More On How We Think

.
First, a few things I've read about how we think:

Our mind works like it's trying to find our next footstep or the next number in the sequence or what is necessary to complete a pattern;

we don't light up nerve cells in the brain when we find the solution, but we turn off the switch on things which don't 'turn us on'. What remains, however unobvious must be the (probably) right answer;

we don't begin with an idea and find ways to implement it, so we had better consider a full range of possibilities to be more certain of finding at least one good one.


I think we start with known patterns and the information on the problem in front of us, we consider a variety of intuited (and sought-for) potential 'next steps', 'solutions', 'pattern completions' or whatever and then for each we test to see if it passes through the test of relevance. Does it fit the permanent pattern we have? Naturally, when your intuition is working well you have less difficulty getting through the relevance filter and we 'flow'.

Many times masters will ask, "what's going on here or what is right for this KIND of situation" and that's their filter. There is a greater pattern learned from experience of how to handle any kind of situation to get a favorable outcome.

"Look both ways before you cross the street." is an idea which says that in the context of standing on the side of the road and wanting to cross it's wise to look to be sure the street remains clear while you're crossing.

"Don't drink and drive!" is an idea which says that in the context of drinking (being drunk) it's not wise to also drive a car.

The greater idea is to be careful with your physical safety and that of others before 'boldly going where nobody has gone before'. That generalization isn't understood so well by kids and adults repeatedly make it clear to them. It becomes a filter like "big boys do thus and so" and "adults are responsible drinkers and street crossers", so the young person has a wide-spectrum pattern to try and live up to.

In a chess game, boxing match, tennis match, football game or other one-on-one fights there are specific situations (they're going to blitz or keep an eye on the base-runner so he doesn't steal) and there are generalizations about how to handle situations or the overall game ("Just win, baby."). It's helpful to have a teacher pass on that knowledge to young students.

In chess I taught the kids at my local library club there is a pattern to the fight: each side brings their pieces forward to combat the enemy; each tries to beat down the other with punches and at some point they can focus on one weakness to try and 'win' a battle; eventually this leads to one side or the other having sufficient overall advantage to take out the opposing king. Within each phase of that fight they should try to get the advantage by being quicker, more efficient, more precise and so on.

Without the pattern every move may be random (a word often used by stronger players to refer to moves which don't fit a pattern or purpose for the game/fight.

Iconic sports figures are by nature a pattern for young athletes and all adults kids encounter are examples of what it means to be a grown-up. Having a favorite car or house or vacation or perfect job are also patterns and we may work to those, but we may also make adjustments to fit ourselves. Yes, you may want to be a football pro, but you might settle for playing football on the weekends with friends in the park. Yes, you may want a Ferrari, but you might settle for a convertible sports car of less expensive kind. Keeping up with the Jones' is a very real thing, but you've gotta want it!