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So often, what separates successful people from those who are struggling is the ability to think effectively. And as it turns out, we all have six dimensions of thinking to choose from — which means that you have six different ways to approach a problem and find a solution. This blog will teach you the basics of how this all works so that you can be more productive, get your work done faster, and be happier in both your personal and professional life.
The first dimension is called Visual Thinking. At its core, visual thinking is about understanding how to communicate your ideas effectively and efficiently through pictures. If you're an entrepreneur, consultant, or freelancer, it's not just about being able to draw a picture that someone can understand; it's about finding the best way for them to understand you.
If someone is trying to pitch you a business idea, and they have a white board with lots of bubble charts and arrows on it, that's visual thinking. Or if they're having trouble selling their website design because they can't explain to their boss why their design will improve the customer experience on the website — again, you're dealing with visual thinking.
Think about how your favorite movies are made. There are a few common techniques: they might tell a story with an elaborate timeline and character development, they might use voiceover, or they might use pre-animation to explain what's going to happen next in the scene. You see these same techniques in video games all the time — think of how you can skip a cutscene in many games by pressing a button at the right time. Or how you can skip dialogue and cut to an action scene.
Visual thinking is in the details, so exercise visual thinking when you can. When you're with your kids, don't just talk to them in words; draw pictures on the whiteboard, turn on a projector and show them a video clip, and tell them about your day by writing something down. You see, when you see pictures or write things down instead of telling your kids everything verbally in their own language, that's visual thinking.
The second dimension is called Verbal Thinking. Verbal thinking is about knowing how to explain complex ideas using words that others can understand. As a businessman or consultant, this might mean knowing the difference between "means" and "ends," or being able to describe a process effectively. As a parent, it's about explaining to your child why you're taking them on this particular trip. Or as a teacher, it's about explaining something to your students in simple terms so they can understand.
Think about how often you ask someone to explain something they've written or said. Why? Well, sometimes we just want an answer — and other times, we want them to tell us why they believe what they believe. In either case, you're asking for verbal thinking.
Verbal thinking is about the order in which you describe things to someone else — because sometimes, we need to follow the logical progression of a problem into its solution. So when you're talking to your kids about how much homework they need to do every night, or explaining that homework is going to help them learn more, or telling them what the project they're working on today will look like when they get home — you are using verbal thinking.
The third dimension is called Logical Thinking. Logical thinking is about having an insightful understanding of why other people think and act as they do. At its core, it's about knowing when people are lying to you and being able to effectively deal with that person.
Logical thinking is extremely important in business because it will tell you how a company makes money, how much money it costs to make a product, how large of a market there is for your product — and what methods the company has used to get where they are today. If you're an entrepreneur setting out to start your own company, there are enormous risks involved — but logical thinking will help you understand which ones are worth taking.
In personal relationships, logical thinking is all about recognizing lies that someone might tell you. That person might tell you that they didn't like their last job or their ex-boyfriend/girlfriend — and then you hear a different story. With logical thinking, you're able to unravel the truth for yourself.
In addition, logical thinking will help you understand marketers who are trying to sell you something — which is important when your kids are asking for new toys and gadgets on a daily basis. And it will also help you navigate the world of politics, with all of its complex side issues and beliefs; there's a reason why politicians get elected: they know how to use logic to win over an audience.
So if someone is giving you information that doesn't make sense, look at it logically. Or if someone is lying to you, think logically about what they're trying to accomplish with their words or actions. If you want to understand or figure out how someone thinks, look for logical thinking in the way that they are expressing themselves.
The fourth dimension is called Logical Thinking and Reasoning — because it integrates both verbal and visual thinking into one complete method for understanding the world. This technique allows you to compare different views of a problem and work out the strengths and weaknesses of each viewpoint.
Logical thinking works best when you use words with a defined meaning.
Conclusion
To conclude, we have four different ways of thinking: Visual Thinking, Verbal Thinking, Logical Thinking, and Logical Thinking and Reasoning. These are the four dimensions to which you can apply your own thinking to solve problems. Visual thinking is a great way to train up your creative faculties. Verbal thinking is a good way to improve communication in general: by being able to explain complex ideas in clear language, you can bridge the gap between two people who may not understand each other very well. Logical thinking is useful when learning new information or when trying to understand what someone else thinks — especially if they're being deceptive around you and don't want you to know the truth. And then, Logical Thinking and Reasoning can help you see the truth of what someone else is saying.
So whether you're looking to recognize creative ideas, solve a problem or understand what someone else means, your thinking must have these four dimensions: Visual Thinking, Verbal Thinking, Logical Thinking and Logical Thinking and Reasoning.
About the Author:
Paul A. Schumacher, author of, has been in the educational field for more than 25 years as a professor and university professor. Paul developed these four dimensions in his book, Logical Thinking & Reasoning: Developing Your Critical Thinking Skills (Routledge). He has also authored several works including: Critical Thinking for Dummies; a series of Web- based instructional videos on critical thinking; co-authored the popular book Critical Thinking for Dummies; and written articles on critical thinking, logical thinking & reasoning and critical decision making. He's also published numerous essays on logic & critical thinking on his blog http://blogs.sas.upenn.edu/paulschumacher/.
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About the Author: Bill Earley is one of the lead graphic artists for www.logicalthinkingandreasoning.com
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