Exploring Different Types of Thinking

Written By Colēgia

There are many different challenges and obstacles we will face in our lives that require us to review how we see them. Oftentimes it may need a mindset shift or seeing a different perspective to find solutions to these. Today we want to explore some different types of thinking to help with this.

Convergent Thinking

Easily one of the most common forms of thought, convergent thinking relies on finding a single answer to a problem. This is similar to “linear thinking” which relies on a point A to point B style approach for problem-solving. Logic and reasoning are at the forefront of convergent thinking as it requires using statistics and evidence from prior tests and other analytics to achieve the things you want. This is helpful as it can help us use concrete things to remove any form of vagueness for our assignments. A good example of convergent thinking is using homework assignments as a means of preparing for a test or using a study guide which will be used for a test. These are both straightforward in terms of what we need to review to improve and are common points of improvement.

“Easily one of the most common forms of thought, convergent thinking relies on finding a single answer to a problem.”

Divergent Thinking

Divergent thinking takes a different approach that relies more on non-linear thinking and embraces that some problems have multiple answers to them. This type of thinking works better in creative settings such as writing an essay where there are multiple ways to achieve a similar result. Divergent thinking is good for people who need more flexibility and options with how to do something. This is heavily dependent on being able to see other points of view as our own can only provide so much context on something. Not every problem has a clear-cut solution which is important to recognize as we need to learn how to think outside of the box for some issues. For example, accurately determining what will improve the quality of someone’s lifestyle can be hard without considering all their past experiences and what they may go through in the future.

“Divergent thinking takes a different approach that relies more on non-linear thinking and embraces that some problems have multiple answers to them.”

Lateral Thinking

While both of the prior types of thinking can be used to a great degree in their own respective situations, sometimes we need a blend of both to truly help us. Lateral thinking is the best of both worlds as it combines elements from each side to help us. There are some things that simply can't be solved with step by step reasoning but the techniques from convergent thinking can be used to help with this. Likewise, divergent thinking can be too abstract at times and not always applicable to the real world, but the creativity and flexibility from it can still be used in other areas. A good example of this would involve a type of coursework flow problem. While we can reference our past experiences, the solution may not be as simple as doing one thing differently. Sometimes we need to test out new ideas in reality while shifting our mindset along with our actions to match in a harmonious manner.

Colēgia

Colēgia

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