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Mind & Brain: Thinking Patterns

 
Sarcone's Interdisciplinary Thinking Patterns

 

Multiple Patterns of Intelligence
Intelligence is a human way to defy opposing fate. Intelligence encompasses many mental abilities, it also comprehends the manner an individual relates and reacts to others. But it is above all the capacity to ask the right question to inspire the right action, in order to overcome one’s self-ambiguities and solve problems. Intelligence isn't necessarily creative, it can be destructive... For instance, too much critical thought can obfuscate other mental faculties. The contrary of intelligence is stupidity (when it is lacking) or routine (when it is underemployed). There are 4 major thinking patterns aimed to problem solving: A) Logical thinking, B) Correlative thinking, C) Lateral or Divergent thinking, D) Non-conceptual thinking (see below).

thinking pattern A
thinking pattern B

The 4 Interdisciplinary Thinking Patterns
thinking pattern C   
Even though the 4 main thinking patterns touch each other, as shown in the diagram opposite, each pattern keeps its individual operative system (sphere), because it occupies a very distinct function level.
   Shifting from one thinking level to another is like changing gear in a car while driving. In fact, changing gears allows the driver to use a quite different speed range. But one gear is not necessarily superior to another: a low gear may enable more power, while a high gear may enable more speed. The same occurs with the mind, you may sometimes swap one thinking level for another in order to speed up or slow down the mental flux. When a problem is not soluble within a particular thinking pattern/level, it makes sense to find a solution on another thinking pattern/level (cf. chapter “Cos’è in fondo la logica”, page 21, FantaLogica).

Some mental abilities involved by the 4 Thinking Patterns:

Fantasy - from Greek phantazesthai "picture to oneself" - , is the mental faculty or activity of imagining things by an individual or group, which does not correspond necessarily with reality, achievability, or esthetics but expresses certain desires or aims of its creator. Fantasy typically involves situations which are impossible and can also be of sexual nature. Philosophers assert that fantasy is what leads to artistic creation.

Invention - from Latin invenire "devise, discover, find" - is a highly creative process that depends on imagining ability and is comparable to fantasy and creativity. Invention is aimed at producing achievable and functional projects, excluding however their esthetic aspect.
Invention can be summed-up by the quote of the Hungarian physiologist Albert Szent-Gyorgyi: “... consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought”.

Creativity is a mental and social process that matches together fantasy with invention, involving the production of new ideas or concepts, or new associations of the creative mind between already existing ideas or concepts. Creativity is fueled by the process of either conscious or unconscious insight. Creativity is aimed at producing achievable and functional projects, including their esthetic aspect. Actually, from a scientific point of view, the products of creative thought should always reflect originality and appropriateness.

Imagination - from Latin imaginari "to form a mental picture to oneself, imagine, represent" -, also called the faculty of imagining, is the ability of forming, casting or make visible mental images, thoughts, sensations and concepts, in a moment when they are not perceived through perceptive senses. Imagination helps provide meaning to experience and understanding to knowledge. "I have imagination, not fantasy. Fantasy is not real. Imagination is to be able to imagine forms in three dimensions" said the architect Gaudí once. In fact, unlike fantasy, imagination allows us to see things as they really are. Imagination is a purely intellective process.

Insight (or intuition) is the unpredictable faculty to discern the true nature of a situation without the use of rational processes, but through a sudden and deep intuitive understanding. It is sometimes described as ‘eureka effect’, or called by the German term ‘Aha-Erlebnis’ (it is also known under more specific terms such as ‘epiphany’ or ‘noesis’). Insight/intuition is NOT an irrational process or some magical property that arises unbidden from the depths of our mind: it is a product of experiences (of all kinds) and intelligent design. In fact, the insight phenomenon often enough leads to unexpected discoveries or sudden realization of the solution to a problem.

Related links:
- Mind control?
- Visual memory test.
- Antistress tool.
- The basic Law of Stupidity.


Source of the test:
Fantalogica. © G. Sarcone.
You cannot reproduce any part of this page without prior written permission.
You're encouraged to expand and/or improve this article. Send your comments, feedback or suggestions to Gianni A. Sarcone. Thanks!

 

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