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The
Lost Art of Thinking
William James once wrote, "A great many
people think they are
thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices." Just
because there's mental activity going on in our minds doesn't mean
we're thinking.
Having thoughts does not constitute thinking. Thinking is hard work.
Maybe that's why so few people do it.
Why don't we think more? One reason is that we're so busy doing
stuff that we don't have time to conceive, cogitate and consider.
We're used to being entertained. We're bombarded with information.
It comes at us so fast that we have little time to reflect on much
of it, if any at all.
When we read, the greatest value in reading is not the information,
but rather what we think about while we read (that's why what we
choose to read is so important). The objective is not to fill our
minds with information, but to stimulate our mind to think and to
ponder. The value of the book is increased a thousand fold if we lay
it down occasionally and contemplate what we've read and think about
what it means and how and why it might apply to us.
Clarity is power. And clarity comes from thinking. We need to think,
and think carefully about the choices and direction of our lives.
The most precious resource we have is our time. Isn't it worth
spending more of it thinking?
Think about it.
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