After understanding the pitfalls of thinking, people may consciously try to avoid falling into thinking traps during their thinking process, but still lack the thinking methods to deal with problems, thus unable to fundamentally solve the problems. This article will provide strategies to escape from these traps.
Formatting: Rebuilding the Model and Framework of Underlying Logic#
Without understanding the essence of the problem, attempting to solve the problem will only lead further astray. At this point, it is necessary to stop and rethink: "What kind of problem am I really facing now, and why is it a problem?"
If trapped in a thinking trap, the best approach is to start from scratch and rethink the problem.
Set aside "common sense," "authority," and "experience," completely disconnecting them from the problem at hand. Based on this, reorganize the background or premise of the problem and clarify the actions and measures to be taken.
In addition, all judgments are based on specific information, so it is necessary to objectively re-examine this information. Are these pieces of information facts, judgments, or opinions? Does the sender of this information have a specific purpose in conveying it? These questions must be considered.
Repeatedly Trace the Cause: Clarify the Interests behind the Problem#
Due to insufficient analysis of the root causes of the problem, people often focus on the phenomena of the problem and come up with superficial solutions. As a result, the problem seems to be solved, but it quickly reappears.
When analyzing the root causes, the technique of repeatedly asking "why" is often used, and people need to pay attention to using language correctly. In other words, when using language, be as precise as possible and do not omit subjects, predicates, objects, or modifiers.
For example, "High youth unemployment rate" is a serious problem nowadays. In this case, it is not appropriate to directly treat "high youth unemployment rate" as the problem that needs to be solved.
When facing this problem, it is necessary to accurately describe the problem. What does "young people" refer to here? "Are people under 50 considered young? Or is it people under 35?" In addition, it must be defined what "unemployment" means. "Is it considered unemployment if someone cannot find full-time employment? Or is it only considered unemployment if someone cannot find any job at all?" What does "high" mean? Can an exact value be given?
For example, we can define "young people" as "adults aged 20-35," define "unemployment" as "having the ability and willingness to work but unable to find full-time employment," and define "high" as "the unemployment rate exceeding 30% of the total labor force."
In addition, it is necessary to carefully explore the reasons behind this problem. For example, through brainstorming or researching information, we can identify six major reasons for the high youth unemployment rate:
- Unstable economic environment
- Disconnect between education and job market
- Social and policy factors
- Technological advancement and automation
- Social attitudes and employment expectations
- Regional development imbalance
Based on these six major reasons, we can further analyze them as individual problems and delve into their causes. Taking "unstable economic environment" as an example, we can analyze its causes as follows:
- Global economic fluctuations
- Public health events
- Structural economic problems
- International relations
- Technological change and innovation
By repeating this process, we can gain a deeper understanding of the problem.
Self-reflection: Calm Emotional Fluctuations and Avoid Impulsive Decisions#
It is difficult for people to avoid emotional fluctuations, but it is important not to let these fluctuations have a negative impact. Completely eliminating emotional fluctuations is extremely difficult, but the negative impact of emotional fluctuations can be minimized as much as possible.
Usually, by following the four steps below, you can significantly reduce the negative impact of emotional fluctuations on decision-making.
Step 1: Recognize that you are in an uncalm state#
Before making a decision, first determine whether you are in a calm state. If you consciously cultivate self-awareness and constantly learn to distinguish your emotional state, it will be easy to judge whether you are calm at that moment. In fact, constantly asking yourself whether you are calm can also help suppress emotional fluctuations.
Step 2: If you realize that you are not calm, do not make any decisions#
If you find that you are not calm, you should immediately stop making decisions. Making decisions in an uncalm state does not necessarily mean making wrong decisions, but there is a high possibility of bias. Therefore, when experiencing intense emotional fluctuations, avoid making particularly important decisions.
Step 3: Calm yourself down#
"Calming yourself down" is easier said than done. There is no universal remedy that works for everyone, but trying the following methods may be helpful.
When judging things, use your own objective interests as the standard. When you are in a negative emotional state, ask yourself, "Does this emotion really benefit you? Are the decisions you make in this state really correct?"
In addition, by objectively observing yourself, you can detach yourself from emotions such as anger, sadness, and frustration. The most important thing in the process of observation is to capture the information that "I am in a negative emotional state." Your goal is to objectively observe yourself, so there is no need to analyze the reasons behind it or give it any explanation or meaning.
Remember, your primary goal is to free yourself from intense emotional fluctuations and not be controlled by emotions through objective self-observation.
Regular Upgrades#
It is best to regularly examine your own environment and the surrounding circumstances. Even if we ourselves have not changed, the changes in the surrounding environment may have already solved the problem or transformed the problem itself. We cannot guarantee that the past strategies are still the optimal options.
Especially in rapidly changing fields such as information technology and its related areas, it is necessary to regularly re-examine the problems, consider the impact of new changes on your own field, and refer to practices internationally or in other companies and industries.