Thinking Skills Part 3

Ask why

There are many things you take for granted on a day to day basis. You flip a switch, and the light comes on. You turn on the faucet, and water comes out. You turn on the television, and there are 300 channels of programming awaiting your selection. These things don’t just happen, though. If there’s ever been a water main break in your area, or if the power or cable has ever gone out, you have probably realized how much you take these systems for granted.

Instead of just accepting things, make an effort to understand them. Ask why, and how, and why not. When you push the “print” button on your computer, the page comes out of your printer. How does this happen? Look inside the printer and see if you can figure it out. A new restaurant opens in your town, and it is an immediate success. Another restaurant opens down the street, and fails after six months. Why? What made one succeed and the other fail?

Don’t chalk everything up to “good luck” or “bad luck”. Things happen for a reason. Don’t just read the headlines or watch the news on television. Study events in depth to develop an understanding of the underlying causes.

Distinguish the relevant from the irrelevant

In every situation there are relevant facts, and there are meaningless ones. All too often, people fight the wrong fight, over issues that are not even relevant. One of the most effective thinking skills you can develop is the ability to recognize what is relevant and what isn’t.

Generally, something is relevant if it has some material effect on the situation at hand, and if it can be controlled or altered in some way.
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