Matthew Allen in his book Smart Thinking wrote: remember, smart thinking always has a social dimension: we humans are doing the reasoning. As a result, one of the key ingredients of succesfull thinking and analysis, and of the effective use of reasoning, is our own attitude. For most (if not all) of us, our knowledge will usually consist of both the basic information or 'facts' we know, as well as a framework or structure of broader ideas with which we interpret these facts. Many of us are quite capable of assimilating and 'knowing' the facts, but smart thinkers constantly asses their structures and frameworks. In the process, they develop a much deeper and more effective appreciation of situations and events. Smart thinkers can be confident in their reasoning, precisely because they do not rely on too many unexamined or unquestioned assumptions.
First of all, we should always be willing to reflect on our own views and positions - to scrutinise the way we think about the world. We might ask ourselves, from time to time:
- are my views consistent with one another
- what assumptions underpin them
- am I open to new ideas and alternative conclusions
- can I look at this issue from another perspective
We should also be constantly asking ourselves, in relation to the issues that matter to us:
- why did this happen
- what should we do next
- what does it mean
