How to Improve Your Thinking Skills
Summary
TLDRThis video script emphasizes the profound impact of improving our thinking skills on our lives. It posits that many limitations are self-imposed due to our understanding of the world. The script introduces strategies to enhance cognitive abilities, such as cultivating epistemic humility, practicing metacognition, leveraging the Johari window, and utilizing Socratic questioning. It underscores the importance of behavior in intelligence and encourages viewers to engage in intellectual communities to expand their understanding and improve their lives.
Takeaways
- 🧠 Our lives are shaped by our knowledge, beliefs, and values, and many limitations are self-imposed due to our understanding of the world.
- 🔒 We are not in control of many immutable characteristics like our birth circumstances, but we can control our response to them.
- 📈 The world we see is a reflection of our cognitive schemas, and our thoughts can either empower or limit us.
- 🌟 Improving our thinking skills is crucial for personal growth and can profoundly impact our lives.
- 🧬 Research into intelligence often overlooks behavior, which unlike genetics and environment, is within our control.
- 🎨 Joshua R. Stevens suggests that the opposite of an intelligent person is someone locked within their own limited understanding, highlighting the need for expanding our horizons.
- 🤔 To escape our 'idiocy,' we must reach beyond our current understanding, using tools and behaviors that promote intellectual growth.
- 🧐 Cultivating epistemic humility, practicing metacognition, and leveraging the Johari window are essential behaviors for improving our thinking skills.
- 🤓 Socratic questioning and SWAT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis are tools to challenge assumptions and develop strategies for personal development.
- 🌐 Participation in intellectual communities exposes us to diverse perspectives and encourages us to think beyond our own limitations.
- 📊 A structured diagram or 'mind map' of problems and challenges, maintained and modified over time, is a practical method to track and address our intellectual growth.
- 🎨 The speaker shares a personal update on their creative work, emphasizing the application of these principles in one's professional life.
Q & A
What is the main idea presented in the video script?
-The main idea is that our lives are shaped by our knowledge, beliefs, and values, and that we can improve our thinking skills to overcome self-imposed limitations and create a better life.
What does the term 'idioc cosm' refer to in the context of the script?
-The term 'idioc cosm' refers to the limited understanding or worldview that an individual has, which can act as a barrier to their growth and development.
How does the script suggest we can control the trajectory of our lives?
-The script suggests that we can control our response to immutable characteristics such as our birth circumstances and that we are responsible for our behavior, which in turn influences the trajectory of our lives.
What is the significance of Proverbs 23:7 in the context of the script?
-Proverbs 23:7 is used to emphasize that our thoughts shape who we are, implying that by improving our thinking, we can improve our lives.
What are the three factors typically focused on in research into intelligence according to the script?
-The three factors typically focused on are genetic, environmental, and developmental.
Why is behavior considered a missing component in the equation of intelligence in the script?
-Behavior is considered a missing component because it is within our control, unlike genetics and to some extent environment, and can be modified to enhance intelligence.
What is the goal of the video in terms of improving thinking skills?
-The goal is to encourage viewers to modify their behavior to behave more intelligently, thereby becoming more intelligent.
Who is Joshua R. Stevens and what is his contribution to the script's discussion on intelligence?
-Joshua R. Stevens is a comic book artist and is considered insightful and intelligent by the speaker. His comment about the 'idiot' being locked inside their own understanding highlights the importance of expanding one's thinking beyond current limits.
What is the Plato's Cave allegory and how does it relate to the script's message?
-Plato's Cave allegory is a story where prisoners mistake shadows for reality, illustrating the limited understanding of the world. It relates to the script's message by emphasizing the need to look beyond our current understanding to achieve a better life.
What are some of the specific behaviors and tools suggested in the script to improve thinking skills?
-The script suggests cultivating epistemic humility, practicing metacognition, leveraging the Johari window, utilizing Socratic questioning and SWAT, and participating in intellectual communities.
How does the script recommend maintaining and modifying a structured diagram of problems and challenges over time?
-The script recommends using critical thinking tools to structure the diagram, such as epistemic humility, metacognition, the Johari window, Socratic questioning, and SWAT, and to revisit and modify the diagram regularly.
Outlines
🧠 Expanding Cognitive Horizons
The first paragraph discusses the profound impact that improving our thinking skills can have on our lives. It emphasizes that individuals are often limited by their own intellect and that many limitations are self-imposed due to our understanding of the world. The script suggests that we have control over our responses to immutable characteristics and are responsible for the trajectory of our lives. It introduces the idea that our world view is a result of our cognitive schemas and that improving our thinking skills is crucial. The paragraph also touches on the three factors typically studied in intelligence—genetic, environmental, and developmental—and points out that behavior, which is within our control, is often overlooked. The goal of the video is to explore behaviors that can make us more intelligent, starting with insights from Joshua R. Stevens, a comic book artist, and moving on to discuss the concept of 'idiocy' as being locked within one's own understanding. The paragraph concludes with a reference to Plato's Cave allegory, suggesting that the primary goal is to extend our thinking beyond our current understanding.
📚 Tools for Enhancing Thought Processes
The second paragraph delves into specific strategies for improving our thinking skills. It introduces the concept of a structured diagram or 'mind map' as a method for cataloging and maintaining a record of thoughts over time. The paragraph outlines several intellectual tools and strategies for personal development, including listening and entering into true dialogue, practicing epistemic humility, metacognition, leveraging the Johari window, utilizing Socratic questioning, and SWAT analysis, and participating in intellectual communities. The importance of modifying and maintaining this diagram over time is stressed, as is the need for personal reflection and the continuous expansion of one's understanding. The paragraph concludes by reiterating the process of diagramming problems and challenges, both professional and personal, and using critical thinking tools to structure this diagram for ongoing improvement.
🎨 Artistic Endeavors and Personal Projects
The third paragraph shifts focus to the speaker's personal projects, providing an update on their work in the studio. It mentions a limited edition, signed and numbered screen print portrait of typographer Ed Benad, which is one of many projects the speaker has been working on. The paragraph serves as a brief interlude, connecting the theoretical discussion of thinking skills with the speaker's practical application of these concepts in their own creative endeavors.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Intellect
💡Self-imposed limitations
💡Cognitive schemas
💡Epistemic humility
💡Metacognition
💡Johari Window
💡Socratic questioning
💡SWOT analysis
💡Intellectual community
💡Behavioral similarities
💡Idiot cosm
Highlights
The profound impact of improving thinking skills on our lives
Individuals as prisoners to their own intellect
Limitations are often self-imposed due to our understanding of the world
Our life's trajectory is shaped by our responses to immutable characteristics
The importance of controlling our response to life's events
The world we see is a result of our cognitive schemas
Proverbs 23:7 emphasizes the power of thought in shaping who we are
The ability to improve thinking skills is crucial for personal growth
Research into intelligence often overlooks behavioral factors
Behavior is within our control unlike genetics and environment
High-performing artists and designers share behavioral similarities
The goal of behaving more intelligently to improve intelligence
Joshua R. Stevens' insight on the nature of idiocy and intelligence
Plato's Cave allegory and the need to extend our thinking beyond current limits
Tools to think better: epistemic humility, metacognition, and the Johari window
The importance of Socratic questioning and SWAT in critical thinking
Participating in intellectual communities to expand perspectives
Maintaining a structured diagram of problems and challenges over time
The process of modifying behavior and expanding understanding for a better life
Studio update and the release of a limited edition print of typographer Ed Benguiat
Transcripts
the ability to improve our thinking
skills can have a profound impact on our
lives individuals are prisoners to their
own intellect our lives are shaped by
our knowledge beliefs and values many if
not most of our limitations are
self-imposed and the result of the way
that we understand the world when we
close our eyes and open them up to a
great degree the thing that we see our
life is the result of our beliefs about
the world and about ourselves while we
can't control many of the things things
that happened to us in our lives where
we were born to which parents our race
sex the year political climate or the
culture we were born into we can control
our response to these immutable
characteristics we can control how we
respond in some very real ways we are
responsible for the trajectory of Our
Lives we are
responseable it's a statement of
objective fact to suggest that we choose
our response to the events and
circumstances of Our Lives the world we
see is the result of our cognitive
schemas Proverbs 23:7
says for as he thinketh in his heart so
is he or as a person thinketh so shall
they be we construct our lives from the
raw materials of thought and maybe more
importantly we are limited by our
thoughts this is why the ability to
improve our thinking skills is so
important important improve thinking
improve
life most Research into intelligence
focuses on three factors genetic
environmental and developmental the
component that's missing from this
equation is behavior as aead of a
graduate program I have repeatedly seen
behavioral similarities in high-
performing artists and designers I've
come to the understanding that there are
a set of behaviors of high IQ now the
important point in this is that unlike
genetics and to some degree environment
behavior is within our control we are
responsible for our Behavior we have
agency with our Behavior we can focus on
and modify our Behavior that's the goal
of this video we can be more intelligent
by behaving more
intelligently now with this in mind
let's take a look at some very specific
ideas on how to improve our thinking
skills Joshua R Stevens is a comic book
artist whose work I followed for 25
years this can't be understated that
this guy's maybe the most insightful and
intelligent person that I know there's a
link in the description below to his
work his graphic novels are killer I
would suggest that you look into
it in typical Joshua Ray fashion in one
of our many conversations he made an
off-handed and deceptively profound
comment that I've talked about many
times on this channel he made the
comment that the idiot is the person who
is locked inside of their own idioc cosm
the ID OT is a prisoner to the limits of
their understanding of their own
understanding this Insight from Joshua
is an arrow through the heart of the
issue the opposite of the intelligent
human being is the idiot this
realization helps us can help us
construct a plan a way out of idiocy in
Plato's Cave allegory prisoners are
chained to a wall in a cave and mistake
the Shadows on the wall for reality the
allegory illustrates again the of
understanding and and points to the need
to look Beyond those limits in the
allegory one escapes sees the true world
and returns to Enlighten the others who
of course resist and reject him so the
primary goal it would seem is to extend
our Thinking Beyond the limits of our
current understanding in order to make a
better life here are some tools to think
better we must above all else reach into
the unknown
unknowns now how do we do this how do we
extend our Thinking Beyond the limits of
our understanding here are the behaviors
the tools to reach outside of
ourselves I'll give a simple method to
use these actions as we step through the
video cultivate epistemic
humility practice
metacognition Leverage The Johari window
utilize Socratic questioning and
SWAT and participate in intellectual
community communities this method
depends upon you diagramming
cataloging recording and maintaining a
record of these thoughts and this
process over time how I absolutely hate
the term mind map because I think it
does a great disservice so maintain a
diagram over time a mind map a
structured diagram of your problems and
challenges over time here we can see on
the screen a digital forms that this
might take now you don't you need not
use necessarily digital tools you could
use Post-it notes a Sketchbook you could
have a wall with it on it there are many
many different ways to uh to diagram
these problems the important component
is that you need to be able to modify
and to restructure the diagram quickly
and you need to be able to maintain it
over time also there should be personal
highly personal information in in on
this diagram so you might not want to
make this something that is in a public
space you're going to use the following
strategies and intellectual tools
established intellectual tools to
structure this diagram the first and
arguably most important component in
reaching beyond our idioc cosm beyond
our own idiocy beyond our current limits
is
listening to listen is to enter into
dialogue true dialogue with others and
others ideas listening is the ability to
suspend our preconceived notions and
accept others perspectives as true the
second important component is to
practice epistemic humility to
acknowledge the limits of our knowledge
to be open to new information and
perspectives to start with the attitude
that I don't know everything to approach
discussions with
others with the understanding that you
can learn from others to try to truly
learn and to be humble
to practice metacognition we need to
regularly reflect on our thinking
process by asking ourselves questions
about how we solve problems and make
decisions now you need to Monitor and
evaluate your understanding of these
strategies and adjust them as you need
as you improve your learning and problem
solving skills metacognition literally
means thinking about thinking you need
to spend time scheduled regular time
thinking about your thinking thinking
about this process these issues and this
diagram you need to use the Johari
window in order to identify sh sh and
share your thoughts and your work and
your feelings with others to expand the
open
area seek feedback from others to reduce
your blind spots to reduce the not known
to S the unknown show your work to
others take notes and listen to what
they say listen actually listen in order
to enlarge the areas of the Johari
window that are in fact known to the
self try to break out of your own idioc
cosm five is to utilize critical
thinking tools like Socratic questioning
and SWAT with Socratic questioning we
identify our assumptions then we ask
questions that challenge these
assumptions in a in a disciplined
sequence sequence of probing questions
to use SWAT we identify and list
internal
strengths weaknesses opportunities and
threats and then we use this analysis to
develop strategies that leverage our
strengths and opportunities while
addressing weaknesses and mitigating
threats six is to participate in
intellectual communities join discussion
groups attend conferences and engage
with communities of Learners get
involved get outside of your own
perspective listen to others now the
most important component of this aside
from listening is to maintain over time
and return to and modify a structured
diagram of your problems and challenges
track these ideas over time in diagram
form so what is the process the process
is to diagram your problems both
professional and personal they are
linked they are the same thing maintain
that diagram and modify it over time and
use existing critical thinking Tools in
order to structure this diagram what are
those tools cultivate epistemic humility
practice metac cognition Leverage The
Johari window utilize Socratic
questioning and SWAT participate in
intellectual
communities through modifying our
behavior and ex expanding our
understanding Beyond ourselves we can
get smarter this translates to more
power it translates to more agency it
translates to a better life
over the course of the last couple
videos I've been asked repeatedly in the
comments for a studio update I figured I
would put this at the end of my
videos this is one just one of many
things that I have been working on this
week in the
studio uh the my uh two videos ago I
produced a video entitled I'm going to
tell you exactly how to become an
excellent designer where I recount a
story where when I was 19 years old I
met the typographer Ed benad this is a
hand pulled three-color fluorescent
ink uh screen print portrait of the
typographer Ed benat it's uh an addition
of 50 it was signed and numbered it
dropped yesterday and it is just one of
many many things that is popping in my
studio
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