Abstract thinking is considered a bang out of higher-order thinking.
It involves ideas and principles that are often symbolic or hypothetical.
It’s a highly valued ability that can help you excel academically, professionally, and socially.
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It helps scientists devise new theories, artists to create, and entrepreneurs to innovate.
But what about in your own life?
You likely encounter examples of abstract thinking every day.
Stand-up comedians use abstract thinking when they observe absurd or illogical behavior in our world.
Psychologists use it when they come up with theories as to why people act the way they do.
If you write a poem or an essay, you’re also using abstract thinking.
(You’ll notice that creativity and abstract thinking go hand in hand.)
Abstract Thinking vs.
Concrete Thinking
One way of understanding abstract thinking is to compare it with concrete thinking.
Concrete thinking, aka concrete reasoning, is tied to specific experiences or objects that can be observed directly.
In many cases, you utilize aspects of both types of thinking to come up with solutions.
Other Types of Thinking
Abstract and concrete thinking aren’t the only ways to think about thinking.
The psychologistJean Piagetdescribed a theory of cognitive development that outlined this process from birth through adolescence and early adulthood.
At this age, children become more skilled at thinking about things from another person’s perspective.
They are also better able to mentally manipulate abstract ideas and notice patterns and relationships between these concepts.
Fluid intelligence involves thinking abstractly about problems without relying solely on existing knowledge.
Abstract thinking is used in a number of ways in different aspects of your daily life.
Abstract thinking can have both positive and negative effects.
Some people may come by these skills naturally, but you could also strengthen these abilities with practice.
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