The ability to think analytically and critically is crucial to being successful and fulfilling your purpose.
It’s so easy to be sidetracked by others from your purpose and goals in life.
You can also find yourself easily swayed by people unless you learn the power of analytical thinking.
Being able to think analytically about everything is a key skill on our journey of personal development.
Have you read Napoleon Hill’s Keys to Success: The 17 Principles of Personal Achievement (free pdf )? Napoleon Hill wrote the classic book Think and Grow Rich (free pdf ), which many of you have probably heard of before. If you’re not familiar with the books, I highly recommend you check them out.
You have to be very careful of which thoughts, ideas, and opinions you allow to enter your consciousness. Especially if you are making any decision that affects your life based on that information.
This is where being able to think analytically is crucial. There is a great chapter in the Keys To Success book where Napoleon Hill advises:
Accurate thinking is based on two types of reasoning:
1.Induction. This is the act of reasoning from a part to a whole, from the particular to the general, from the individual to the universal. It is based on experience and experimentation and draws conclusions from them.
2.Deduction. In this act of reasoning specific conclusions are based on general logical assumptions.
It is very important that you question assumptions and do not make false conclusions, based on inaccurate opinions. As Napoleon Hill says:
To be an accurate thinker, you must take two important steps:
1.Separate facts from opinions, fictions, unproved hypotheses, and heresay.
2.Separate facts into two categories: important and unimportant.
We are so bombarded with information every day, from such a variety of sources, that it’s very difficult sometimes to think and process the information, never-mind actually question the facts of the article or the agenda of the writer.
I know that for myself I need to work on thinking more analytically about what, exactly, is behind some of the things I read.
Does the author simply want my money? Do they want me to buy their products? Change my vote? Speak out against or for their viewpoint?
I have a tendency to take people at face value and not see that everyone has an agenda (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing). This is why it’s important to know what your purpose and goals are, so that you are not swayed and so that you can process information analytically.
Napoleon Hill offers 6 good questions that you should ask yourself when you read a book. These questions are great ones to ask yourself before you read anything (particularly on the internet and before you open your wallet to buy).
1. Is the writer a recognized authority on the subject covered?
2. Did the writer have a motive in writing the book other than imparting accurate information? What is that motive?
3. Does the writer have a profit interest in the subject matter?
4. Is the writer a person of sound judgement or a fanatic?
5. Are there easily accessible sources to check and verify the writer’s statements?
6. Do the writer’s statements harmonize with common sense and experience?
Additionally, to think analytically:
Before you accept anyone’s statements as fact, you must try to find the motive behind those statements.
You must rely upon your own judgement and be cautious no matter who is trying to influence you.
I offer a lot of book reviews on this site and I try to keep in mind what I’ve learned about thinking analytically by Napoleon Hill.
When you are able to think analytically, you are not swayed by other’s opinions or thinking. You are able to concentrate on your own purpose.
How successful are you in analytical thinking? Let us know by leaving a comment. Thanks!
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{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
seriously going to work on this, I am easily swayed by others all the time, but in one sense it helps me think out my own thought process like this blog. But, you are right we should not be sway by others, I have been doing this alot lately and I believe that is where I lost my focus. My goal this week, think for myself. what I want. Thanks so much Karen
Hi Butterfly,
It take time to shift your thinking in this way. It doesn’t happen overnight, that’s for sure. But, just being aware and analyzing the information you are taking into your consciousness in small doses can mean all the difference. I admit that I still am somewhat naive and trusting, but I have increased my analytical thinking so that now I can question the agenda or motive behind what information I read or what someone is telling me.
I should stress that having an agenda or bias is okay, as long as you know that you may be being manipulated by others. For instance, if I visit a political blog or read an economic journal, I know that the information may be slanted towards one political party than another or the economic information may be presented favouring a certain stance. It’s when things aren’t so clear that we should be viligent.
Thanks for taking the time to comment and I’m glad that you got something out of this article.
Karen
We certainly agree on this. Not using critical thinking explains a lot of things about how people make choices. In January I wrote this – Why Positive Thinking Sucks – because I believe most people do not use critical thinking.
I’m not saying replace positive thinking with gloom – I’m saying that a pollyanna isn’t seeing things realistically. We are inundated with spam, email from friends who will believe the most ridicules things and ignore common sense.
I’d rather have a healthy dose of skepticism than fail to see, as close as possible, a subjective reality. I love this quote from “You Are Not A Gadget.”
“You can believe your mind makes up the world, but a bullet will still kill you.”
Hi Hal,
Thanks so much for referring to your article. I remember reading it when you wrote it and thinking that you made some fantastic points in it.
Yes, being Pollyanna in our thinking can get us into trouble, particularly since the world does not reward such behaviour. I’m not saying go around and be distrustful or cynical of everything and everyone in the world. There’s a big difference between having rose-coloured glasses like Pollyanna and being able to think realistically and critically. Common sense is common and makes sense for a reason. More people should keep that in mind.
I like that quote.
Thanks for the comment and insights.
Karen
Karen,
I’ve read Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich and i would definitely recommend it to others. I now use it as a reference point for many personal development issues. I’ve heard about the other text but never read it. I’ll check it out later. Thanks for including a link in your post.
Analytical thinking is such a useful skill to have, in all walks of life; unfortunately it’s not one that has a great deal of emphasis placed on it. I think it’s associated with many other difficulties of learning.
Thanks for sharing such an important topic.
Regards
Paul
Paul´s last blog ..Going against the grain
Hi Paul,
Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
I agree that if you are not used to this way of thinking or are incapable of it, that it can be a challenge. Sort of like being told that there is no Easter Bunny or Tooth Fairy
But, if you don’t increase your skillset in this area then you can be taken advantage of by those people who prey on the naive and innocent. You will be swayed by so many different things that your purpose and goals in life would be in jeopardy. How do you know that you are doing something because you want to do it or because you were being manipulated by something you read or something someone told you?
I do think that it’s an important skill to have (and has Hal points out we all can use more common sense).
Thanks,
Karen
I have invested many hours on Napoleon Hill’s work and this is definitely one of the best components of his teaching. Thinking. How to think analytically is key.
Personally I give my self high marks for having overcome my lack of ability to think analytically. I was so easily swayed by every author and seminar presenter I used to hear speak. Over time, I gained experience and read lots of books that showed me the truth (at least the truth in my world) and I see things much differently now. I make fewer mistakes and I rely on my gut instincts a lot more often.
Great post
Justin Popovic´s last blog ..Use Negative Motivation to your Advantage
Hi Justin,
I know exactly what you mean. “A fool and his money are soon parted”. I have been a fool so many times, but have learned over many years not to fall for every slick marketing tactic used to separate me from my money, especially for buying books, courses, seminars, etc.
I agree that it can become easier with experience and the more you are exposed to. You can start to recognize patterns and not be easily swayed by other people’s bias or agendas.
You bring up a great point about relying on your gut (or intuition). It’s very easy to discount the feelings we get in our guts, but there’s no messing with thousands of years of evolution. Perhaps next time we will actually listen to what our gut is telliing us and start to think critically.
Thanks for dropping by.
Karen
This is how I exactly feel like attending graduate school. I should not have went and focused on what I really love to do, which is art and music. I have been swayed by so many people that I don’t even know what I should do. I read most of Think & Grow Rich, but I stopped… I need to start reading it again. I’ve purchased many books on thinking positively and now on analytical thinking. This is so much needed because society (the norm) has an agenda even the people around you manipulates you to get what they want. I am finally ackowledging this behavior pattern and now I want to have more control over my life by pushing back because I see and feel the manipulation.
I have not yet read any of Napoleon Hill’s work and I really have been dying to! This is some great motivation to get me started. Those 6 questions that you brought up are so important. Being that the internet is such a mass source of information, of course a lot of stuff is not going to be genuine and/or helpful. Always do the necessary research! I am always double and triple searching things.
Nice post Karen!
Alex´s last blog ..Can You Believe It? Chia Pets
Hi Alex,
So glad that you liked the post and are motivated to start reading Napoelon Hill. You won’t be disappointed.
Thanks,
Karen
Hi Karen, I really liked the questions you outlined. I am not very good at analytical thinking and rely a lot on my feelings/instincts/intuition. But the questions you gave can actually help activate our internal intelligence or our intuition. Especially the one about the motive. Great article and I think exactly what a lot of folks online should read.
P.S.First time on your site, I LOVE the name. Meaning is one of my “keywords”, what I strive for in everything I do.
Welcome Lana,
There’s nothing wrong with going with your feelings and intuition. There’s definitely a place where that would trump analytical thinking. But, there is also situations where the ability to think critically and objectiveless is crucial.
Thanks for the kind words.
Karen
Thanks for the post, Karen
I especially liked the part in which you have to separate facts from fiction AND separate important facts from non-important facts. Filtering is our main tool in protecting from information aggression. And I also think filtering is very sensitive to analytical thinking.
But I do think that sometimes we tend to over think things out and miss the chance to act on them.
Dragos Roua´s last blog ..The Magic Fairy Exercise
HI Dragos,
You bring up a good point about there being the tendency to over-think or be over-analytical in certain cirumstances when we should perhaps be acting. A fine balance is needed before acting too quickly and not acting at all.
Thanks for stopping by,
Karen
Before I was very easy to influence. Now I’m starting to think for myself and practice analytical thinking, though I have a long way to go. I feel that I can improve this way of accepting and processing information if I surround myself with people who have mastered these thinking skills.
Julius´s last blog ..A Day in the Life of a Person with a Cognitive Disability
Hi Julius,
Thanks for the comment and sharing what you have already learned regarding analytical thinking. You also bring up a good point about surrounding yourself with people who have this skill so that you are able to learn from them. That’s important. Being able to be in the right environment is one way to increase your skill, for sure.
Thanks,
Karen
Hi Karen,
As you say, taking people at face value is not a bad thing, but it pays to maintain a healthy scepticism I find.
I like Napoleon Hill’s writings and have long been a fan of his work. If I were drawing a ‘top 10′ books list, Think and Grow Rich would definitely be in my top 10 books of all time.
Matthew
Hi Matthew,
It would be on my Top 10 list as well.
Thanks for stopping by,
Karen
Great Read!
I was always indecisive about making choices; I could never make a choice and be satisfied with the decision. I can’t express how difficult this has made my life, but now I understand that much of my indecisiveness was due to not thinking analytically.
Thank you Karen, your work has helped me understand. I know that learning how to think analytically won’t come easy but I know through the tips given/ books, I will get there eventually.
Thanks
Cherelle