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Tools for Better Thinking

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Re: Tools for Better Thinking

#61

Post by agustamir »

typicalbender wrote: post #57
shahbaby wrote: post #53

I've found that the most underrated problem solving tool is simply typing out my thought process. I used to be the type who asked a lot of questions until I realized that formulating the question was often more important than getting the answer.

It's amazing how much a technique like rubber ducking[1] helps to work through issues. The number of times I've felt like I have no idea how to solve a problem until the moment after I ask someone else is incredible. I think the act of thinking how to explain the problem to someone else really helps trigger the problem solving side of the brain. That and the number of times taking a 10 minute walk has been more produ…

I was stuck debugging a chip for a day until I finally decided to write to the FAE. I sit down, write my problem in the simplest possible language, list all the tricks I tried and asked for a solution. Then I'm reading my email to make sure everything is in order and voila - one last thing to try. and that step worked.

Re: Tools for Better Thinking

#63

Post by seesaw »

inetsee wrote: post #17

There is a book titled "Thinkertoys: A Handbook of Creative-Thinking Techniques". The last edition was published in 2006, so it's fairly dated by now. I found it very interesting back then, but it wouldn't have much about more recent tools or ideas. There is a summary of the book here https://www.ethos3.com/books/thinkertoys-a-handbook-of-creat...

+1. I found one in my local library few months back. It breaks down the process to solve a problem and lists different approaches. It is a good read.

Re: Tools for Better Thinking

#64

Post by enchiridion »

koolhead17 wrote: post #58

Reading autobiography of Benjamin Franklin makes me feel we don't need tools but willingness within. He had a notebook and pen with him.

I think this speaks to the idea of rubber ducking.

I think a fair amount of problem solving ability is at the boundary of the internal and external.

Of course this is imprecise scientifically, but hopefully the idea is clear.

Re: Tools for Better Thinking

#65

Post by jxy »

M5x7wI3CmbEem10 wrote: post #10

does anyone know a simple app that allows hyperlinking within notes? I want to create a roam-style knowledge base, but most tools are too heavy for my purposes. I prefer to keep things cross-compatible and future proof with .txt or .rtf, but to my knowledge, neither allow hyperlinking to documents

Use acme from plan9port. Every file is automatically a link.

Re: Tools for Better Thinking

#67

Post by dathanb82 »

shahbaby wrote: post #53

I've found that the most underrated problem solving tool is simply typing out my thought process. I used to be the type who asked a lot of questions until I realized that formulating the question was often more important than getting the answer.

When asking for help solving a problem, I start writing a question to ask someone, and then as I start explaining what I've tried (to try to be respectful of their time and them not have to repeat anything I've done) more and more things to try occur to me. By the time I've tried all the things that occur to me while describing the problem, I've solved the problem. That's the way it works out more often than not.

Re: Tools for Better Thinking

#68

Post by adrianN »

koolhead17 wrote: post #58

Reading autobiography of Benjamin Franklin makes me feel we don't need tools but willingness within. He had a notebook and pen with him.

Just because some people can multiply large numbers in their head, that doesn't mean that other people won't benefit from a pocket calculator.

Re: Tools for Better Thinking

#69

Post by beefield »

dathanb82 wrote: post #67
shahbaby wrote: post #53

I've found that the most underrated problem solving tool is simply typing out my thought process. I used to be the type who asked a lot of questions until I realized that formulating the question was often more important than getting the answer.

When asking for help solving a problem, I start writing a question to ask someone, and then as I start explaining what I've tried (to try to be respectful of their time and them not have to repeat anything I've done) more and more things to try occur to me. By the time I've tried all the things that occur to me while describing the problem, I've solved the problem. That's the way it works out more often than not.

Exactly this. What is really weird, though, is that I have occasionally tried to promote this approach to people that ask my help, simply by asking them to write the request to me instead of calling. Also, getting the help request in written helps me to think the case and open issues in my own pace uninterrupted by discussion.

The weird part? I have a strong feeling that more and more often (luckily not too often yet) my request seems to be considered outright hostile and it causes significant irritation. I wonder if anyone else has noted the same or am I just getting old and grumpy...

Re: Tools for Better Thinking

#70

Post by Pandabob »

shahbaby wrote: post #53

I've found that the most underrated problem solving tool is simply typing out my thought process. I used to be the type who asked a lot of questions until I realized that formulating the question was often more important than getting the answer.

This. I've gotten a new appreciation for Stackoverflow in the past year or so.

Half of the drafts I write do not end up as published questions, just because the writing process itself is often helpful in figuring out what ever problem I have with my code.

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