THINK CLEARLY

Creating the life of your dreams is an exerci se i n thi nking clearly. Wr i t i n g

down goals calls for thinking preci sely about what you want. Assigning
pri orities to your goals means distingui shing between what is most essential
to your vision and what is least essential. Meeting any goal requires you
to identify plans that work and those that dont. Clear thinki ng supports each
of these skill s and countless others involved in creating the l ife of your dreams.
Take a moment to think about thinking. Sometimes thinki ng can be
logical and powerful, leadi ng to useful distinctions and clear gui deli nes
for action.
At other times, thinki ng can be confused and muddled, leaving us with
il logi cal conclusions, unsupported assertions, unworkable plans, and even
unwarranted feelings of distress. For example, if we compare our standard
of li ving only with the top 1 percent of the worl ds richest people, we might
feel poor. But if we compare our personal i ncome wi th that of most peopl e
who are alive on the planet today (and most people who ever lived), we could
see oursel ves as fabulously wealthy. The difference between these two
outcomes is not in our bank accountsits in our thinki ng.
Clear thinking has littl e to do with IQ. I nstead, clear thi nking is largely
a matter of persistencetaki ng care to make asserti ons that are clear, logi cal,
coherent, and supported by evidence.
See clear thinki ng as a ski ll that anyone can acqui re wi th practi ce.
The following suggestions offer ways to begin.
Take time to be thoughtful
When faced wi th a major choice, most peopl e see value in taking time
to reach a thoughtful decision. Faced with other issues, however, people often
take the path of least resistance and jump to the first concl usion that occurs
to them.
One example involves romanti c relationships. Most of us dont think
planning plays much of a rol e. We just wait, watch, and react. If someone we
like shows up, we start a relati onship. If not, we conti nue to wai t and watch.
An alternative is to be thoughtful and plan. You can take the ti me to
descri be the specific qualities you consider vital in the next person you come
to love. Possi bilities include financial stability, a sense of humor, and
willingness to be intimate, both physicall y and emotionall y. Even if you are
already married, you can use thi s same line of inquiry to create long-term
goals for your relationship.
Whether we face a minor question or a life-changing issue, taking time
to be thoughtful can raise the quality of our choices and our l ives.
2 2 6 F a l l i n g A w a k e
Look for errors in logic
Logic is a fiel d of study that defines princi ples for making sound statements
about the world. Experts in this fi eld l ook for fallaciesways that peopl e tri p
themselves when they start down the path toward clear thinking.
One logi cal fallacy is called either/or thinking. Many people find safety
in certai nty. They want to know once and for all that certain acti vities are
either safe or unsafe, that certain people are either friendly or unfriendly,
that certain actions are either ri ght or wrong. Thats either/or thinki ng
at work.
This kind of thinking comes at the cost of accuracy. Peopl e cannot be
accurately descri bed as all good or all bad. Most questions have multiple
answers. Few acti ons are either right or wrong in al l circumstances.
Like either/or thinki ng, g e n e r a l i z a t i o n s help us see the worl d as fami liar
and predictable. I f we knew that all border collies were friendly, we could
always relax around them. If we knew that al l people with pierced ears and
leather jackets were thieves, we could ensure that they were arrested on sight.
You can think more clearly when you see these and other general izati ons
as suspect. For example, All birds fly is a generalizati onand also untrue.
There are many exceptions to thi s generalization, includi ng penguins, which
do not fly. Looking for exceptions can save you from many errors in your
thinking and mistakes i n your behavior.
These are just two examples of fallacies in thinki ng. If you poke around
in the library for good books about logic, youll learn to recognize many more.
Examine the evidence
Human beings are notable for their ability to manufacture nonsense. Examples
come from many of the thi ngs people have bel ieved at one point or another
in human history: If we get too cl ose to the edge of the world, well fall off.
Women cannot be trusted to vote. Certain races of peopl e, due to their
genetics, are less intelligent than others.
To avoid nonsense, be alert for assertions that are offered without
evidence. Look for reliable facts, figures, and examples that support the claims
being made.
Balance logic with emotions and values
Logic is only one of several tools we can use when making choices. Other tools
include our i ntuition and deeply felt values. Relyi ng on logic alone is like trying
to play a game of golf with only a putter.
Say that youre considering i nvesting i n a new business wi th the potential
to make you a milli onai re. You can begi n by thinking logi callyreviewing
the facts, figures, marketing plans, and income projections. I f you forget
to consider these factors, you could l ose a lot of money. You can also listen
to your heart and ask whether this business is consistent with your values.
I f the bottom line adds up to fantastic profits but the product harms the
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envi ronment, then the cost to your peace of mind might far outweigh
the perceived financial benefits.
To have the life of your dreams, create specific plans with clear timelines
and logically consi stent goals. Also create a vision that inspires your passionate
commitment and leaves you feeling great about what you contribute to others.
Put it in writing
Writing is a way to become consci ous of your thinking, a way to transform
the thousands of thoughts you have every day into something that you can see.
I t takes time to write, and that fact i nvites you to go more slowly and i nquire
more full y.
Writing offers another benefit. When the products of your thinking are
sitting quietly on the page for your inspection, youll find i t easier to spot gaps
in logic, fuzzy language, and assertions that have no evidence.
As you write, remember that you can do more than simply look for
errors. You can also be creati ve and have fun. Through writing you trace the
trail of your thi nking and create a vi si ble record of your brilli ancekey ways
to promote clear thi nking.
2 2 8 F a l l i n g A w a k e
Keep looking at a controversial topic
C h o o se a co n tro versial to p ico n e th at yo u ap p ro ach with a stro n gly h eld o p in io n .
I den tify yo u r to p ic an d su m u p yo u r o p in io n in th e sp ace b elo w.
N ext, state a co n trastin g p o in t o f view o n th is issu e, even if yo u disagree with it. Fo r exam p le,
if yo u n o rm ally favo r gu n co n tro l, th en state th e p o sitio n o f th o se wh o opposegu n co n tro l.
N o w m ake a case fo r th is o p p o sin g o p in io n , n o m atter h o w stro n g yo u r disagreem en t with it.
List at least five facts, figu res, o r o th er p ieces o f eviden ce o r argu m en ts fo r it. I f yo u h ave
tro u b le co m in g u p with five item s, keep lo o kin g. D o so m e readin g o r ask o th er p eo p le
fo r th eir ideas.
Fin ally, describ e wh eth er o r n o t yo u r th in kin g o n th is issu e h as ch an ged. I f it h as n o t,
th en describ e wh at it felt like to take u p so m eo n e elses viewp o in t. I f yo u r p o sitio n regardin g
th is issu e didsh ift, th en describ e wh at yo u learn ed fro m th e exp erien ce.
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