Being Patient With Problems
Many concepts can be explained concisely, in simple language, and we should all strive for clarity. But the aphorism is a mistake, for a number of thoughts approximate the carpenter’s craft, and to meaningfully reveal them requires time and attention. Sometimes these cannot simply be told to another at all, they must be grown. For a topical example... See more
Simon Sarris • Long Distance Thinking
I find for myself that my first thought is never my best thought. My first thought is always someone else’s; it’s always what I’ve already heard about the subject, always the conventional wisdom. It’s only by concentrating, sticking to the question, being patient, letting all the parts of my mind come into play, that I arrive at an original idea. B... See more
Farnum Street • How to Think: The Skill You've Never Been Taught
When faced with a hard problem, your mind, as it was evolved to do, will attempt to avoid excess expenditure of energy when possible. One way it might attempt to sidestep this expenditure is by avoiding diving deeper into the problem by instead looping over and over again on what you already know about it. For example, when working on a proof, my m
... See moreCal Newport • Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World
Ideas sometimes seem to need days or weeks or months to get to a point where they feel fully formed. If you try to force a solution to a problem into a preset window of time, you will almost certainly reach a suboptimal solution.
I’ll often have ideas sitting in my focus folder for weeks or months and keep tossing thoughts into them, and then one d... See more
I’ll often have ideas sitting in my focus folder for weeks or months and keep tossing thoughts into them, and then one d... See more
Nat Eliason • The Art of Fermenting Great Ideas
In a world that constantly vies for your attention, the ability to steer and maintain your focus is akin to having a superpower. Nurturing this skill through deep thinking boosts your productivity and allows you to reclaim sovereignty over your thoughts.