Practical thinking is a type of thinking based on accumulated life experience, observation, perception and common sense. Each person, even with a poor education or even an uneducated one, is able to perform simple work, which is associated not with mental activity, but with applied skills. Practical thinking helps a person to cope well with a routine.
Definition
Practical thinking is the ability of a person to operate with accumulated knowledge and skills in order to perform a particular current task. The problems that practical thinking helps to solve are urgent. By developing a plan and setting goals, a person can easily cope with any difficult task. A person does not need to reinvent the wheel. She needs to solve urgent problems, and do it quickly. It is not always possible to build complex theories and then test them in practice. Where theoretical thinking does not work, practical begins. But it happens that the opposite happens. Sometimes practical thinking acts as the final stage of theoretical thinking.
How did our ancestors think? They used practical thinking. Through trial and error, people built their homes, learned to hunt, pick fruits and berries. Practical thinking is aimed at meeting immediate needs. But sometimes it comes in handy in the long run. In its infancy, practical thinking was found even in animals.
Practical thinking
How do children learn to learn the world? They watch what their parents do, and then repeat what they see. Practical thinking is a synthesis of acquired and seen information that a person can use for his own benefit. Mom gives the baby a sock. The kid is in no hurry to put it on his head or arm. An observant child will realize that if adults put a rag on their leg, then they need to do the same. Mothers are surprised how the baby realized what exactly needs to be done with the sock? His actions were based on visual-effective thinking. Practical application of the knowledge gained allows you to quickly learn not only a child, but also an adult. A person may acquire some skill unconsciously. A mechanical repetition of the same action brings it to automatism. And on the basis of the acquired skill, a person can develop his abilities in related fields. Practically effective thinking becomes visual-figurative. After a person has mastered some skill in practice, he will be able to imagine each action in stages. The more abilities a person has, the better his imaginative thinking will be.
The differences between the two types of thinking
Theoretical and practical thinking initially has a different approach to pressing problems. What are the main differences?
- Practical thinking does not seek the only right solution. A person who sets himself the goal of solving a problem initially assumes that there can be several options for solving it. By brainstorming, options are thrown over, then the most acceptable one that suits the specific situation is selected from them.
- Practical thinking has greater resistance to stress. A person who in practice tests the theory or acts according to a previously prepared plan is less worried about the result. A person sees the end product of his activity and can already objectively evaluate it.
- Conclusions obtained through practical thinking will always be more reliable than those that scientists made while engaged in a theoretical solution to the problem. If something cannot be done, it means that an error crept into the calculations of the theorists.
Practical differences
Theoretical and practical thinking is the two main forms of mental activity. The knowledge gained through these kinds of thinking will be different. Theoretical thinking is carried out in isolation from the objective world. A person can put forward any, even fantastic theories, thanks to the good work of the imagination. A person will think in images and draw conclusions not only on the basis of his abilities and knowledge, but also based on the idea of how this or that object or object can and should work. Practical thinking is a type of activity that takes place without interruption from reality. The knowledge gained as a result of the thought process can be immediately put into practice. Theories may be wrong and erroneous, but they are easy to implement and can solve pressing problems, often not in the best way. But the result of practical knowledge will always be higher than theoretical.
Personality traits
Practical visual-figurative thinking is inherent in any sane person. A person must not only put forward theories, but also try them out in practice. This skill is taught to all children, first in the kindergarten, and then at school and university. What qualities help a person to successfully use the practical form of thinking?
- Mind. Only a person who is able to think can do a good job with practical work. To master any skill you need observation. A person learns from the repeated repetition of the same action. In order to use practical thinking productively, it’s not enough to just work thoughtlessly. A person must understand the mechanism and principle of his activity. This is necessary in order to subsequently be able to apply the acquired skill in any other related field.
- Will. A person who has the desire and desire to acquire knowledge deserves respect. But it is not always possible to go far on one desire. The motivation for doing monotonous work is quickly lost. The will helps a person to continue his undertaking until the work is completed and the skill is mastered.
Foresight
The practical way of thinking is based on a person’s ability to foresee their future. The main objective of this type of thinking is planning. So that a person can successfully create goals and write plans to achieve them, he needs to be able to look into the future. You do not need to be clairvoyant to master this skill. A person must learn to make a forecast based on his experience and acquired knowledge. The ability to draw up a plan and immediately begin to implement it is not always. So that after six months or a year, when you need to complete the task, you do not have to rewrite the plan, you need to have the foresight and immediately make corrections that take into account the nuances that may change over time. The ability to make correct miscalculations and not make mistakes in the details is called good strategic thinking. It should be used by all people who use a practical form of thinking.
Difficulties
Visual-practical thinking is formed in a person without any efforts on his part. The child learns to repeat movements, and then the actions of adults. This ability to learn through imitation helps a person to quickly and easily learn this world. But the unity of sensory perception of theoretical thinking and practical activity is not for everyone. Each person developed under different conditions. Teachers and approaches to education were different in people. As a result, not all individuals are well able to understand each other. What are the difficulties?
- Theorists focus on knowing the world through reasoning. People think abstractly, often completely abstracting from the real world. The results of their work sometimes surprise even theorists themselves. Such a style of thinking does not allow people to understand more mundane people who are used to thinking about the earth, and not about the lofty.
- Practices focus on the world of things. They realize the result of the creative impulse of theorists and cannot always figure out how a person could be short-sighted. The miscalculations of theorists are always striking to people who are daily confronted with the technical aspects of work and can well imagine which projects are feasible and which are not.
Tasks
A person who is engaged in practical activities cannot work unless he sets himself tasks. What are they?
- Goal setting. A person should always understand where she is going. Practical thinking involves a finished product of activity. So that a person does not stray from the chosen route, does not lose landmarks, it is necessary to break the target into small parts. Subgoals are necessary in large projects that cannot be done in a short time. The breakdown is done not only to improve understanding of the prospects of the work, but also for clarity and more accurate calculation at the planning stage.
- Create plans. A practical method of thinking involves the development and writing of plans. A person must break the project into pieces, and then work out a step-by-step plan for achieving the main goal. It should be borne in mind that plans are not only short-term, but also long-term. Each project should be developed individually. It is necessary to take into account the essence of the work, budget, labor, timelines, materials, etc. A good specialist, before starting any, even small business, will step by step plan the progress of work.
Features
What are the features of practical thinking? The person who possesses it should be able to quickly concentrate attention not only on the overall picture of what is happening, but also on the details. A person should not only see everything that is happening and remember the details. A person who wants to succeed in mastering practical skills and form practical thinking in himself must learn to quickly move from thinking and planning to action. Accomplishment of the set goals should be the main task of the person.
The properties
The development of practical thinking contributes to the conscious development of the personality of the necessary properties.
- The goal of implementation. The result of practical thinking should be the development of a ready-made solution to solve a problem or solve a problem. A person should not consider or model non-working or theoretical options. Of all the possible options, you need to choose the one that helps you quickly and with minimal effort to achieve your goal.
- Motivation. A person must do his job well in order to achieve the necessary goal. A person can work at full strength only when she is well motivated. A person should always know and understand what dividends a successful project will bring him personally.
- Using past experience. Achieve good results in the implementation of any project can only be the person who does such a job is not the first time. A person should always rely on his own experience, benefit from it and not repeat mistakes.
- Self-criticism. A person must notice his mistakes and correct them. A person should evaluate each step taken and planned. One must always be aware of whether the next action leads to an ultimate goal or not. And if something went wrong, you need to admit your mistake, correct it and continue to move in the chosen direction.
- Intuitiveness. Some actions a person should not ponder. The work that is done on the machine requires less energy and resources of the body. It is not always possible to make the best decision on paper. Sometimes it is necessary to make adjustments during the course of the work and the person must be prepared for this both mentally and physically. If the guideline is down, you need to quickly change the strategy so that you can continue the project without slowing down the pace.
Examples
To better understand the practical activities of thinking, it should be illustrated. Here are some examples. Grandma knits a sock. A woman does not think too much about how to make a loop or how to make a reduction in a row. Hands trained by many years of practice themselves know what to do. Experience helps a woman watch television, not her product. At the same time, the result of grandmother's activity will be very good. Socks will be first-class.
Another example of visual effective-practical thinking is driving a car. An experienced driver does not think about which way to turn now or which pedal to press. In the case of a turn, the finger itself reaches for the button for turning on the flashing light. The driving process, repeated daily and brought to automatism, helps a person save energy on decisions made. The brain will work in energy saving mode until some extreme situation occurs in which full attention is required.
Development
How to develop practical thinking? Development tasks can be taken from everyday life. A person should engage in some kind of work activity that requires the application of a maximum of physical and a minimum of mental forces. You can repair, design, fish, cook or wash windows. Any physical work that you rarely do will help develop practical thinking.
And if there are special exercises? Anyone who wants to develop practical thinking can engage in the production of arts and crafts. For example, a vaz. To make a ceramic product you need to write a small work plan. It will consist of the following steps:
- sketching
- selection of materials
- form creation
- painting
- final coverage.
When the plan is ready, you can begin to execute it. Draw a sketch. It can be invented or copied from any picture. Make a clay mold. To do this, you will have to master the skill of working with the pottery wheel. Then, write down the product. Waste firing will give the product strength. It remains to cover the vase with glaze, and then, burn again. The creation process is completed, the goal is achieved. It is necessary to set a new goal and begin to implement it. Successfully completing assignments, you will quickly improve the skill of practical thinking.
Did you know?
- Experts believe that practice is not a productive activity. They call it a non-transitive action. Surprisingly, poetry, drawing, writing music or staging a dance are productive activities.
- Practical activity by people is considered not as activity, but as life. If you think about it, a person lives by work and only in work does he feel alive. The word “work” here means the process of practical thinking. A person, even switching channels on a TV, is forced to use part of her brain resources.
- The essence of freedom by many people means precisely freedom in choosing a job. A person cannot sit back constantly. A person will be engaged in some activity, even if useless. The freedom of directing practical thinking to a chosen object or object is a cherished dream for many.
- Practice is not an individual ability of a particular person. Experts believe that everyone can to some extent master any craft. Simply, more talented people will need less time to master the material and get the first results, and the rest - more.