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The world has become so fast that people no longer find time to take care of their families. People don’t find time to think, apart from their deadlines. People have become very busy indeed! Everybody says I’m busy.
What is the solution? Why did God give us life? Does such a life, in which we constantly struggle for something that usually turns out to be meaningless, have any meaning?
In this regard, let us focus on the concept of reflective thinking as it provides solutions to various ills in society and pressures in contemporary life.
What is Reflective Thinking (RT)?
John Dewey coined the concept of “reflective thinking” in 1910 in his caption How we think, for teachers. He defines reflective thinking as “Active, persistent, and careful consideration of every belief or supposed form of knowledge in the light of the grounds supporting it and the further conclusion to which it tends” (Dewey, 1933).
However, the concept has undergone many changes over time. RT sounds like a thinking chair – a practice from John C. Maxwell that allows silent thinking as you clear out clutter and make decisions.
Reflective thinking is reflecting on what you are doing for your progress. It refines your approach to achieve your goals faster. It paves the way for your success. It is one of the ingredients for your smart work.
Reflective thinking goes beyond introspection. It involves analyzing the current trends and patterns in the mind. It streamlines your mind by removing irrelevant and outdated ideas and insights, creating more space to accept and accommodate new ones.
It is the same as deleting the waste files and replacing them with desired files in any computer system.
It gives breathing space to your mind. As people find it difficult to breathe properly due to the pressure, they also find it difficult to think. That is why reflective thinking is an effective tool for reflecting and thinking through new ideas.
It increases your creativity. There is enormous potential in this concept to unleash your enormous human potential.
When people spend some time thinking reflectively, they can find their personal and professional lives more meaningful and productive. Sometimes people undertake routine activities without taking stock of the situation, resulting in outdated practices that lead nowhere.
Here are some benefits of reflective thinking.
- Reflection makes life meaningful. We are moving away from outdated practices and habits.
- Reflection helps you analyze your strengths and weaknesses. It helps you realize where you stand when it comes to your performance. It gives you the right feedback. Like loneliness, reflection helps you take stock of the situation.
- It offers you growth opportunities.
- When you face challenges, you can use this tool to find appropriate ideas.
- It removes confusion and clutter from your mind, giving you clarity in your mind.
- It helps in solving problems.
- Above all, it manages your time effectively.
Therefore, spend some time in solitude to reflect your mind. Your mind goes for self-introspection and reflects your thoughts effectively for behavioral changes.
Daniel Patrick Forrester rightly points out the importance of reflective thinking as follows: “It was said that Thomas Edison often took his fishing rod, sat at the end of the pier, threw it away, and then sat there for hours. However, he would never put bait on his hook. He didn’t want to catch fish. What he wanted was to sit there undisturbed and think about the issues of the day, about his work or about whatever else came to mind. He knew that if he looked like he was fishing, no one would disturb him, so he could think undisturbed. All he wanted was to get ideas.”
Edison signed many photos for friends and admirers, filled with the visionaries’ advice. To a friend he said, “All things come to him who is busy while he waits. Your friend, Thomas Edison.” Therefore, it becomes clear that great people spend some time thinking about their thoughts.
Reflection and information overload
The invention of the internet led to an overload of information. People think less and reflect less because a lot of information is available to them on a silver platter.
They are often confused between what to choose and what to reject. By the way, what do you mean by information overload? Let’s find out.
The term ‘Information Overload’ was coined by Alvin Toffler long before the Internet revolution. It is about giving redundant information that clouds the human mind and confuses people. It prevents people from understanding the real content. Sometimes it deviates from the main topic and area of interest.
John C. Maxwell reveals this in his book Good luck“More new information has been produced in the past thirty years than in the previous five thousand years. A single weekday edition of the New York Times contains more information than most people in seventeenth-century England were likely to encounter in a lifetime.”
Reflection and contribution
Reflection goes beyond introspection. It is an imaginative investigation. Everyone needs to think about how much difference is being made in society. It is talking to yourself and your inner self. To what extent is an individual useful to himself and others?
What value does an individual add? What difference does an individual make to others? If everyone thinks about it, there will be universal peace and prosperity.
Reflection paves the way for progress. It paves the way for success. It breaks through traditional barriers and limitations. It ensures that people reach beyond their capabilities and competencies. It develops human potential. It increases your dreams and ambitions. It bridges the gap between ambitions and achievements.
Reflection is a powerful tool for promoting human potential.
The human mind is a powerful machine. It has enormous potential and humans are not using it to its full potential. Man must learn to use it properly. Reflective thinking is useful in properly utilizing the human mind and potential.
Moreover, clarity of mind is the key to success in today’s world. Reflective thinking removes the clutter from your mind and that helps you simplify and overcome many obstacles in your life, paving the way for your success.
Viktor Frankl wrote Man’s search for meaning long ago. Now it’s time again to search for the meaning of your life through introspection, clearing out clutter, managing time, taking care of your family and friends, and making a difference in this great human civilization.