Opening Minds By Thinking And Understanding

“What was that guy/girl thinking?”

I am sure that you have at least once wondered that question. And maybe you have judged someone in an instant. But what if we took a moment to truly understand their thoughts? The world might be a much happier place if that question were not just rhetorical. We humans are capable to think very fast. It takes milliseconds to formulate an understanding, and perhaps, reaction to incoming sensory stimulants. Recall the last time you took a second thought to act on something. If a while back is your answer, then I invite you to really think about that one occasion.

As children, we were always told by our parents what is right and what is wrong. And as we grow up, that habit of righting and wronging things became our second nature. One outstanding example is the matter of belief. We might even claim that a person has been brainwashed if they dare to state that their God exists and that their religion has a purpose. Clearly, we have not seen their God and his miracles, so it must be false. But can you prove that he did not exist throughout the universe’s vast lifetime? Instead of believing someone is wrong, it is more beneficial to remember both your belief and theirs, and that the two do not agree with each other.

Remember when I told you that thinking means getting an answer from within yourself, from each and every past experience? Then, observing a person’s past and current actions should lead you to understand their actions. And just maybe, by using that newfound context, you can shed light on how your actions might be perceived and how people will react to them. People are no longer unknown variables, they are individuals that you can collaborate and grow along. The power to move the world is then within your grasp. It is just as you found out that in order to write, you need to pick up a pen and guide it with your hand.

Have you ever justified yourself with the affirmation: “It’s right.”? But as we explored, being right or wrong sometimes does not matter. Is it not better to explore all your options and their consequences? It eliminates your hesitation and prepares you for uncontrollable factors. Instead of waiting for some unknown consequences to emerge, you actively notice what hinders you from getting your desired result and adjust your actions accordingly. Furthermore, if required, you can very naturally explain yourself to someone else: “I wanted to achieve X. The situation was Y. So I did Z.”

If you have read until this line, there must be so many things to disagree with. And frankly, I encourage you to disagree with me. If I were so perfect in my thought process, then there would be no need for anyone else besides me. On the contrary, the fact that there are so many of us proves that each existence has a meaning.

I hope I convinced you that everyone, including ourselves, is imperfect, and that those imperfections weave new possibilities from an otherwise boring world. According to the infinite monkey theorem, even an animal can write out all the truths in this universe. The more perspectives we consider, the richer our understanding becomes.

References

Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, Fast and Slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.