Mind Armor: Deliberate Thinking in a Distracted World
Thinking is like a superpower. Real thinking — reflecting, connecting dots, finding patterns in scattered data, and spotting hidden connections where they seem absent. The world around us exists because of thinking. Thinking literally shapes our world.
But here’s the catch: thinking is tough, and it can be hacked.
Thinking is hard work; it actually burns calories, which is why people often outsource their thinking to others, becoming gullible and blindly following the rhetoric of politicians or influencers.
Plus, thinking can get hacked — by daydreaming, distractions, doomscrolling, and that endless search for a dopamine hit through content that doesn’t really make you think.
So, how can you become a better, more consistent thinker? Here’s my take:
- Be deliberate about thinking.
- Build firewalls against distractions and anything that hinders your thinking.
- Make time for thinking.
- Use cues that help you think, like reading or walking. It varies for different people.
- Acknowledge the constraints on thinking. You can only think for a limited amount of time each day. Build stamina but recognize your limits too.
