- Introduction

This book is a journey of discovery into the very purpose of life, and into the role that thinking plays in our lives. It will make you aware of the forces that exist within you, and how these forces manufacture your destiny; the thinking processes that are responsible for your daily successes and failures; the power of your subconscious; and the psychological phenomena that make you think, feel and strive.

Effective Thinking examines the modern research into human thinking and behavior and then puts this research into a practical framework to help you restructure your thinking – in order to live more effectively, achieve more, and enjoy a more satisfying lifestyle.

The fourteen principles of Effective Thinking, explained in Chapter 1, are the basic rules that govern our functioning as humans, and they allow us to understand the mechanisms responsible for everything we do – from making a cup of tea through to developing a successful career. When we violate these principles, we are effectively manufacturing our own problems. Conversely, when we learn to use them to our advantage, we start to live more effectively, optimizing our chances of succeeding and becoming more satisfied with our lives.

The theory behind Effective Thinking is essentially that we possess a natural subconscious achieving machinery, whose primary function is to direct us towards accomplishing goals. Left to its own devices, it may well be working towards detrimental and negative objectives. But we can learn to consciously instruct our subconscious mind, in order to attain desirable and beneficial objectives instead. This way we enhance our ability to get what we need, and avoid directing our inner power towards attracting difficulties, failure, or hardships.

Life can provide satisfaction or hardships equally, depending on the type of ‘vibes’ we emit into our environment, and how we make use of our inner forces. ‘Learning to live effectively,’ is equivalent to, ‘Learning to think effectively’ and it is inevitable that in order to be happy we need to think appropriately. The inescapable reality is that faulty thinking can attract misfortunes, but effective thinking can create opportunities.

The principles of Effective Thinking compel us to acknowledge that what we get out of life is what we put into our own mind, through our thinking. If we fail to recognize this, we are ignoring the very means for happiness and success.

Learning to think effectively requires that we look at the big picture of life to define the general context in which our existence takes place and develops. We also need to recognize our very reason for existing, and the motives underlying this. The Effective Thinking model addresses these issues comprehensively, centering on our role as a human being, and explaining why we feel and live the way we do. It offers explanations of the forces that dominate circumstances and events in our lives, the foundations of happiness and distress, the need for goals, why we think, and why we strive for success.

Thinking effectively is not the same thing as thinking intelligently, and effective decision-making is not equivalent to rational thinking. In order to develop appropriate thinking strategies, we need to learn about the connection between what we think rationally and what we feel subconsciously, and make effective use of our gut feelings.

Success and happiness are more closely related to smart thinking than to intelligent thinking. This difference becomes apparent when we look at the meaning of being smart, compared to being intelligent.

Being intelligent primarily means being able to comprehend and understand, as well as profit from experience; it is particularly useful for quick or complex learning. Being smart, in contrast, is showing mental alertness based on practical calculation and resourcefulness. An intelligent person may learn complex tasks quickly and effectively, but this ability would be rendered useless if not applied in a calculated manner to gain benefits resourcefully. A mathematical genius will excel in computations and calculus, but he may struggle to win the heart of a beautiful woman; a less intelligent man, endowed with wits and practical thinking, may find wooing easier.

The Effective Thinking model recognizes that intelligence does not play a chief role in life successes or in personal satisfaction – but practicality and smart thinking do. Smart thinking means learning to train and instruct our inner natural achieving machinery, rather than relying on effort or direct action.

You can compare our rational thinking to an army general giving instructions to the troops, who are the real executers of the strategies and actions. Without the soldiers, the general has no way to engage in battle; and even with a full army in operation, the general is still dependent on the state of the army. To be victorious, the general relies on efficiency, resourcefulness, and smart strategies, and he or she tries to achieve this by preparing, training and equipping the army properly to carry out the planned strategies. Likewise, to be efficient and successful, we rely on preparing, training, and equipping our internal subconscious forces, our inner army in charge of carrying out the strategies leading to achieving success. If we want to be successful and satisfied, we have no option but to rely on this subconscious army, and the Effective Thinking model has been designed to optimize our ability to give the subconscious machinery the best possible instructions. This way we can direct its power and resourcefulness towards what we want – towards what is most beneficial for us – and away from what we dislike and from what is harmful for us.

The Effective Thinking model considers intelligence as an evolutionary strategy, not so very different from other adaptational strategies such as evolving wings to fly, camouflage to hide, or poison to kill. Humans do not have a monopoly on intelligent behavior – intelligent actions are observed in many species – but we have developed and adopted it as our main evolutionary strategy.

Intelligence can be defined as, ‘the capacity to think rationally, act with purpose, and adapt successfully to the environment.’ Intelligence is the sum of the many elements of behavior it encompasses, including the ability to comprehend, to profit from experience, to have a good sense of judgment, to think with logic, and to possess the quality of being determined to achieve specific objectives. You will notice that in our definition of intelligence, the only element that separates us from other species is the ability to think rationally; this is simply an area where we have evolved further than other species. All the other attributes are shared by many (arguably all) living organisms. It is clear from this definition that intelligence would be a very poor strategic skill without the capacity to act with purpose, and more importantly, without being determined to achieve what is necessary to live competitively. That is why it is crucial that we learn to act smartly rather than just intelligently.

Our existence, however, for good or bad, is intimately connected to our ability to think abstractly and rationally – it is therefore important that we understand the principles that govern these processes, so we can make proper use of them.

In order to implement effective thinking habits, it is helpful to understand the evolutionary role of intelligence, and how our supremacy as a species came to totally depend on our intellect. This will give you insight into your role as a member of the human race, and the contribution that you make to the evolution of humankind.

The Effective Thinking model addresses our responsibility to make proper use of our cognitive or intellectual skills in some depth, because our very survival as a species depends on it.