending time together, especially with pleasure.
• Rubik's cube , even if you cannot assemble it by color, with daily practice you can develop possible combinations.
• Poker . Just not for money, but for pleasure, making sure that gambling addiction does not appear. It helps to develop not only logic and calculate possible combinations, but also memory, attentiveness, and also such a useful skill as recognizing emotions through gestures and facial expressions. For those who have read the article, poker will be an excellent method for practicing and gaining experience.

2.Learning a foreign language

The sounds of new foreign words force our brain to work, because it is necessary to discover connections and make associations between our native speech and the one we decided to study. With this method, you, as they say, will “kill two birds with one stone” - you will improve your abstract-logical type of thinking and at the same time learn a new language.

• The best option, of course, is to attend courses, but if for some reason this is not possible, do not despair, download online applications to your phone. Learn at least 10 new words every day, and the effect will not be long in coming. I recommend reading the article because I included in it a ready-made plan for learning English on your own; all you have to do is make adjustments if necessary.
• Be sure to practice to consolidate the acquired knowledge and learn correct pronunciation. If you don’t know native speakers of the language you are studying, find communities of people on the Internet who are united by a common goal - sharing knowledge and practice.

3.Reading

We have already talked about its benefits in the article here.

• One caveat - you need to read it, analyzing every page, line and phrase. The task is not to read at speed, but to store the necessary knowledge in memory.
• Set up a game for yourself, thinking through different outcomes of events. Allow yourself to fantasize, play Sherlock Holmes.
• Focus on fiction, classics, and scientific literature, from where, among other things, you can also gain knowledge that will certainly be useful in everyday life.

4.Exercises

Modern psychology is constantly coming up with a lot of ways so that you can not only study yourself, but also advance. Take some tests more often that will motivate you to think, and at least a banal test to determine your level of intelligence. I wrote about him

• Look for some mathematical and logical problems, and take the time to solve them in your spare time. The material can be school textbooks, yours and your children's.
• Solve crosswords, puzzles, sudoku...whatever you like best and enjoy.
• An excellent way is to use online services with games to develop memory and thinking. For example this one, here is the link.

Conclusion

That's all, dear readers! As you remember, you should never stop there, and then success will definitely await you. Follow the example of people who have achieved worldwide recognition because they were able to predict and anticipate events, working hard every day. For example, you can even use the principles of such a giant You don’t have to be born a genius, it’s up to you how you organize your life and what kind of person you become. If you found the article interesting, you can add it to your social media. networks, the buttons are at the bottom. It will be useful to you, and I will be pleased that I was useful to you. Bye bye.

Hello, dear friends!

The outcome of the actions we perform depends on our way of thinking. The thought process is a deep and meaningful processing of incoming information in the form of a flow of thoughts, perception of emotional sensations and visual images.

Of course, this happens in unique and inimitable variations, degrees of immersion and passion in what is happening: the style and habit of thinking can be tied to logic and expediency, sometimes it can be complete nonsense or the standard of age-old wisdom. Ways of thinking influence a person’s development in life and, of course, his success.

Psychologists distinguish between types of thinking models based on content, namely: visual-effective type, figurative and abstract. There is also a distribution according to the nature of the tasks: a practical and theoretical way of thinking and, of course, according to the level of originality: reproductive or productive (that is, creative, non-standard) thought process that can help find.

Have you ever caught yourself thinking that depending on the situation, you use different ways to cope with a difficulty? Often people refine their particular style and develop a level of other types and ways of thinking in order to approach problem solving more effectively.

What are the most common ways of thinking?

1. Logical

Of course, this is the most popular way to get your brain working. Logic is characterized by consistent reflection on the topic of an event. As a result, conclusions follow from each other. And when all the bricks are put together, a person comprehends what is happening thanks to personal arguments.

Often this process is quite energy-intensive and takes a long period of time. The individual refers to an internal dialogue with himself, trying to calculate all the options. This skill is excellent in those aspects or skills where a person feels like a fish in water.

And at the same time, if he encounters something previously unfamiliar, then such a linear process of comprehension may be ineffective.

A universal way to achieve higher performance is to combine the advantages of different types of thinking, depending on the environment in which you find yourself and, of course, the tasks that face you.

2. Geometric

There are people who cannot concentrate their brain on a solution until they draw a scale, graph or diagram for a deeper understanding. This type of thinking is indicated by a long collection of information and is expressed by a graphic representation of the subject of reflection.

Based on the drawn elements, an individual can more specifically and easily predict the final result, make calculations, understand risks, opportunities and prospects.

Often, people who have an analytical mind resort to this method. But learning to use some of their everyday tricks isn't a bad idea! Developing a scrupulous habit of using constants, primary data and inputs, and then understanding the extent of their changes, is an important fact in avoiding strategic mistakes and strange behavior.

3. Brainstorm

This excellent technique demonstrates its strengths in solving collective problems. But once you have mastered the technique and features, you can conduct such forays into your mind in solitude and complete concentration.

It may seem to you that this is banal communication. But that's not true! This is a form of common sense, collaborative thinking, when informed people come together and, through joint brainpower, find the right solution. What's the plus, you ask?

The paradox is that the hidden and striking form of brainstorming is the power of “reasonable thought.” A person who is passionate about trying to find the perfect way to solve a given problem, due to the presence of other people in the room who are passionate about the same process, experiences an increase in performance.

The productivity of thinking increases, standards are eradicated and as a result we have pure productive thinking with a touch of creative solutions.

It is precisely because a person does not get hung up on one idea, but thinks through a whole host of moves, that space opens up for the birth of non-trivial options for implementing what is planned! This method of thinking is useful for every person to train, because brainstorming is also applicable in ordinary, everyday issues.

4. Insight or “sudden impact of an idea”

I will call this type “super speed”! Its essence lies in the very process of developing interesting finds. Insight often comes like a flash. Its effect is not long-term, but very productive.

A person in such a state sees all the smallest details of the case with which he happened to encounter. His eyes are wide open, the world is seen in a completely different light and the right decision is found instantly!

“Eureka!” he exclaims! The critical intensity of tension in the brain and the irresistible desire to find a way out of a room without corners pushes us to discover unknown facets of thinking within ourselves.

Such flashes of insight are observed not only in the work of scientists and discoverers, but also in people who find themselves in conditions that require an immediate response: a threat to life, a state of passion, etc.

It was then that he decides, running away from a pack of dogs, to jump over a two-meter fence. Adrenaline, you ask? “I don’t think he’s the only one to blame,” I’ll answer.

5. Discrete

The square-nested way of thinking has its own significant nuances. With this way of thinking, an individual thinks and acts on the principle of “hammering a nail with paper” and at the moment of working or translating a plan into reality, he is absolutely not worried about the fact that a similar action could be performed better and more efficiently.

The habit of thinking and scratching your head in this way is filled with stereotypes, cliches, and the inability to predict the result and consequences of your own actions.

6. Dialectical

The dialectical way of thinking is based on the works of ancient Greek philosophers, whose philosophy insisted that if it is necessary to achieve truth, then only by revealing contradictions in the thoughts of the enemy and overcoming them.

The eternal search for truths and the constant comparison of contradictions in one’s own judgments can confidently be called the above-mentioned way of thinking, where a problem or task acts as an adversary.

Each of us has concentrated within ourselves the fundamental principles of constructing thoughts and auxiliary ones. Methods of training gray matter are designed to ensure that a person finds new ways to achieve his highest performance and “inclusion” in the vast world.

The speed of your reaction depends on how efficiently and effectively you push it to the side at an important moment. True, creative people, on the contrary, should stick to their emotional passion, otherwise their level of motivation dries up.

Competent variation between logic and creativity, that is, what can be called the “golden mean” of common sense and the maximum of your capabilities can be called daily work on yourself, which has no end point of its development.

Friends, on this philosophical note I am forced to end today’s article.

Subscribe to my blog updates and recommend it to your friends to read. In the comments, tell us what you think? What are you guided by?

See you on the blog, bye-bye!

It is impossible to imagine a comprehensively developed person without critical thinking - an element that allows him to form his own view of things and not depend on the opinions of others. It promotes personal growth and pushes a person to develop. Analyzing a situation and choosing a solution is a personal ability, without which it is impossible to have your own opinion. How to develop critical thinking?

To learn to think critically, you need to practice all the time. You can begin to develop at any age. By training thinking, a person is able to reach a new level of development and come closer to realizing his goals.

Training your thinking and following the intended path is not as easy as it seems. But by identifying life's goals and using critical thinking to develop a plan for achieving them, a person can achieve success.

How to start developing your thinking

To train thinking, you need to allocate time that a person usually wastes. To do this, you need to analyze your daily routine. To develop thinking, time that was previously spent on:

• watching TV;
• computer games;
• social media.

The first step to developing critical thinking is to conduct analysis every day. At the end of the day, it is necessary to weigh and study the achievements made during the day. The number of misses must also be taken into account. The analysis should consist of identifying actions during which errors were made. Having identified shortcomings over the past day, you should think about how they can be eliminated. In the end, it is necessary to conclude whether what happened brought you closer to your goal or furthered you from it. Based on these simple actions, thinking will develop, which will subsequently develop into critical thinking. Records can be kept to identify repetitive activities.

You need to solve 1 problem per day. While rushing to work, on the way you need to identify some main problem and try to solve it during the day. A person should strive to obtain as much information as possible to help solve the relevant problem. To solve a problem, you need to analyze various options and choose the best one. Once you have decided on your plan of action, you need to stick to the strategy. If circumstances change while solving a problem, it is necessary to promptly make changes to the plan. In the process of solving problems, one should develop intelligence, attentiveness, and logic.

Developing critical thinking skills

Thinking skills should be approached critically. It is worth reviewing them if they lead to undesirable consequences. You need to try to think positively and avoid negative thoughts. For, a person must learn:

When deciding to develop critical thinking, a person must draw a line between inference and observation. You can't speculate without checking the information. Only if you have accurate information can you draw conclusions. At the same time, during training you should ensure that your sense of humor does not disappear. The ability to make fun of yourself and see humor in situations helps you maintain a clear mind and subtly express your opinion about an issue. But caution should be exercised if laughter is used as a psychological defense.

Skills that promote self-improvement

To learn to think critically, a person must care about everything. There are many unexplored things in life. Curiosity develops the mind. Thanks to curiosity, discoveries happen and adventures happen. One who has developed the ability to be interested in what is happening will not only develop a critical mindset, but will also make his life richer and more varied.

Every inhabitant of the modern world must develop an objective perception of information. You cannot completely trust everything that is said in the media and television advertising. It is necessary to take a sober look at reality and verify information that causes mistrust. The truth is established through thinking, and not under the influence of public opinion. Not everything assumed is true. You need to learn to resist strong emotions. When they manifest themselves, a person’s mind may be clouded.

Development of a critical mind and modern society

A person living in modern society is constantly trying to impose someone else’s opinion. You should be critical of information obtained from:

• advertising;
• the mouth of the agitators.

Information disseminated among people is not always true. You need to learn to distinguish truth from lies and not trust everything blindly.

A person must remember the prospects. Any situation must be assessed critically, and a plan of action must be thought out soberly. You should not overestimate or underestimate your self-esteem. You need to soberly understand your capabilities and act based on them. At the same time, you should engage in self-improvement. Reading books, playing sports, learning new information and learning skills can take a person to the next level. It happens that a person’s behavior is dictated by unspoken rules. Knowing them leads to making the right decisions and behavior. If you are in an unfamiliar situation or in a foreign culture, you need to be observant or ask those who are closer familiar with the situation. The unspoken rules of the modern world need to be studied.

Conversation is only an integral part of the communication that occurs every day between people. There is an exchange of non-verbal signs. It is necessary to know and be able to apply this type of communication in practice. If a person smiles sweetly and behaves friendly, but at the same time seeks to cause pain to the interlocutor when shaking hands, one should question the sincerity of this person. If the listener claims that he is interested in the story, but at the same time openly yawns and shows boredom with his entire appearance, the speaker has a good reason to doubt the words.

If a person is under pressure, then in order not to make a mistake in making a decision, you should stop and think, weighing all the pros and cons. A quick decision under someone else's pressure is not always the right one. By learning to analyze before trusting, a person will take a big step toward developing critical thinking.

Feelings and ability to think critically

To learn to think critically, a person must strive not to succumb to feelings and public opinion. Labels and stereotypes can be confusing and lead to incorrect conclusions. Before making an important decision, you should learn as much as possible about all aspects of it.

Negativity is a feeling that can confuse anyone. Often a person is too critical of himself. We must try to replace the negative with the positive. This will not only have a beneficial effect on the decision, but will also increase self-esteem.

Having embarked on the path of self-development, one should not forget about universal human feelings. You cannot judge others without understanding the specific situation and actions of another person under certain conditions. With empathy, you can make the right decision. If you judge a person without understanding the situation, you may later regret it greatly. When deciding someone's fate, you should put yourself in his place. Trying to understand By understanding other people, you can learn to think and make decisions correctly.

The facts influencing the decision must be verified repeatedly. There should be many points for analysis. If there are insufficient facts, the decision may be made incorrectly. It is necessary to obtain as much information as possible from reliable sources.

An important skill is the ability to listen. Often a person asks a question, and another simply ignores his words. Preoccupation with thoughts does not allow you to concentrate and delve into important things. This simple skill is very difficult to develop. If you listen carefully, you can get more useful and important information.

Learning to think illogically

Philosophy books describe logical thinking and also give examples of its distortion. In the modern world, creativity and originality are valued. It is necessary to understand this and soberly evaluate life examples.

When developing a critical train of thought, the 6th sense can come to the rescue. Guesses about things, events, and actions also exist on a subconscious level. Intuition is not subject to logic, but it is valuable as an adjunct in decision making.

The benefits of being a critical thinker

It is believed that critical thinking is a natural process, a normal train of thought. However, in life situations people deviate from this . To educate and develop thinking means to improve the quality of life, make the right decisions and achieve success in life. The train of thought forms the correct view of the world and develops logic.

There are many benefits to developing your mindset. These include:

• the ability to make correct conclusions;
• ability to collect necessary information;
• ability to reason and reason;
• the ability to clearly know the problem;
• ability to use ideas;
• interaction with people;
• ability to use alternative thinking.

Having developed a critical mindset, a person begins to think directionally, adjusting his conclusions. This kind of thinking differs from standards and allows you to solve complex problems.

The highest level of human knowledge is considered thinking. The development of thinking is the mental process of creating obvious, non-proving patterns of the surrounding world. This is a mental activity that has a goal, motive, actions (operations) and a result.

Development of thinking

Scientists offer several options for defining thinking:

1. The highest stage of human assimilation and processing of information, the establishment of cause-and-effect relationships between objects of reality.
2. The process of displaying the explicit properties of objects and, as a result, creating an idea of ​​the surrounding reality.
3. This is a process of cognition of reality, which is based on acquired knowledge, constant replenishment of the baggage of ideas and concepts.

Thinking is studied in several disciplines. The laws and types of thinking are considered by logic, the psychophysiological component of the process - physiology and psychology.

Thinking develops throughout a person’s life, starting from infancy. This is a consistent process of mapping the realities of reality in the human brain.

Types of human thinking

Most often, psychologists divide thinking according to content:

• visual-figurative thinking;

• abstract (verbal-logical) thinking;

• visual and effective thinking.

Visual-figurative thinking

Visual-figurative thinking involves visually solving a problem without resorting to practical actions. The right hemisphere of the brain is responsible for the development of this species.

Many people believe that visual-figurative thinking and imagination are one and the same. You are mistaken.

Thinking is based on a real process, object or action. Imagination includes the creation of a fictitious, unreal image, something that does not exist in reality.

Developed by artists, sculptors, fashion designers - people of the creative profession. They transform reality into an image, and with its help, new properties are highlighted in standard objects and non-standard combinations of things are established.

Exercises to develop visual-figurative thinking:

Question and answer

If the capital letter N from the English alphabet is turned 90 degrees, what letter will the resulting letter be?
What is the shape of a German Shepherd's ears?
How many rooms are there in the living room of your home?

Creating images

Create the image of the last family dinner. Mentally picture the event and answer the questions:

1. How many family members were present, and who was wearing what?
2. What dishes were served?
3. What was the conversation about?
4. Imagine your plate, where your hands lay, the face of a relative sitting next to you. Taste the food you ate.
5. Was the picture presented in black and white or color?
6. Describe the visual image of the room.

Description of items

Describe each item presented:

1. toothbrush;
2. pine forest;
3. sunset;
4. your bedroom;
5. drops of morning dew;
6. eagle soaring in the sky.

Imagination

Imagine Beauty, Wealth, Success.

Describe the highlighted image using two nouns, three adjectives and verbs, and one adverb.

Memories

Imagine the people you have interacted with today (or ever).

What did they look like, what were they wearing? Describe their appearance (eye color, hair color, height and build).

Verbal-logical type of thinking (Abstract thinking)

A person sees the picture as a whole, highlights only the significant qualities of the phenomenon, without noticing unimportant details that only complement the subject. This kind of thinking is well developed among physicists and chemists - people who are directly related to science.

Forms of abstract thinking

Abstract thinking has 3 forms:

• concept– objects are combined according to characteristics;

• judgment– affirmation or denial of any phenomenon or connection between objects;

• inference– conclusions based on several judgments.

An example of abstract thinking:

You have a soccer ball (you can even pick it up). What can you do with it?

Options: play football, throw a hoop, sit on it, etc. - not abstracts. But if you imagine that a good ball game will attract the attention of a coach, and you will be able to get into a famous football team... this is already transcendental, abstract thinking.

Exercises to develop abstract thinking:

"Who's the odd one out?"

From a number of words, select one or more words that do not fit the meaning:

• careful, fast, cheerful, sad;
• turkey, pigeon, crow, duck;
• Ivanov, Andryusha, Sergey, Vladimir, Inna;
• square, pointer, circle, diameter.
• plate, pan, spoon, glass, broth.

Finding differences

How are they different:

• train - plane;
• horse-sheep;
• oak-pine;
• fairy tale-poem;
• still life-portrait.

Find at least 3 differences in each pair.

Main and secondary

From a number of words, select one or two, without which the concept is impossible, cannot exist in principle.

• Game - players, penalty, cards, rules, dominoes.
• War - guns, planes, battle, soldiers, command.
• Youth – love, growth, teenager, quarrels, choice.
• Boots - heel, sole, laces, clasp, shaft.
• Barn – walls, ceiling, animals, hay, horses.
• Road - asphalt, traffic lights, traffic, cars, pedestrians.

Read the phrases backwards

• Tomorrow is the premiere of the play;
• come visit;
• let's go to the park;
• what's for lunch?

Words

In 3 minutes, write as many words as possible starting with the letter z (w, h, i)

(beetle, toad, magazine, cruelty...).

Come up with names

Come up with 3 of the most unusual male and female names.

Visual-effective thinking

It involves solving mental problems through transforming a situation that has arisen in reality. This is the very first way to process the information received.

This type of thinking actively develops in preschool children. They begin to combine various objects into a single whole, analyze and operate with them. Develops in the left hemisphere of the brain.

In an adult, this type of thinking is carried out through the transformation of practical usefulness of real objects. Visual-figurative thinking is extremely developed among people who are engaged in production work - engineers, plumbers, surgeons. When they see an object, they understand what actions need to be performed with it. People say that people in similar professions have their hands full.

Visual-figurative thinking helped ancient civilizations, for example, measure the earth, because both hands and brain are involved during the process. This is the so-called manual intelligence.

Playing chess perfectly develops visual and effective thinking.

Exercises to develop visual and effective thinking

1. The simplest, but very effective task for developing this type of thinking is collection of constructors. There should be as many parts as possible, at least 40 pieces. You can use visual instructions.
2. No less useful for the development of this type of thinking are various puzzles, puzzles. The more details there are, the better.
3. Make 2 equal triangles from 5 matches, 2 squares and 2 triangles from 7 matches.
4. Turn into a square by cutting once in a straight line, a circle, a diamond and a triangle.
5. Make a cat, a house, a tree from plasticine.
6. Without special instruments, determine the weight of the pillow you are sleeping on, all the clothes you are wearing, and the size of the room you are in.

Conclusion

Every person must develop all three types of thinking, but one type always predominates. This can be determined in childhood, while observing the child’s behavior.