Conceptual Thinking

Written By Colēgia

As students, there are many different forms of thinking and learning. One way that students can do this is with something called conceptual thinking. Today we want to dive into this and try to understand it.

What is Conceptual Thinking?

Conceptual thinking can be defined as “the practice of connecting abstract, disparate ideas to deepen understanding, create new ideas and reflect on past decisions.” One concept that serves as the opposite to this is linear thinking. Linear thinking focuses on ideas that are connected and involve a point A to point B style of approach. While linear thinking has its uses in many areas, conceptual thinking is often needed for things that need an outside-of-the-box approach. Creative areas thrive on this form of thinking as it can help pave the way for new ideas. This type of thinking is philosophical in nature and prompts us to delve into topics that we may not typically cover in our day-to-day lives. While not every subject will require this, the skills learned from conceptual thinking can help us in many areas.

“Creative areas thrive on this form of thinking as it can help pave the way for new ideas.”

Conceptual Thinking in Your Life

In our lives, there are many instances when we can apply conceptual thinking. One way we can apply this is in areas that require awareness. While awareness can be broad, let’s consider an environmentally conscious approach to this. Too often do we find ourselves contributing to waste which can be detrimental both to ourselves and for the world around us. Finding solutions to this is one such way that conceptual thinking can help. While we don't need to do things on a wide global scale, we can start by helping in our local community. This requires a healthy balance of both convergent and divergent thinking to accompany this. Convergent thinking involves using rational thinking and having a firm foundation. Divergent thinking offers flexibility by reaching solutions with creativity and uniqueness. Applying all of these involves a healthy amount of self-awareness with knowing what you are capable of doing. Being able to critically think matters and so does taking action.

“In our lives, there are many instances when we can apply conceptual thinking.”

Using it as a Means of Self-development

Ultimately conceptual thinking can be used as a means of self-development. Many issues we may struggle with such as understanding what we want to do, or what we're passionate about can be helped with this mindset. There are several ways we can use this type of thinking practically, one of them is meditation. Meditation gives us a space to be one with our thoughts and allows us to see what we want to work on. It can help us focus on the present and in turn plan for things later in life. Journaling is another way to use conceptual thinking for self-development. Sometimes something as simple as writing down how we feel can help enlighten us as to our next course of action. While different methods work better for certain people, having a willingness to improve is one of the best ways that this type of thinking can help.

Colēgia

Colēgia

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