Thinking Fast

Hi there. In this education post, I talk about fast thinking. Slow thinking has its benefits and uses when a lot of time is available. If time is not as available, it is important to be able to think fast and in extreme cases on the spot. This post is my overview on fast thinking.

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Sections

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• When There Is No Pen & Paper Available
• On Disorganized Teachers / Lecturers / Professors
• Fast Reactions

When There Is No Pen & Paper Available

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When it comes to thinking fast and coming up with answers on the spot, there is almost always no pen nor paper available. You have to try your best to come up with solutions, answers and/or thoughts from the top of your head.

In fields such as mathematics, computer science and the like, it is very difficult (or even impossible) to present solutions to on the spot questions. Complex solutions do require pen, paper, a computer (maybe) and a lot of time.

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Thinking fast is useful when it comes to learning through verbal discussions and debate without pen and paper. Scenarios include political debates, negotiations, a visit at the doctor's office, psychology visits, elevator business pitches, speaking on the phone and so forth. Time can be limited so it is important to think fast and act fast too.

Not all educational courses require pen and paper. In cooking, computer programming, dancing, marital arts, and sports classes learning is done with your body and/or brain. There are rarely any written notes as the information is stored in your brain. In physical activities such as dancing, martial arts and sports, being able to learn fast and think on the fast is an advantage in order to increase the likelihood of victory.

On Disorganized Teachers / Lecturers / Professors

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There are rare and unfortunate cases where teachers, lecturers and professors hand out assignments with tight deadlines and schedule tests with very little time for preparation. Being able to think fast is useful to make the best out of a bad scenario. Effective and efficient learning strategies are key to being able to learn and retain information.

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Fast Reactions

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I may be wrong here but a symptom of being able to think fast is through fast reactions. Practitioners and students in sports and martial arts gradually build skills which involve the improvement of their reaction times. Being able to have good anticipation skills and fast reactions allows for dodging, counter attacking strategies and for self-defense.

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