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Sixty minutes of thinking of any kind is bound to lead to confusion and unhappiness.


For various reasons (most long since forgotten), I have spent a great deal of time engaged in situations where there has been a lot of talking about thinking about thinking about reading about thinking about thinking.

The thing that strikes me most is that – underneath the discourse – if all we are doing is thinking about thinking, are we actually thinking? Or does, perhaps, thinking about thinking equate to a form of intellectual masturbation, pleasurable, entertaining (for a time), but in all probability not honing our skills in any useful manner?

Moreover, if we think too much about thinking, might we not affect our ability to think? If it does, is this effect to enhance our thinking, or might it actually degrade our ability to think?

Now, I’m not suggesting that we all just at once stop reflecting critically upon the processes that underlie and inform the way that we go about our thinking (or even our thinking about our thinking).

Maybe my beef is not with thinking about thinking. Maybe it is with the talking about thinking about thinking, rather than the actual thinking (about thinking) itself.

Wait a second; I think that I’ve just started talking about thinking about thinking.

Bugger!
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Comments

USelaine said…
You seem.........pensive.
27 January 2009 at 16:29
Kris McCracken said…
Elaine, I don't think that I'm pensive. I am very tired. And I am very angry about a number of (un)professional matters that remain unresolved despite my best efforts to resolve them.

But given that I don't care for the feelings of all parties involved, I'm not pensive about the forthcoming confrontation. I quite like confrontation when I am cut and dried in the right!
27 January 2009 at 17:34
USelaine said…
Right. A book recommendation then:

UFO Diary
27 January 2009 at 18:03
Kris McCracken said…
I have now got it on order from the library. The wonder of the Tasmanian library system means that I have browsed online, put in my electronic request and they will deliver it to my local branch in about two days, and it doesn't cost me anything beyond my tax!
27 January 2009 at 18:12
yamini said…
Hi, I have an award for you. Please collect it from my blog, zindagikikalamse.blogspot.com
27 January 2009 at 21:59
Kris McCracken said…
Yamini, thank you, I WILL do that post about awards very soon!
28 January 2009 at 10:49
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