What is mental flexibility? It can be defined as the quality of our mind, which allows us to adapt to the world around us, to the situation. The flexibility of the mind allows us to cope with difficulties, analyze the given reality and take the necessary actions, adapt to the current state of affairs.

But it doesn't stop there. The flexibility of the mind makes us grow and move forward, learn and develop. The flexibility of the mind helps us expand our own capabilities, the way we think and the way we do our work.

Flexibility of mind and personal growth

Unleashing your potential, as well as accessing the necessary thought patterns, is a rather difficult task. Thanks to neuroscience, we know that it is easier and easier for us to develop our minds through learning than by simply trying to get rid of existing habits and established connections in the brain.

The flexibility of the mind requires us to be open and able to accept new information, as well as to be sufficiently motivated. Scientists have proven that our brain is designed in such a way that we are used to moving in a certain direction only if some kind of reward awaits us. We need to "overpower" ourselves, set ourselves the goal of "personal growth" and move towards it.

In the workplace, flexibility of mind is essential in order to adapt to the atmosphere prevailing in the company. We also need to establish new connections, find support. In order to develop the flexibility of the mind, you need to properly tune in and resort to the use of various training systems that would help develop the necessary qualities and characteristics in us.

Nowadays, most workers are moving away from classical systems and career growth schemes, they develop and use their own learning mechanisms and develop in their own interests, pursuing their goals.

Flexibility of mind and career

The concept of "eternal employee" is not dead, but it has changed very seriously in recent years. Despite the fact that today many professionals describe themselves in this way, the very idea of ​​​​a “perpetual employee” already looks like a compulsion to work not in one’s own interests, but at the request of the company (performing various projects that management sees fit).

The traditional "portrait" of the work consists of a series of assignments and awards. Tasks are performed by individual employees and have degrees of importance and responsibility. The movement from simple to more complex tasks is called career growth. It's a one-way linear path, a matrix of portfolios and ever-changing employee skill needs.

At the same time, autonomy and flexibility are now mostly valued by professionals.

It was the matrix of requirements that gave rise to the so-called "talent markets", where everyone flocks: both employees and employers. Some offer their talents and experience, while others are looking for fresh labor.

Mind Flexibility as Competence

In order for your services to always be in demand, you need to keep yourself fresh. The constant growth of the market requires constant development. Most of the necessary skills can be acquired by resorting to "microlearning", that is, the study of a single material. This training can be carried out both individually and with the help of professionals.

>Mind flexibility as a competency is a combination of openness and dexterity of the mind, which is associated with continuous actions to improve one's own skills in order to maintain their relevance. How can we develop the flexibility of the mind?

Create a growth mindset and focus not on the current job and requirements, but on the possibility of future application of skills. You need to think a few steps ahead.

Take responsibility for your own growth and professional development.

Develop your social relationships and make a series of new acquaintances with people who are better than you.

Flexibility of thinking is a rather arbitrary concept. In most cases, they talk about it when it comes to the ability to control oneself and one's thoughts, not to allow disturbing manifestations to prevail over the mind. Thinking as a cognitive process occupies an important place in the system of perception and human activity. It is thanks to thinking that a person has the opportunity to think and reason sensibly, to make plans and assumptions. The concept of flexibility suggests that a person has sufficient wisdom and prudence in order to change existing plans depending on the circumstances.

Manifestations of flexibility of thinking

It is important to know how the flexibility of thinking is expressed in a person. The presence of a reasonable approach to life is necessarily reflected in the way of thinking. The ability to clearly see the situation, to predict its development also belongs to this concept. Let us consider in more detail the signs of the presence of flexibility of thinking.

Alternative

The ability to choose between several available options, as a rule, is inherent in people with a high development of thinking. After all, you need not only to make a decision, but also to justify its correctness before your own conscience, to see additional opportunities. It should be remembered under all circumstances that alternatives always exist. It is impossible at the first failure to despair and give up. With such an approach, nothing significant can be achieved in life. In order to cope with some difficult situation, you need to look for the answer within yourself, identify significant prospects and opportunities. The need to make a choice helps to take responsibility for what is happening. Flexibility of thinking in this case is necessary in order to be able to choose between different options. People, as a rule, learn this from personal individual experience. Any development is impossible without the flexibility of thinking.

Taking responsibility

Not every individual is truly responsible for his actions. The reason for this are factors that contribute to the formation of mental relaxation, irresponsibility. It's just that a person gets used to trying not to pay attention to what is happening to her. This makes life easier, because you don't have to make any effort for important actions. It is worth noting that one who runs away from his own essence can never be happy. It's like constantly running away from your feelings, without having time to discover and realize them. True acceptance always implies full responsibility for what is happening. The ability to admit one's mistakes demonstrates the flexibility of thinking. People gradually cease to notice how much they limit themselves in making decisions. Thinking as a mental cognitive process allows you to analyze each individual situation, to derive certain benefits.

Acceptance of responsibility implies that one must learn to live in harmony with oneself and one's inner being. And how often people contradict themselves in every word, while trying to please others. This behavior is by no means flexible. Genuine thinking is hardly involved here. That is why there are so many crippled destinies and wrong choices. Thinking for the individual is really of great importance. It is important that a person in no way seek to shift his own difficulties onto others. Any problems must be solved, and any complexity has its own individual key suitable for solving. People who have actually learned to overcome life's difficulties report that they did it by taking responsibility.

Switching attention

When a person concentrates on a thought for a long time, then he has a state of concentration. Constant scrolling in the head of a situation sometimes helps to quickly find the answer, to come to the optimal solution. Sometimes an individual vision of a problem overturns consciousness, and we begin to strive for a specific result. The final choice depends entirely on the personality itself, its worldview and system of internal beliefs. But too long focusing on the problem often leads to apathy, a strong immersion in the subject of experiences. The flexibility of thinking is usually manifested in the fact that a person is able to switch from one thought to another. This is an extremely useful skill that will come in handy in any business. Any new undertaking requires mental strength, perseverance and patience from the individual. This approach allows you to protect yourself from additional experiences, from starting to feel like a loser. People who really work on their character have the ability to change the unsatisfactory circumstances of their lives.

Creativity

Creativity should be in everything. Whatever a person does, he must use his creative resources. Otherwise, his internal energy will gradually begin to fade, and it will not be possible to use it. Everyday reality is such that it constantly throws surprises at us. Sometimes these accidents are taken by surprise, baffled. Only genuine enthusiasm is able to lead forward, to reveal the existing abilities in us. The development of a person depends entirely on how she knows how to use her own endless resources. The flexibility of thinking allows you to really engage in self-improvement and at the same time remain in a significant plus. Of course, in life the one who gets used to engage in their own development, who has constructive thinking, always wins.

Thinking flexibility is a concept that is actually consistent with creativity. Creativity often becomes a manifestation of a non-standard view of things. Individual flexibility in views is inherent in everyone to one degree or another, but not everyone really pays attention to it. The fact is that a person is not always able to take responsibility for what is happening. The flexibility of thinking largely determines how much a person feels capable of influencing his life as a whole, determining the available immediate and long-term prospects.

Taking someone else's point of view

Perhaps this is the most difficult thing for a person. People are so arranged that in most cases they consider themselves right, and not their opponent. Such a worldview is dictated by the natural inner nature of each of us. This is because internal defense mechanisms are triggered. They are designed to help the individual avoid all sorts of troubles that may arise. Only genuine thinking can really lead to the good. The concept of flexibility here is defining and very significant. Real development is impossible without concessions. It begins when a person begins to realize the needs of others, and not only notices his own desires. The flexibility of thinking actually allows you to see each situation from the inside, to turn to the origins of any problem. When we accept someone else's point of view, we do not just yield to the interlocutor. In this moment, we demonstrate to the world how much true acceptance and respect means to us.

How to develop flexible thinking

The need to have flexibility of thinking does not need to be proven. The development of genuine self-respect often begins that way. It's always good to have an original approach to business. Thus, a person demonstrates his worth and can earn his own respect. Acceptance in the eyes of others also adds strength, makes it possible to feel strong and significant. How to develop flexibility of thinking? Let's try to figure it out.

Getting rid of fears

Various phobias are what really prevent a person from fully moving forward. Fears limit us in every way, contribute to the establishment of internal frameworks, from which it is impossible to break out later. It must be remembered that doubts and anxieties ruin any undertaking in the bud. To experience intense fear is tantamount to giving up any prospect at will. To achieve the desired goal, you need to forbid yourself to be afraid. In many ways, it is thanks to the flexibility of thinking that serious results can be achieved in life. When a person gets used to thinking constructively, his thinking is directed towards creation.

Ability to experiment

Most people live very limited lives and are afraid to go beyond the stereotypes invented by someone. They often do not realize how much they impoverish their lives. But in this case, development as such will be extremely difficult. A person needs to constantly experiment in order not to stop at the achieved result. There is nothing sadder than watching people give up before they get started. Having taken the first timid step, you must always continue to go further. The opportunity to conduct your own experiments is not provided everywhere and not always. However, this does not mean that it is impossible to take a closer look at the situation and draw appropriate conclusions. Developing the flexibility of thinking is a serious task that should be tried to be solved gradually.

Going beyond

It implies a real rejection of stereotypes. In most cases, this is quite difficult to do due to the fact that people feel rather constrained and limited when it is necessary to quickly make some kind of non-standard decision. Going beyond is a manifestation of the flexibility of thinking. After all, you have to master new behavior, learn the previously unknown, fight your own fear. As a rule, if all tasks are correctly formulated, then the person wins in the struggle with himself. Such an internal duel, first of all, implies the eradication of all laziness. As soon as you manage to get rid of it, it really becomes easier to breathe, think, make decisions. Rejection of the usual stereotypes really helps the development of thinking.

Belief revision

Each of us has our own life principles. They help us in making responsible decisions, often indicate the direction of movement. In order to become more loyal to some things, you need to learn how to develop an alternative view of the world in yourself. This goal cannot be achieved overnight. Sometimes it can take a lot of time and patience to fully understand the situation, to become a person who first thinks and only then does. To cultivate the necessary flexibility of thinking, you need to train a lot. The revision of significant beliefs allows you not to close yourself in the problem, but to look for real ways to solve it. Overcoming difficulties is incredibly hardening, especially when a way out of a predicament was found on your own, without anyone's help. This is where habit change matters. She can truly work miracles.

Personal development

How many people are really able to live by the voice of their own heart? Unfortunately, this is not so. To grow a true individuality in yourself, it will not be superfluous to learn to act in accordance with your conscience and destiny. You need to find a favorite thing to which you want to devote your life, to become the master of existence, and not one on which nothing depends. In many ways, creative activities help to achieve this goal. The main thing at the same time is that they like, bring tangible benefits.

Thus, the development of flexibility of thinking depends entirely on the person himself. Everyone is responsible for himself, making decisions, preparing to take some important step in life.

Considering the qualities of a person, one of the most important of them can be called thinking. After all, it is thanks to him that people solve the tasks facing them and cope with the problems that arise.

Thinking is logical and critical, analytical, creative, abstract, and sometimes flexible. The last of these species is very useful for humans. After all, having the flexibility of the mind, it is much easier to live in this world. Such a characteristic of thinking will allow you to gain the ability to adapt to absolutely any conditions and begin to benefit even from those situations that seem extremely unfavorable.

In order to be convinced of this, it is worth studying. All of them, to one degree or another, have the flexibility of the mind. This allows all the activities of these people to be incredibly effective. So the flexibility of the mind is a really useful skill to learn in order to start making logical conclusions and conclusions from your reasoning faster.

Concept definition

In psychology, the flexibility of the mind is the ability of a person to revise his decisions and conclusions when conditions change. In addition, this concept means the absence of any templates used in solving life problems, as well as preconceived opinions.

People who do not have these qualities are characterized by inertia of mind. They think and act only according to the model and are afraid of everything new.

In order to finally understand what the flexibility of the mind is, it is necessary to consider how it is expressed in a person. After all, if a person is able to reasonably approach life, then this will certainly affect the way of thinking.

Moreover, the flexibility of thinking is also the ability of a person to clearly see the current situation, as well as to predict its further development. What are the signs of the presence of such a characteristic in a person?

Alternative

This concept means the ability of an individual to make a choice between several options. The alternative, as a rule, takes place in people with a high level of development of thinking. After all, a person needs not only to make this or that decision, but to justify its correctness before his own conscience, while seeing additional opportunities.

Under any circumstances, a person must remember that there is always an alternative. That is why at the first failure you should not give up and despair. With such an approach, you will not achieve anything significant in life.

Coping with a difficult situation is often possible by looking for the answer within yourself. This will allow you to determine the most significant opportunities and prospects. The flexibility of the mind in this case will be needed to determine the most appropriate solution to the problem. As a rule, people learn this on the basis of their life experience.

Taking responsibility

Unfortunately, not everyone is capable of this. The reasons lie in those factors that contribute to the formation of irresponsibility and mental relaxation in a person. The individual gets used to the fact that he tries not to pay attention to what is happening to him. Of course, life is much easier this way. After all, you do not need to make any efforts when it is necessary to perform important actions. However, it should be borne in mind that a person who runs away from his essence will never become happy. It's like detaching from your own feelings, when you don't even have time to identify and realize them.

When taking full responsibility, a person must have the ability to admit his mistakes. This is a demonstration of the flexibility of the mind. It is worth noting that people who have learned to overcome the difficulties they encounter along the way note that it was the acceptance of responsibility that allowed them to do this.

Switching attention

A person who concentrates on a particular thought for a long time becomes concentrated. This is a state when a certain situation constantly scrolls in the head, allowing you to quickly come to the optimal solution and find the right answer. Sometimes his own vision of the problem facing the individual turns his mind, and he begins to strive to obtain a specific result. What will be the final choice of the solution in this case depends on the worldview of the individual and on the system of internal beliefs that she has. However, if you focus on one problem for a very long time, this can lead to apathy. The flexibility of thinking in this case is manifested in the ability of a person to switch, transferring attention from one thought to another. This skill is very useful. He can always come in handy. After all, any new undertaking will definitely require patience, perseverance and mental strength. At the same time, the flexibility of the mind will allow you to protect yourself from additional experiences and not feel like an ordinary loser.

creative method

The manifestation of creativity in a person should be present in everything. And this is impossible without the use of internal creative resources. If this is not the case, then the energy of the personality will gradually fade away, and in the end it will simply become impossible to apply it.

Our life is such that everyday life throws various surprises on a person from time to time. If these accidents are taken by surprise, they can lead us to a dead end. The flexibility of the mind will allow this to be prevented. In this case, it will be expressed in the problem, which will resolve emerging issues as soon as possible.

Accepting the other person's point of view

For us, this is perhaps the most difficult. After all, people are arranged in such a way that in any situation they consider only themselves to be right. Such a worldview is associated with the inner nature of a person, which includes natural defense mechanisms. All this allows the individual to avoid any troubles that arise on his way. Flexibility of thinking is what allows you to see the situation as if from the inside. In this case, a person begins to turn to the origins of the existing problem.

mental operations

What determines the flexibility of the mind? From the mental operations produced by him. They include comparison, opposition, as well as synthesis and analysis, concretization and abstraction, systematization and generalization. These elements are considered single, paired and reversible.

Consider operations:

1. Comparison. Such an operation consists in establishing the difference or similarity of the objects of thought. When comparing, a person discovers certain essential properties of phenomena and objects. According to some researchers, this is the most essential aspect of thinking. Considering objects from different points of view, a person gets the opportunity to compare and contrast their qualities in unusual, new circumstances.
2. Analysis. This process is understood as the mental division of a phenomenon or object into its component parts. Analysis helps us in our efforts to gain a deeper understanding of the subject. This requires the study of each of its parts separately. The analysis of an object can also be abstract. It is carried out to reveal the essence of a phenomenon or object.
3. Synthesis. In contrast to analysis, this process allows you to make a whole from separate parts. It is far from always possible to say what exactly is to be combined. And here you can find a close relationship between synthesis and analysis. Indeed, in order to unite something, sometimes it is necessary to understand what can make up a single whole.
4. Generalization. This process means the reduction of something particular to the general. Generalization follows the analysis of the material and the selection of the properties of individual parts by comparing them. After that, it becomes possible to determine the main and general thing that is characteristic of objects that are the material of thinking.
5. Abstraction. Such a process means the distraction of thinking from the specific sensory-figurative properties of the object or phenomenon chosen by it. It is possible only after a person excludes everything insignificant, particular and accidental.

We develop flexibility of thinking

So, we have already realized the need for such a characteristic in our life. But how to develop the flexibility of the mind? Most often, this process begins with the development of genuine self-esteem. An original approach to this matter will also be useful. All this will allow the individual to demonstrate his worth, earning respect for himself. In the eyes of others, making such a decision will also add strength and make it possible to feel significant and self-sufficient. What is good for the mind and how to develop its flexibility? Let's look into this issue.

Getting rid of fears

A variety of phobias always prevent a person from moving forward. Fears limit us so much that they contribute to the creation of some kind of internal framework, which is very difficult to break out of. It is also worth remembering that anxieties and doubts always play a negative role and can destroy any undertaking already in the bud. If a person experiences strong fear, then he will certainly give up any prospect. That is why in order to achieve the desired goal, it is necessary to stop being afraid. Only in this case will there be flexibility of thinking, which will allow you to achieve significant results in life. The personality will begin to think constructively and direct its mind towards creation.

Let's start experimenting

The life of the overwhelming majority of people is very limited by the frames of invented stereotypes, beyond which they simply do not dare. This greatly impoverishes their existence. Any action aimed at development, in this case, will be very difficult for a person. He just needs to experiment, which will allow him not to stop at the achieved result.

Sometimes it is very sad to watch those people who give up halfway, before they have even started their business properly. The one who made the first, albeit a timid step, should not stop. It is necessary to continue the steady movement forward, which will allow us to reach the intended goal.

Of course, the opportunity to conduct their own experiments is provided to a person not always and not everywhere. But this does not mean at all that he cannot take a closer look at the situation that has arisen and draw appropriate conclusions from this. Developing the flexibility of thinking is not an easy task. It needs to be solved gradually.

Going beyond

Such a process is a rejection of stereotypes. In most cases, this is not so easy to do. After all, when people are required to make some non-standard decision, they begin to feel limited and constrained. Going beyond the existing framework means the manifestation of flexibility of thinking. In this case, you will have to learn something unknown, start mastering new behavior, and also fight your own fear. With the right setting of tasks, a person is able to win this internal duel, which, first of all, involves the eradication of laziness. Getting rid of it, a person will be easier to make decisions. That is why the development of the flexibility of the mind will certainly help the rejection of stereotypes.

Rethinking Beliefs

Each person adheres to their own. They contribute to the adoption of responsible decisions, indicating the direction of movement. In order to develop the flexibility of thinking, you will need to begin to show greater loyalty to certain things. And to do this will allow an alternative vision of the world. This goal cannot be achieved quickly. Sometimes a person needs a lot of patience and time in order to start thinking right away in any situation, and only then do it.

To cultivate the flexibility of thinking in yourself, you need to train a lot, while reviewing the most significant beliefs for yourself. All this will allow you to digress a little from the problem in order to start looking for the best ways to solve it. The passage of difficulties incredibly tempers a person, especially if he himself was able to find a way out of a difficult situation. A big role here is given to changing habits. Such a move can work wonders.

We develop individuality

Not many people are guided only by their own desires and opinions. In order to develop individuality, a person will need to begin to live in harmony with his destiny and conscience. This leads to the need to find a favorite thing. The chosen occupation will allow you to become the master of your existence. The achievement of such a goal is facilitated by creative activities, which must certainly be liked and bring tangible benefits.

In addition to changing the inner vision of life, gymnastics for the mind is recommended. She is able to develop his flexibility in the same way as physical exercise strengthen our body. It only takes a few minutes a day to do mental flexibility exercises. They are the practice of very simple strategies that promote the interaction of the left and right hemispheres of our brain. This leads to the creation of new connections between neurons and gradually increases the flexibility of the mind as a whole. Does a person need such exercises or not? In order to determine the answer, it is enough to pass any test for the flexibility of thinking. The answers to the proposed questions will allow you to check the originality of thinking. But when solving the test for the flexibility of the mind, you should not immediately give up and open the right answer. It's worth thinking about, but it should be done without too much thought.

How to do gymnastics for the mind?

Dress and undress with eyes closed

This exercise is done once a day. At first glance, this task may seem rather silly.

However, its implementation contributes to:

• improving the coordination of movement;
• strengthening the relationship between the left and right hemispheres of the brain;
• development of fine motor skills.

Using Mind Maps

British scientist Tony Buzan has developed a rather simple, but at the same time effective tool that helps to release the creative potential of a person. Inspired by Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks, he created mind maps. Today, they are often included in the curriculum of many courses, and are also used by various companies and institutions to solve their problems.

Mind maps can be used to plan a career or vacation, while preparing for meetings, presentations, etc. But the most valuable quality of this tool lies in the fact that with its regular use, the brain learns to use two hemispheres at once, which develops its flexibility. .

How does it work? Let's say you've been given a task to write a review of the last movie you've seen. How will our brain work on this task? Are we going to write sequentially listing the most important points? Most probably not. As a rule, the images, key words and impressions of the film will float freely in the mind of the viewer, eventually connecting with each other. A mind map is a method that displays this process on paper. It is a graphic expression of those thought patterns that are natural to humans.

As you know, the creative process requires a balance between the production of ideas and their organization. This will allow timely selection of the most feasible and creative ideas. However, most people suffer from the fact that they try to immediately organize the ideas they have, which is to the detriment of the emergence of others. The use of mental maps is designed to free a person from such dictates. They allow you to organize all the key concepts related to a particular topic in such a way as to enable the search for associations. This is what allows the individual to become creative, and thinking - more flexible.

Determination of exact and approximate values

There are also brain games. But it should be borne in mind that improving thinking will require certain And even if the use of the simulator for the mind seems to be nothing more than an interesting pastime, then in this case, the benefits of these activities will certainly be obtained.

For the development of the brain, it will be necessary to break its habitual rhythm and provide it with new stimuli. This will help the game to determine the exact and approximate values. It should become a daily task that requires attention, calculation and calculation. For example, how many stairs are in your office? And how many people in black clothes were on the bus today? What is the value of the last two digits of the license plate of a passing car?

Studying of foreign language

What else can be done to develop the flexibility of the mind? Learning 3-5 new foreign words a day will help this process. It doesn't matter what language you choose. Such classes help to increase the linguistic potential and broaden one's horizons. At the same time, new neural tissues are being formed - an excellent cognitive reserve, which in the future will help a person to endure age-related changes in the body with dignity.

Puzzle solving

How to constantly keep your mental activity in good shape over the years? For this, there are puzzles for adults. They are logic tasks, as well as tricky, funny or difficult questions.

In order to solve puzzles for adults, a person does not need a high level of education. At the same time, such a process will be an excellent training of ingenuity and will bring the joy of achievement. Solving riddles for adults, you will need to apply non-standard thinking. This will give a wonderful impetus to the improvement of intellectual development. Subsequently, a person will begin to quickly find the optimal solution in non-standard everyday situations.

Where can I find mental flexibility puzzles? There are many books on this subject. Such literature contains many fascinating puzzles and charades, the latest tests and logical problems. One of these collections is Philip Carter's book "Develop Intelligence". There are also many other similar publications. All of them are designed for readers of different ages and allow you to activate the brain.

When we are overtaken by some problem, the first thing the brain starts to panic and signal: “Everything is lost.” But if you develop the flexibility of thinking, then you can learn to perceive any problem calmly. Here are the things to keep in mind:

We all get stuck sometimes.

Stagnation situations are inevitable. No matter how consciously you behave, how well you know how to negotiate - you will always face difficult circumstances and difficult relationships. We all have our perception gaps. No matter how flexible you think and how developed your communication skills, there will still be situations or people that you can’t handle. That is life.

- What kind of stagnant situations you find yourself in is determined by your personality.

We all have our strengths and weaknesses, shortcomings and virtues. Therefore, some situations may seem difficult to you, despite the fact that others cope with them without problems. Do not judge yourself, rather try to develop the appropriate mental and emotional "muscles".

- You may not immediately understand what, in fact, is the matter.

In a stagnant situation, by definition, you cannot (for the time being) change anything. Finding a way out of it is not at all the same as solving an equation.

In a mathematical problem, everything is clear. Each symbol has a specific meaning, all the necessary information is given in the conditions, and you know what operations to perform. But in a stagnant situation, you have to spend a lot of time and effort just to find out what the task itself is. You will have to unravel many threads in relationships, consider the situation from different angles, identify the main ones among the endless external factors, and so on.

- The problem does not always have a clear and objectively correct solution.

I repeat that getting out of a stagnant situation is not like solving a mathematical problem in which there is only one correct answer. There is no single “correct” way to deal with a situation. Don't be discouraged if, after you figure out what the problem is, it takes you a while to find a solution.

- Flexible thinking allows you to find multiple options.

If you lose your balance, the flexibility of your mind will help you find it again. By slowing down the course of events and using the flexibility of thinking, you will gain new strength in order to correct the situation on your own or with outside help. One of the advantages of looking at a situation from different, perhaps even mutually exclusive, positions is that it makes it possible to discover different solutions. Role play, in turn, will help clarify the question of which path to take.

- If you accept for a while someone else's point of view, this does not mean that you should abandon your own.

Whether you are the type of person who clings to their position with tenacity worthy of a better use, someone who is too easily swayed to the other side, or you are somewhere in between the two extremes, try to switch between his own version and the versions of other participants in the situation.

- The decision should be tailored to your personal characteristics.

Once you use the flexibility of your mind and choose a course of action, you have to put the decision into practice, while remaining yourself. You can draw strength from the support and advice of other people, but in order to succeed, your words and actions must come from within.

- There is always a way out.

We encounter difficulties, and this is inevitable, but we do not have to endure a situation that does not suit us. By using the flexibility of thinking, you, even unilaterally, can either establish a constructive dialogue, or accept the status quo, or decide that the best option is to leave the situation.

- Skill comes with experience.

It is very useful to train the flexibility of thinking, sometimes it allows you to completely avoid stagnant situations. If some situations are still difficult for you, work hard on them and constantly train your flexibility of thinking. This reduces the time you spend in a stagnant situation and helps you move in the right direction.

Mind flexibility. Analysis and synthesis

switch way

Look at the image below.

Try to see how the whole is made up of simpler forms.

Mind racing

All people see the same objects, but understand them differently.

The intellect is a language that discerns by tasting.

Thomas Tragern, poet

In isolating a certain thought from the thick fog of layers of visual images, sounds, aromas and tastes - from all that makes up our life, we usually use two qualities of the mind: the ability to analyze and the ability to synthesize. Analysis is the division of a big idea into smaller ones. When you analyze family ties between people, try to determine the degree of risk in a business, or predict the outcome of a baseball game, you are looking at the whole, breaking it down into its parts. Synthesis - back side analysis is a combination of a large amount of information based on a certain principle. When you summarize everything you know about the economy of a country, when you think about what gravity is, when you decide whether your life is going in the right direction, you group pieces of information, revealing certain patterns, the interconnection of events, the reasons underlying certain phenomena, - everything that in one way or another relates to the problem facing you and can explain the picture as a whole.

Now look again at the picture on the next page. What do you think you should do to understand it? First, divide the pattern into its components, focusing on only one type of shape: first the stars, then the triangles, the hexagons, and finally the pentagons. Notice how each of these shapes fit together with the others. View all segments of the polylines, trace how they go through the entire drawing, and you will understand how the boundaries of the contours are located. Then reflect on the principles by which this drawing was formed. Look for a plan according to which the parts are connected to one another into a single whole, look for a pattern in the arrangement of lines. After you do this, ask yourself if you can recreate this drawing.

Life can be excitingly complex and chaotic. Realizing this, we try to sort our thoughts into certain categories. We place mental brackets in the material of our life experience.

AN EXERCISE.

Describe what you look like.

Analysis is the process of identifying distinctive features. Describing your own appearance, you mentally divide your body into separate parts and then characterize each of them. You can start by describing facial features, body type, and then move on to details such as hair color, skin color, eye color, hand size, face roundness, forehead width, lip swelling, nose or chin shape. However, if the sequence of the description is not determined in advance, then it will be done randomly and consist of separate unrelated remarks.

By the way, if you ask five people to describe your appearance, it is possible that you will receive five different descriptions. Everyone will interpret your appearance in their own way, based on their own standards. One will see your nose as oversized, the other as hooked. This is why the testimony of witnesses is so often contradictory.

In many professions (cook, jewel appraiser, wine taster...) to become a true master of their craft, it is necessary to master the art of classification. An intellectually developed person usually knows what he should pay attention to and what to ignore. A person who does not train his mind will look at a tree and say, "tree." A person with a developed intellect, with a mind capable of perceiving nuances, looking at the same tree, will discern the shape of the leaves, the color of the bark, the proportions of the parts, determine the species of the tree, its age, understand whether it is sick or healthy.

Problems appear when we become mentally lazy. We usually limit ourselves to classifying things only into things we like and things we don't like. We look at things too simply. But it is the ability to assess the phenomenon from different points of view helps to make the right decisions. But very often we become numb and simply forget that everything is in our hands, that we ourselves create our life experience. Change your mindset and you will enrich your life.

A good technique for the exercise of analytical abilities and the development of observation is an experiment with the classification of the same object from different positions. Look around the room and select an object. It can be a chair, a shoe or a leather bag. Look at the selected object and evaluate it from the following points of view:

Origin.

Material.

current usage.

For example, if you look at a chair, you will probably notice some characteristic detail that suggests how this chair was made. Change the setting and you will see the material the chair is made of. Try to think about what could have happened to the chair until now, and you will surely find a clue to its past - traces of dog teeth, some stains, cracks, scratches. Take a look at the use of the chair at the moment, and it is likely that your thoughts will take a philosophical direction. You can think about the many ways in which a chair can be used - after all, it can serve as more than just a place to sit. And finally, imagine that you are able to look into the future of the chair, and then in the environment you will find outlines of what could happen.

Over time, if you start practicing in this way, you will see that even everyday, eye-sore things - an ironing board, dusty old sneakers, a garden path - can become attractive, charming. If you start thinking in new directions, this will lead to the fact that the number of these directions will constantly increase.

Discovering patterns

To know the truth, you need to know the reasons.

Francis Bacon, scientist and philosopher

AN EXERCISE.

Which letter should be next in this sequence:

O D T W P W S...

An important feature of our intellect is the ability to establish relationships, to find patterns. After analyzing the statistics of the distribution of dominant and recessive traits in hybrids of the first and second generations, Gregor Mendel developed the foundations of genetics. Charles Darwin saw the correspondence of the physiology and behavior of living beings to the conditions of their life, which led him to formulate the theory of evolution. Georg Hubble discovered a linear relationship between the speed of removal of galaxies from the Earth and the distances to them, and based on this he concluded that the Universe is expanding. Dmitri Mendeleev discovered the relationship between the atomic weight of elements and their chemical properties and formulated the periodic law, which contributed to the development of atomic theory.

In order to solve the problem proposed above, you need to understand what unites these letters. You can check the place of the letters in the alphabet, the shape of the letters, you can figure this way and that, and in the end it will dawn on you - the sequence represents the first letters of the words one, two, three, four ... So the next letter will be B.

AN EXERCISE.

Look at the picture and say which figure is missing here.

If you answer that it is a circle, then you have noticed that this is the only figure that does not have straight lines. But if you decide that the square is superfluous, the answer will also be correct, since it is the only figure here that has four right angles. If it seems to you that a triangle does not fit into this company, then you are also right - this is the only non-symmetrical object. The sector, in turn, is the only one of all shapes that contains both straight lines and curves. And finally, the remaining figure is the only one that has a notch. In short, each of the figures is somehow different from all the others. But at the same time, they all equally have features that unite them.

The ability to find patterns in everything is one of the main qualities of our intellect. It is this ability that gives us the opportunity to determine the facial expression of the interlocutor, to understand that we are listening to Wagner, to recognize a friend from a distance by their gait. Our tendency to formulate opinions and generalize is also a consequence of our desire to see the world obeying certain patterns.

ADVICE.

The correct answer depends on what you are looking for.

Analytical exercises

Separation

In how many ways can you divide a square into four equal parts? Try to find ten different ways.

Criticism

If you were a critic, what criteria would you use to judge the quality of a musical recording? Most likely you would consider several relevant factors: the quality of the playing, the quality of the recording, the emotional impact, the lyricism, the musical arrangement.

What criteria would you use when evaluating: a movie, a TV show, contemporary art, white wine, a fashion collection, potato chips, cars, emeralds.

selective attention

The next time you listen to a symphony, try to listen to only one instrument of your choice. For a long time, try to focus all your attention only on him.

The next time you dine, consider what you are eating. Count the calories you eat. Try to identify each component of food by taste, by smell, by appearance, try to determine what it is made of. Think about the “history” of food and try to guess what led up to it being on your table.

From what points of view can the human body be analyzed? Consider the functional systems of the human body, morphological structures, levels of organization and development.

Extend the lists of the following items and concepts combined into one category:

Food: fruits, meats, proteins, carbohydrates...

Sciences: physics, paleontology, pseudoscience...

Music: rock, classical, musical instruments, show business...

Jurisprudence: court, investigation, police, sentence...

Subsequence

Another kind of analysis is the division of a large and complex plan into a series of simple actions. Describe in detail the steps you need to take to complete the projects below. Make a list of alternatives in case things don't go according to plan:

Purchase and operation of a personal computer.

Investing money in real estate.

Fur seal training.

Take a trip to Timbuktu.

Learn the Farsi language.

Become an illuminator in a rock band.

Build an extension to your house.

Make a hunting knife.

Change the electrical wiring in the house.

Build a new bath in the house.

Organize vaccination in third world countries.

Publish a new newspaper.

Open a French restaurant.

Proportions

What is the ratio in your body of substances - solid, liquid and gaseous?

What part of the day do you spend alone?

How much of your time do you spend eating, sleeping, relaxing, working, playing, thinking?

What is the ratio of clear, cloudy and rainy days per year?

How much of your money is spent on far-reaching goals? To receive guests? For gifts?

How much time do you spend sitting cross-legged?

How many of the books you read are novels? Popular science works? Historical stories? Drama?

Point of view

To learn how to interpret events and phenomena more flexibly, practice considering the situation from different points of view. In the scenarios below, try putting yourself in each character's shoes in turn.

You just found out that your teenage son has a drug problem. Look at the situation from your son's point of view. your parents. Your son's best friend. His teachers. His younger sister. Drug dealer.

A single mother, trying to make ends meet, tried to steal an emerald necklace from a store. Look at the situation from the woman's point of view. Policeman. Shop owner. Schoolboy son. How would the situation change if a woman tried to steal a loaf of bread? Someone else's wallet?

The workers' union is going on strike. Consider the situation from the Union leader's point of view. Its ordinary members. Company owner. Workers who do not support the strikers.

You see a group of Hare Krishnas singing and dancing on the main street of the city. What feelings do you experience? How do you think the youngest Hare Krishna feels? His parents? Their teacher?

You see someone tossing a candy wrapper onto the sidewalk. Look at the situation through the eyes of a street cleaner. Candy store owner. Candy factory manager

You see an old man trying to get on the bus. Assess the situation from the point of view of the bus driver. old man. A young man in the crowd of passengers storming this bus.

Assumptions

Another facet of analysis is the ability to determine: a lot or a little, fast or slow. In everyday situations, the processing of information that we receive is usually based on such assessments. Practice your ability to make accurate judgments. Try to determine the following:

Time

How long does it take to wash dishes?

How long does it take to fill the tank of your car with gasoline?

How long will it take to read this book?

How long will it take to whitewash your ceiling?

How long does it take to take a shower?

How long does it take from the moment you get out of bed to the moment you leave the house?

Distance

How far from your eyes is your left index finger?

How far is the nearest nuclear power plant from you?

How far will you walk in your ten average steps?

How far is it from where you are to India? To Sweden? To the Galapagos Islands?

How much does a dandelion leaf weigh?

How many chicken eggs do you need to take so that their weight is equal to the weight of the car?

How much does the air weigh in the room where you are?

How much does your head weigh? your left hand? Leg?

How much water do you consume during the year? How much sugar? How much salt?

Dimensions

What are the dimensions of the rooms in your apartment?

What are the dimensions of your kitchen table? Chairs? Windows?

What are the main parameters - height, weight, clothing sizes - of your wife or spouse?

What is the size of a red blood cell, a carbon atom, the sun, a protein molecule, a computer processor, a virus, a dinosaur, our galaxy?

Accident of truth

Consider the statements below. First assume that they are true, and justify this by giving three possible explanations. Then assume that they are false, and now formulate three reasons for their falsehood.

More often than on other days of the week, murders occur on Sundays.

Our fate is affected by the position of the planets at the time of birth.

Man is descended from apes.

TV is chewing gum for the eyes.

All people are a little crazy.

There is harmful.

Holding back negative emotions is dangerous.

back side

As a rule, our tendency to label all events as "bad" or "good" leads to the fact that our behavior becomes patterned and predictable. Try to drop these labels and evaluate some events from a different point of view.

You have been burned with an iron. Write down five possible positive consequences of this event.

You won a million dollars. Write down five possible bad consequences of winning.

You have just crossed a line that should not have been crossed. What good can it bring?

Your performance on the radio caused a response of admiration. What's wrong with that?

Continue Sequence

A, D, D, E, I...

I30, I31, A31, C30, O31, H30...

3 1 4 1 5 9 2 6 5 3...

Y C U K E...

So, synthesis is the ability to summarize pieces of information. A good way to increase your skill is to train to keep fit. Try to solve the following problems by establishing connections between facts.

Guy and Davy are the same age. Guy is older than Levi, who in turn is older than Tom. Dick is older than Tom, but younger than Guy and Levi. Davy is younger than Harry. How to arrange the boys in order of seniority?

Tom will be twice as old as Dick when Harry is the same age as Tom is now.

Which boy is older?

Who is the youngest?

Who is average?

Tired of disputes and the summer heat, the three ancient Greek sages sat down to rest under a tree in the garden of the Academy and fell asleep. While they slept, the pranksters smeared their foreheads with charcoal. Waking up and looking at each other, everyone was in a cheerful mood and began to laugh, but this did not disturb anyone, since it seemed natural to everyone that the other two laugh at each other.

Suddenly one of the sages stopped laughing as he realized that his own forehead was also stained. Where did he get it from?

One and a half hens lay one and a half eggs in a day and a half. How many hens that lay one and a half times better do they need to lay a dozen and a half eggs in a decade and a half?

Alternative explanations

A good way to keep the "synthesis muscles" in shape is to constantly make assumptions in a given situation, what is really going on. For example, this week your phone never rang. You might assume that it's because you don't call anyone yourself, or that all your friends are sick, or that the line was completely full, and so on.

Consider the following situations:

Someone in the office suddenly takes an increased interest in you.

Unnaturally calm around this morning.

Your legs are stiff in the morning.

You had an unusually optimistic dream.

Looking for Evidence

AN EXERCISE.

You've been told that gray-faced cards have a circle on the back. You have four cards in front of you, two face up and two face down. What is the minimum number of cards you must turn over to check whether the statement that all gray cards have circles on the back is false or true?

The correct answer is two cards. You must turn over a card that has a gray face and a card that has a square. If the back of the gray card is a circle, the rule is confirmed. If not, the rule is false. But this will not give you a conclusive proof of the truth of the statement. You should look at the back of the card with the square. If its face is gray, then the assumed rule is false, because you have found a gray card that does not have a circle on the back. If it is a black card or something else, then the rule remains in effect.

A simple card trick illustrates the tendencies we exhibit when looking for evidence. Many are satisfied with a random positive result. Such people usually turn over a card with a gray surface and stop there. Or they can turn over the circle card as well. But after all, a card with a circle does not add anything to the proof, because it can have either a gray or a black face - neither one nor the other will disprove the rules. After all, a card with a black surface can also have a circle on the back.

The tendency to consider only the facts that support a certain assumption, and not pay attention to those that refute it, occurs in many areas of life. If we belong to any political party, we tend to see only the good in everything that this party does. Those who believe in astrology and parapsychology prefer to see only fortunate coincidences between predicted and actual events and ignore discrepancies. Part of the reason for this phenomenon lies in the fact that we just want everything in the world to happen this way and not otherwise.

A good scientist never believes in an idea and never distrusts it - he tests it. He asks himself questions about the subject of interest and then formulates a hypothesis. Suppose he ponders why the dinosaurs became extinct, and makes the assumption that giant lizards were wiped off the face of the Earth when it collided with a huge asteroid. The scientist then determines what experimental facts he needs to obtain to confirm his hypothesis. In the proposed case, he indicates that evidence of an impact must be found - for example, the presence of fragments of an asteroid in sedimentary rocks. If the results of the observations agree with the prediction, the theory, the scientist decides, is on the right track. If observations do not confirm the initial hypothesis, it needs to be corrected.

It is impossible to prove the absolute truth of a hypothesis. It can only be accepted or rejected. If the observations do not contradict the hypothesis, then it remains valid. Each time a hypothesis is supported by facts, it becomes more useful in explaining why something happens the way it does, but no more. If subsequent observations contradict the hypothesis, it must be rejected or modified. In turn, the modified hypothesis must also be tested. Thus, we are moving forward in the knowledge of the world.

A similar scientific approach can be applied in many cases of life. Tell yourself that you want to know if a red sunset really means bad weather. To do this, you should every time you see a crimson sunset, be sure to check the weather for the next day. But I wonder how, in your opinion, it is possible to prove that selfless deeds are really rewarded with good? Or that mind training makes you more creative? Or that telepathy exists? Design experiments to test these hypotheses. If you take the position of an impartial observer and are not pre-configured for the success or failure of your experiment, then you will follow strictly scientific methods.

ADVICE.

Be critical of your opinions and beliefs. Ask yourself what proves or refutes your position.

Helpful Hints

The presence of the ability to analyze and synthesize can be characterized as the presence of additional muscles of the mind. Analytical ability allows us to break the whole into parts, and synthesis allows us to put everything together. Together they provide clarity and accuracy of thinking.

TIP 1.

Try to be aware of how you analyze and interpret your experience. What categories do you use when ordering your own observations?

TIP 2.

Realize what models you use when perceiving the world around you? Try to look at things from different points of view. Try to imagine yourself in the place of other people, to look at the world through their eyes.

TIP 3.

Use the scientific method whenever possible. Don't just take anything for granted, question everything, research carefully, test ideas, strive to base your opinion on the evidence you've collected.

Not every complicated experiment can prove right; A simple person can prove wrong.

Albert Einstein, physicist

From the book Psychology of Art author Vygotsky Lev Semyonovich

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From the book The Formula for Success or the Philosophy of Life of an Effective Person author Kozlov Nikolay Ivanovich

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From the author's book

From the author's book

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