Think Before You Act
Many people live not with thoughts but with instincts
The ancient Greek philosopher Pythagoras said: “Consider before acting, to avoid foolishness: It is the worthless man who speaks and acts thoughtlessly.”
Humans like to do stupid things, especially in the rush of the moment. The motivation for such action comes from the animal instinct programmed into our unconscious mind at birth. The more a person matures, the better he can tame his animal instinct with his logical thoughts. But we are only humans, and sloppy actions and words are the characteristics of a man.
And one mistake can turn into eternal regret, and such things happen in real life from time to time. Only if a man knows how to think can he avoid making life-shattering mistakes.
Here is an interesting quote from Pascal, he said: “Man is but a reed, the most fragile thing in nature; but he is a thinking reed.”
In reality, many people live not with thoughts but with instincts. When they encounter problems in life, in relationships, or even at work, they will go with their instincts, which often result in the wrong, inefficient, or even repeated mistakes in dealing with problems.
As a result, not only did they offend people, but they also fell into certain distress, just like being stuck in quicksand and unable to extricate themself. If you want to have a more balanced thought process and be able to improve the efficiency and transparency of your analytical ability. You will need to exercise your thoughts.
Do these three things often, and it will create a positive impact on improving the way you think.
1) Learn to give up at the right time
“People who don’t know how to give up at the right time are actually people who don’t understand life.”
Understand that each of us can't win all the time. Just as not all desires can be satisfied, this is unrealistic and irrational. People willing to go the extra mile and who also know contentment will be better disciplined, and their lives will also improve in the process.
Pursuit is a kind of confidence, and knowing when to stop is another kind of confidence. Many people think that only those unwilling to give in, will not compromise, grit their teeth regardless of everything, and persevere to the end can be considered self-confident. But sometimes, such perseverance can lead to severe mental health issues.
It takes courage for a person to recognize his shortcoming, return to reason, compromise, or even give up. This kind of courage requires confidence. True confidence needs to be supported by thinking. This kind of mental strength can only be acquired through experience.
In this world, when our youths are becoming impetuous, what kind of attitude should we use to face such a new society? It is indeed a question that each of us needs to think deeply about. When you find your investment and sacrifices are completely out of proportion to what you get in returns, you are more likely to feel a deep sense of loss, disappointment and mental imbalance.
It could be time to remind yourself to adjust your life direction, persevere if it is needed, and give up when it warrants. Understanding gives and takes, learning to give up at the right time, and dealing with problems rationally are the yardsticks that demonstrate a person’s quality.
2) Learn to think from other angles
People who can regularly think from other angles tend to grow faster.
People can only experience and recognize problems from each other’s perspectives by overcoming their egos. By establishing a common understanding, you can flexibly switch your thinking perspective and communicate more effectively. And when you do need help, it will also be easier, and your efforts will not be wasted.
When things are going smoothly, it is difficult to find any problems, but when people are inserted into the equations, problems will emerge one after another. Everyone has cognitive blind spots; even the best person has no exception. Only when people admit to their shortcomings can they know how to deal with their weaknesses.
People who can think from another angle love to explore and make new discoveries that may turn out to be valuable.
Warren Buffett once said: “Benjamin Graham taught me to buy cheap stocks, Charlie Munger changed my mind. This is the real impact Charlie has on me, and it took a great force to move me out of Graham’s theory of limitations, and Charlie Munger’s mind was that force, and he broadened my horizons.”
Charlie Munger hopes Buffett can consider issues from multiple perspectives rather than blindly respecting a certain theory or clinging to certain ideas. It is often apparent that some problems make people feel helpless, but when they switch their thinking perspective, they are suddenly enlightened.
Anyone who understands Charlie Munger will know that this person has a wide range of interests in many fields, such as science and technology. At the same time, his interest is not superficial and shallow. He will take action to carry out research and strive to integrate and form his unique ideological system. Only when you get to know more professionals and have more contacts can your thoughts bloom bigger flowers.
3) Learn to review your memory
Just as a goldfish’s memory lasts only seven seconds, our mind can forget quickly if not strengthened. The Ebbinghaus forgetting curve theory states that people’s memory has four processes: encode, store, recognition, recall.
When we perceive something we begin to create a memory, but if this memory is not deliberately reviewed and consciously conserved, then we will find it hard to retrieve and recall, even if we manage to get some recollection, this memory would be vague and confusing.
A good memory system need not necessarily mean remembering everything in your brain; it is complemented by writing down what you want to remember. Writing down your thoughts regularly and reviewing them from time to time can cultivate a good memory system.
Only through regular reviews, will we continue to strengthen the recognition process. Just like when we suddenly remember a thought and read back from our previous writings, it will continue to strengthen and come back. So when we increase the repetition and review in conjunction with the feelings from our movement, reading, and hearing, we can improve our memory system.
Not limited to thinking, but also in recalling with the ability to fill in missing memory gaps with analytical details that will make your thought process more profound. It is true that a person with a good memory system and a deep thinking process has not only a strong personality but also an amazing character with great achievements.
Takeaways
Our minds play a big part in navigating our life, yet every so often, we rather go with impulsive instincts than logical thoughts. It is okay to go with the flow, but you must also learn to use your logical mind more often, especially for those who don’t have any lucky stars shining on them. A thoughtful mind can lead you to make better choices in future.
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Great post! Some food for thought there, for sure.
I am my own devil's advocate and can argue with myself, but at times I struggle to see other people's point of view. It is something I am working on but it can be frustrating, I will admit. This is especially true in instances where, as a rather problem-solving type of friend, my help is only met with resistance. I cannot help but despair and give up (which is not exactly what a friend should do really..).
Baby steps, I suppose!
Winston, Very nice job! D