Nice try LLM, but we can't teach you to think (yet).
Ask HN: How to Learn 'To Think'?
41–50 of 55 posts
Re: Ask HN: How to Learn 'To Think'?
#42The KGB recommended their students read detective novels. Detectives look at information and model the past: light, shadow, heat, sounds, pressure, timelines, motives. Also model the future: elections, social trends, stock prices, a movie plot, anything, everything. If your prediction fails, say how did I get that wrong; what didn't I consider that would have made my prediction more accurate? Or, possibly you have a…
I would definitely second sleep apnea treatment having a noticeable positive effect on mental capacity and clarity. I believe mine was actively getting worse because I had terrible brain fog and akrasia.
Re: Ask HN: How to Learn 'To Think'?
#43Writing is very underrated way of thinking, but I can recommend it highly. Start journaling and/or writing essays. Just write down what you think, feel, want to communicate, and what you understand. Just be clear and honest. pg has repeatedly written about this [0]. You can also choose to write technical posts. Solving Math problems and competitive programming problems also enhace thinking. Teaching is an underrated…
I am not sure what exactly OP's condition is, but I can attest that writing will help to a degree regardless of whether you are overthinking, "thinking too little" or feeling unable to keep a chain of thoughts. Generally, I'd like to learn more about what OP actually means. I would be pretty happy if I could stop my inner monologue most of the time. So I guess OP refers to the perceived inability to hold a chain of t…
I genuinely think they're being hyperbolic, or reaching for a metaphor, in order to regain agency. I'd wager his "inability to think" is an "inability to think for myself." Resolving the former is insurmountable (if not downright pointless because of the presuppositions involved; it's tilting at windmills), but resolving the latter is straightforward: read and write argumentative works more, study the structure of arguments, explain to yourself why one is more convincing than another, rinse and repeat. That follows with fixing a car just as much as it follows learning "how to think."
Re: Ask HN: How to Learn 'To Think'?
#44Earlier quoted context omitted.
I am not sure what exactly OP's condition is, but I can attest that writing will help to a degree regardless of whether you are overthinking, "thinking too little" or feeling unable to keep a chain of thoughts. Generally, I'd like to learn more about what OP actually means. I would be pretty happy if I could stop my inner monologue most of the time. So I guess OP refers to the perceived inability to hold a chain of t…
I genuinely think they're being hyperbolic, or reaching for a metaphor, in order to regain agency. I'd wager his "inability to think" is an "inability to think for myself ." Resolving the former is insurmountable (if not downright pointless because of the presuppositions involved; it's tilting at windmills), but resolving the latter is straightforward: read and write argumentative works more, study the structure of a…
If the inability to think stems from the thought “I am unable to think”, then OP might be better off with written CBT tasks than just writing in general.
That’s pretty much doing what you suggested but with a clear instruction set on how to.
My experience is that under certain conditions your mind might not be able to get free writing correct in a way to make it really help you. Then, it might further discourage you from trying even though all that was wrong was not missing thoughts but habitual negative thoughts preventing you from doing what you want to do to begin with.
This can be quite tricky so it would be very helpful to learn more details about OP’s exact issue.
Re: Ask HN: How to Learn 'To Think'?
#45This internal dialogue business is the wrong direction. Many should learn to shut that off. You don’t need your own thoughts echoing around in your mind. That’s not quality thinking. Play games. Consider that the real challenge of games is learning how the rules work, how the interface works, how game strategy works, how various systems of values are leveraged. Learn to assimilate and “do well” in games. Even if you…
Factorio?
I really enjoyed playing Return of the Precursors repeatedly. Every game was a new adventure, learning about the many levels of challenges. After two years of that, I switched to the fusion fork (which is always impossible at scale.)
Sigh, spending hours generating new games just to find a universe offering a fighting chance is an engrossing challenge.
Re: Ask HN: How to Learn 'To Think'?
#46This internal dialogue business is the wrong direction. Many should learn to shut that off. You don’t need your own thoughts echoing around in your mind. That’s not quality thinking. Play games. Consider that the real challenge of games is learning how the rules work, how the interface works, how game strategy works, how various systems of values are leveraged. Learn to assimilate and “do well” in games. Even if you…
Factorio?
Open Transportation Tycoon is entry level loads of fun.
Ur Quan Masters is a nice adventure game full of challenges.
Re: Ask HN: How to Learn 'To Think'?
#47Perhaps it's down to a mismatch between societal "norm" compared to how your own cognition works.
Maybe you're a tactile or sequential learner? There's "Method of Loci" or even "External Vocalisation".
You're capable of reading and writing so that's 100% evidence you're capable of learning - and being able to perform a sequence of tasks allows you to understand how to perform an action correctly.
Let's go with that and try external vocalisation. Many would trade the noise in their mind for silence and the ability to focus clearer on a task.
When you're working on a task, since you lack an internal monologue - vocalise it instead, it doesn't need to be audible, even moving your lips quietly should work as this will tap into your motor cortex which is highly tuned for performing sequential micro-actions.
Try talking to yourself about the steps you must take to get something done and see how you go.
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Of course this is something you can try at home but following up with a few medical advisors will also open up other avenues for course correction if you feel this is becoming a real problem.
Re: Ask HN: How to Learn 'To Think'?
#48Writing is very underrated way of thinking, but I can recommend it highly. Start journaling and/or writing essays. Just write down what you think, feel, want to communicate, and what you understand. Just be clear and honest. pg has repeatedly written about this [0]. You can also choose to write technical posts. Solving Math problems and competitive programming problems also enhace thinking. Teaching is an underrated…
Writing is the most powerful way. I must recommend this blog at least once a month
https://notes.andymatuschak.org/zRbqwbnhmVdfLtKxMCibMoX
The whole site is full of high quality wisdom on note taking and writing.
Re: Ask HN: How to Learn 'To Think'?
#49bold of you to assume we do.
Re: Ask HN: How to Learn 'To Think'?
#50Learn to derive ideas from axioms, don't just memorize things for the sake of it.
Learn to do it everyday. Learn to do it fast. You'll reap rewards. For example, like identifying root causes and implementing solutions for it.