Why Is Deep Thinking Important?
Thinking is the starting point for all non-autonomous actions. Your quantity of valuable thoughts has a direct effect on your quantity of valuable actions. The number of thoughts it takes for a person to take action (action/thought ratio) is immeasurable due to variation, but the two will always be positively correlated (see chart).
This somewhat worthless chart assumes a 20% action/thought ratio. It is not without a point, however; more thoughts = more actions. Remember though, an action is only as good as the idea behind it. I can think of many pointless things to do very easily (scratch the wall, see how far I can throw a buckwheat pillow, etc.). So think deeply and think often!
Of course, one could conceivably sit in their room and think of ideas all their days without taking action, but that is like planting a seed in concrete. Thinking is not worthwhile unless it leads to purposeful action or a changed mindset (which ultimately results in action).
Ideas! Ideas make the world a fun place to live and thinking is how we generate them. All of the amazing inventions we enjoy today started out as thoughts and then ideas. Persistence is the next step that eventually leads to a breakthrough and a key component of successful thinking.
Thomas Edison said, “If I find 10,000 ways something won’t work, I haven’t failed. I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is just one more step forward.” Mr. Edison pointed out a very important concept here – it isn’t a one-step process. Thinking involves considering a multitude of options in order to accomplish the task at hand.
Like in Edison’s case, sometimes trial and error is the way to go, but that requires a constant stream of new ideas to try. There is also something else that makes thinking challenging…
Deep Thinking is Work
It’s not just because the infinite number of possible thoughts and ideas can overload your processor (brain). I have heard it said that the typical human will lose focus every 10 seconds. If you decide to think about a single topic, you will need to refocus continually to do it successfully.
This is what makes thinking difficult. You must consciously decide at each 10 second interval whether or not to continue thinking about the topic. If you don’t make a decision, the default decision is to lose your focus. Yes, I literally just had to refocus. If you’re not motivated or interested enough, you will move on to something else.
A great thinking exercise to try: find a peaceful area with no distractions and choose an important topic that you’d like to think about. Bring a time-keeping device and think about that topic for 10 minutes, uninterrupted.
Success will depend on each person, as attention spans are greatly varied. So start out with 10 minutes, see if you can do it, and take it from there. If you fall into the average statistic of losing focus every 10 seconds, you will have successfully refocused 60 times!
You might be surprised at the ideas you come up with and just how difficult it is to focus constantly.
Written in 2009
I can hear the smooth purr of the air conditioner in the silence of my room. I like silence because it is conducive to thinking, and I’m in love with thinking. My thoughts take me to new possibilities. Goals, dreams, and amazing ideas can be formed in a single moment just by deep, focused thinking. Thinking is also how we make these dreams reality.
In August 2008, I left the USA for the first time. I went to Ireland by myself and stayed for 4 days. It was a defining experience for me and the beginning of a dream to travel the world. It was so special because until that point I could only muse passively on the glories of international travel. I was able to visit Ireland because I thought about what I wanted to do and how to do it (research, work, save, etc. all the way up to purchasing a plane ticket and reserving a hostel in Dublin). The dream continued the next year when I spent a month in Germany with two of my closest cousins. It would have been EASY not to think about how it could be done and just assume that I’d go these places someday. Someday is how dreams stay dreams.
All that said, I don’t think enough. More commonly, I’m pouring my time into the trashcan. Sound familiar?
This is a toast to Dublin, Ireland on the top (7th) floor of the Guinness Brewery. For an entry fee, guests are able to tour the Brewery and see how the famous beer is made. Once they reach the top, they are served a complimentary Guinness from the tap with a 360 degree view of the city.
A New Way of Life
What if we thought about who we wanted to be and how to get there? What if we thought of possibilities before we’re hit with the consequences? What if we calculated the outcomes of different lifestyles and thought about our desired outcomes with great persistence?
This as a life philosophy really isn’t that hard…it merely requires focused, disciplined thinking. It applies to all of life: relationships, dreams, values, careers, health, and major decisions.
Too often we drift towards a pre-determined mold laid out for us by society. Society says if you’re in this situation, do this. Deep thinking allows us to choose what situation we’re in in the first place, and then helps us to decide what is truly best for us once we’re there.
As a child, I was put into a school system that did not teach me how to think freely and deeply, but rather to memorize these dates and follow these steps. We are so much more capable than that!
I’m not advocating detailed plans that map out an entire lifetime, for these plans will be shattered once “life happens.” General values, direction, specific goals, well-thought-out lifestyles and diets, and other important things are what I’m speaking of. The more you think about your life, the fewer unpleasant surprises you’ll experience.
Deep thought compels us to be accountable to our values (by uprooting inconsistencies) and propels us towards our dreams. Do not do what the world expects you to do. Do the things that thinking, planning, research, and your own judgment tell you to do. Cut out the distractions for a little while and think about (deep) thinking to see if it is something worth investing your time into.
You already know what I think.
Andrew Pedning March 16, 2011 at 3:12 pm
Little known fact – sguise is, in fact, a Squirrel.
I just want to say that this post, your Ireland/Germany adventures, and a blog from another photographer friend of mine, have all come together to change my life. No small feat for a cynic of my extraordinary magnitude.
sguise March 16, 2011 at 3:24 pm
I am honored! Especially because I know of your legendary cynicism, haha. With great cynicism comes great doubt about everything.
Jake D March 17, 2011 at 12:28 pm
I’ll have to think about this… (and re-focus)
Benjamin K. March 17, 2011 at 7:37 pm
One reason this article is meaningful to me is because I share your value for deep thought. However, I am glad you did not praise critical thinking without honorably mentioning its natural result of action. Being considerably more difficult, I find myself avoiding this crucial next step. The last thing I would need is more justification for sitting around thinking splendid thoughts but never realizing them. I’ll have a drink with you, to thinking and doing!
sguise March 17, 2011 at 11:34 pm
I completely agree with you. I think that some people are “action people” that need help with thinking, while others are “thinking people” that need help with action. I’m not sure which is better, because action people need the depth of thought behind their actions and thinking people aren’t taking enough action. I believe the most successful people are those who excel at both of these things.
Thinking and action should be a tandem that work harmoniously. Without each other, they are significantly weakened in meaning. You can count on me writing about action sometime. I am a huge fan of it!
sguise March 17, 2011 at 11:36 pm
Thanks for reading, Jake! I hope your thinking and refocusing is productive and meaningful.
Ray March 23, 2011 at 7:25 am
Great points, Stephen. The correlation between thought and action is fascinating. So many of us spend all of our time daydreaming and never accomplish anything. I also like what you mention about lifestyle. If you haven’t already, check out Tim Ferriss’s Four Hour Workweek. He writes a lot about choosing how you want to live your life and working toward that goal rather than some arbitrary dollar amount of wealth.
sguise March 23, 2011 at 2:08 pm
Thanks Ray, I checked out his website and blog and they are both very interesting! I know a few people that would enjoy a 4 hour work week.
I’ve been working about 70-80 hours a week on this blog (I have a lot to learn about things), but it never feels like work. So in that sense, I’m enjoying a zero-hour work week because I’m doing what I love.
As for thinking and action, I have always been a thinker…and in the past I’d just daydream like you said. Recently, that thought has been transforming into action. I do think the order needs to be right – Think, then act. Otherwise, you lack focus on what you’re trying to accomplish.
A. Irvin April 9, 2011 at 6:20 pm
I love this post and your overall zeal for deep thinking! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been told that I “think to much,” or that I “over-analyze” things (I placed those words in quotes because I don’t agree – LOL). It is refreshing to come across the writings of someone who shares my penchant for deep thought. I guess I will stick around so that we can “over-analyze” together
sguise April 10, 2011 at 2:40 am
Thank you for reading Angela! I absolutely share that penchant (good word)! Please do stick around so we can over-analyze together. I love criticism and feedback.
There may be a flaw in over-analyzing, but I love it! Deep thought is terribly underrated, and that is a big reason why this website exists. The world provides enough distractions for us to go an entire lifetime without thinking deeply – and it is truly a shame when it occurs.
Gary Taylor April 30, 2011 at 1:55 pm
Sorry. Too late to change my life. I’m three generations away from you. But you can add a little sparkle. You did this Saturday whilst I was struggling with the shallow concept of increasing blog traffic on a dang good blog (www.gendads.com). I like deep think. Comes out of the margins, margins few have left by filling every moment to the edge of the page with life and, now, cyberstuff. So, old coot here will follow and subscribe. It’ll force me to eliminate a few others just to keep a decent margin open.
sguise April 30, 2011 at 2:05 pm
I’ll add as much sparkle as I can, Gary. It may be too late to make huge sweeping changes, but isn’t change is always possible on some level? I’ve found that even small changes can produce big results. Thanks for sticking around and sharing!
Mark Fiore May 18, 2011 at 12:23 pm
Hey, Christin sent me a link to your site. Great stuff, you are a good writer…something I find very difficult. I have a few deep thinkers that I think could help you out:
Philosophy: Stefan Molyneux at Freedomain Radio, possibly the brightest guy I have ever come across…he is shockingly insightful on almost all issues
Economics: Doug Casey, Marc Faber, zerohedge.com
Politics: Lew Rockwell, Ron Paul (one of the very few honest politicians ever)
sguise May 23, 2011 at 11:29 pm
Thanks very much Mark. I will have to check these guys out.
Emma@young intellect August 8, 2011 at 4:06 am
Great article. I find the aspect that talks about – loosing focus every 60 sec. and regaining focus back 60 times.
Ranjit January 29, 2013 at 6:42 am
respected all admin and viewers of website… i really like this report of deep thinking. but i have one confusion in my mind that i want to make clear. i have some stitches on my left head part. around 7 stitches that i got in my childhood at age of 1 year. right now. i am of 23. but sometime i think that i am not able to think deep because of my head injury… so its just my false notion. i think its part of my low self esteem. guys please help me for this… what is this???
savsav March 30, 2013 at 4:34 pm
I loved this article. I’m a deep thinker myself & everything you said you do I could totally relate with. Its good to feel a little less alone in the world… (& not to mention, a little less crazy…)