Chapter 7 Don't Let "Standard Answers" Confine You

The "standard answer" reflects the solidification of thinking and is also a sign of a person's laziness.In today's era, only by jumping out of the shackles of "standard answers" can we follow the pace of social development. Why does a skill or method that we are attracted to and work hard to learn when we first come into contact with it lose its magical power once we get it in real life?It's because your linear thinking blocks your creativity and inspiration. The education we have received in the past has made us accustomed to "straight-line thinking".A straight line may be said to be a logic that is arranged side by side in the order of "A→B→C→D→E".And we believe that the person who can quickly find out its connection and deduce its sequence is a smart person.

Take a look at the notebooks we have used for a long time, there are some straight lines on them.We write something along these lines.The so-called following the lines means that we write along the lines and think along the lines.As a result, we humans have created what is called a "line culture".The so-called line culture is a culture that values ​​straight thinking.Thinking in a straight line means "thinking in lines." The linear thinking we have been accustomed to for a long time has bound us unconsciously.The structure of our minds is not linear, what's more, the world we live in itself is not linear.There is not even a single thing in the world that our eyes see that can be called a straight line.

No one stipulates where we look at or observe a thing, where to start, where to see, and where to end.We often start with the parts we want to see, the parts we are interested in, or use our vision in a way that grasps the whole in a moment. The human brain is best at non-linear "visual observation".As a result of our efforts, an enormous amount of educational time has been spent teaching this brain, adapted to non-linear thinking, to think and see linearly.Therefore, there are often obstacles in the thinking process, and it is only natural that many people are still unable to adapt.However, we always believe that those who cannot think in a straight line are those who are not in line with the trend of the times and should be eliminated.What a mistake!

Straight-line thinking is the last thing to do with creative thinking.Because the straight line will constrain our unrestrained inspiration, making our thinking restricted, stereotyped and limited.We should have different views from various angles on one thing.However, because of inherent knowledge, we limit our observation angle to one point, and lose many other views and viewpoints. Knowing only a few things makes us unable to see the reality of things clearly, let alone think. If we discover new viewpoints and angles, the more we know, the more we will be restrained.The secret to creating ideas that go beyond linear thinking lies in visual thinking.We just need to change the linear way of thinking into the "visual thinking" and "spatial thinking" that human beings are always good at.

To discover anything new, one must first "observe".Through comprehensive observation, things can gradually become clear and clear.However, the tools used for observation at this time must be based on non-linear tools. Among all creatures on the earth, only human beings have the ability to think, analyze, store a large amount of knowledge, develop wisdom, evaluate, and combine knowledge in various ways.But scientists tell us that geniuses like Einstein, Socrates, and Edison used less than 10% of their brain power. Here are some ways to develop your brainpower: (1) Clear your mind.Filter out of your mind all uncertain and self-defeating thoughts.

(2) Vigilance training.Your mind grows with training, keeping your "mind radar" working. (3) Develop your understanding and allow yourself to do some new combination games. (4) "Feed" your mind.Read, listen, and observe everything, and make sure your mind has input at all times. (5) Cultivate curiosity.Ask questions about things you don't understand and develop your imagination. (6) Organize your thoughts.Practice what you already know and discover what you don't know. (7) Have an open mind and never regard any idea as useless.Listen to people who disagree with you, anyone has something for you to learn.

(8) Practice objectively, and always be willing to find out an opinion that differs from yours. (9) Train your mind to work for you.Let your mind do what you tell it to do, and when you tell it to do it. (10) Cultivate common sense, the real wisdom is to apply what you have learned.