6 things you should do to be a great thinker

How to be a great thinker

 by Mani Jack, M.J. 

1. Be original

     It is okay to be inspired by somebody or some great individuals. However, this world is looking for originality such as Secret Recipe, Bugati, Lexus, Mcdonald, Chanel, Prada, Samsung, Apple, Huawei, Pua Kumbu, Adidas, Nike and etc.  Fake item could be popular but the popularity is temporary. If you are inspired by a great writer, try to write your own essays, novels, stories and poems by using your own unique ways. If you are inspired by  a great singer, make efforts to be better than the original singer. Otherwise every time you sing that song, people will remember the original singer instead of thinking of you. If you are inspired by a business idea, come up with your own idea which is guided by the original idea. If you are an inventor, invent something different which can be turned into an intellectual property. Originality takes time but the your name will be remembered. Being original is painful but it supports healthy competition. If you are a car maker, it is okay to be inspire by Ferrari but you must come up with your own design which is better than Ferrari or at least brand that can give nightmares to the one who creates Ferrari. It is not wrong to be inspired by the previous great individuals but that inspiration must serve only as guidelines because your hard work will be paid well. 

2. Take reading as your permanent habit. 

    Your mind and your stomach may look different by the system remains the same. If your health depends on what you eat, the quality of your mind depends on the what you read. On the other hand, if you only read the subjects that you like or know, you will never be a great thinker. Try reading something that is alien to you. Read a subject that has nothing to do with your expertise. Go for something that has almost nothing to do with your academic qualification. In other words, challenge yourself to the maximum instead of challenging others. Reading something new will melt some frozen parts in your mind as you will be very knowledgeable. All in all, if you read rubbish, you will speak and write rubbish. 

3. Question and investigate 

    If you swallow a statement or a story or a news blindly, you cannot be a great thinker. If you want to be a great thinker, question what you see, hear and read. Investigate the story or the news. Find out more about the chronology of what you heard, saw and read. When you are done questioning and investigating, you will find the best conclusion and a fair judgement. Furthermore, you might eventually know the truth and it will prevent you from being practicing prejudice. In other words, try to be skeptical. Skepticism will drive you to go deeper into that subject. When you know more about that subject, can anyone bluff you? 

4. Look at things from different perspectives. 

    If you watch a movie, don't just watch the movie for the sake of finishing the popcorn. Every great movie director has a lot critical messages that he or she wants you to understand and reflect on. These beautiful messages will make you think and they could also make you wiser. On the other hand, if somebody says something which challenges your belief or your traditional thinking method, which could be a beautiful quote or a sarcastic statement, don't be too quick to be offended. Take a deep breath and try to decipher the message of that statement. Perhaps it is never meant to hurt you but to make you think deeper. 

5. Try to love literature. 

    Literature is the garden of flowers of English language. However, the thorns are everywhere. You have to really think critically to understand every piece of the literary device. It will squeeze you dry mentally but gradually literature will make your mind sharp. Start with simple poems or short stories. After t\reading them, write your own reflections or conclusions and read more about the selected poems and short stories for comparison. 

6. Don't avoid thinking. 

    Some hate thinking because it is tiring. Based on my experiences, it is indeed very tiring but as time goes by, your mind will get used to thinking. Some avoid thinking because they are governed by the problems. If you could make enough efforts to study the cause, you will understand the effects clearly. Consequently, when you have acknowledged the cause and effect of your problem, you will start thinking of the solutions. Thinking of these solutions is very important because it can reduce your worries and fear because you have laid out a few solutions which could help you to think further on how the solutions should be carried out in the most effective manner.

If this world is out of great thinkers, creativity will die young. M.J.