High-level thinking is not something we’re born with. It’s an ability we cultivate. Elevating our thoughts can generate epiphanies, creations, and perspectives that positively influence the world. We must be intrinsically motivated and go beyond superficial thinking to engage all these faculties. These ten steps to increase high-level thinking will help you upgrade your thoughts. (Estimated reading time: 8 minutes)

“Creativity is seeing what others see and Thinking what no one else has ever thought.”

— Albert Einstein

The necessity of going to college and whether it gives us the skills and knowledge that will be of value to us in the future is an ongoing subject of debate.

In the past, getting a degree was seen as a surefire way to earn a lot of money. But, as the employment landscape changed, and with the advent of the internet, more and more people see degrees as expensive accessories rather than necessities.

Just Google “successful people who didn’t go to college,” and you’ll see many search results with listicles naming accomplished entrepreneurs who dropped out of college. Owners of behemoth organizations like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Evan William, Mark Zuckerberg and several others grace these lists showing an increased need to justify this viewpoint.

Anti-university folks may say, “if some of the wealthiest and most influential people skipped college, that means we should, too, right?” For several reasons, I would argue the opposite.

First, the logical fallacy of correlation implies causation. We believe that this handful of individuals became successful because they didn’t go to college, but several other factors played a part in their success.

We also need to see them as anomalies—high-level thinkers with intellect, rigor, and discipline higher than the average person, and a willingness to work their buns off to realize their visions. They are the equivalent of Olympic athletes when it comes to a growth mindset and work ethic.

Does this mean a college education is necessary for the rest of us who might need to work more to reveal our inner genius? The truth is that a college degree is optional for many careers, including entrepreneurship. But statistically speaking, you stand a higher chance of gaining employment and making more money when you have one.

College isn’t just about getting a piece of paper to access coveted paid positions. It doesn’t just train you in your chosen field, but it teaches you to think better. And many of us may need that to level up. The assignments, class discourse, and creative projects help you to think intelligently about subjects and approach them with a keen eye and astute mind.

Classes provide a mental gymnasium to exercise our critical thinking, problem-solving, and synthesizing muscles. We also learn social skills and discipline—invaluable qualities in any area of our lives.

Whether you choose to develop your critical and creative faculties in the hallowed halls of academia or cloistered in your study rooms, engaging in high-level thinking will lead you down the road of abundance that will enrich your life in more ways than you can imagine.

What is high-level thinking?

High-level thinking is not something we’re born with; instead, it’s an ability we cultivate.

Elevating our thoughts can generate epiphanies, creations, and perspectives that positively influence the world. The Sistine Chapel, the iPhone, Penicillin, and spaceships are all products of high-level thinking.

First, let’s look at what high-level thinking is not. It’s not memorizing and regurgitating information without having to think about it. It’s not blindly following or copying the ideas of others because it’s the easiest option. When we act like robots and only do what we’re programmed to do, we’re not operating at full capacity.

According to education psychologists Linda Elder and Richard Paul, “Much of our thinking, left to itself, is biased, distorted, partial, uninformed or down-right prejudiced. Yet the quality of our life and that of which we produce, make, or build depends precisely on the quality of our thought.”

Higher levels of thinking require us to do something with the facts and knowledge we gather. We must tap into thought processes to connect the information in meaningful ways and use them for problem-solving and innovation. It goes beyond rote memorization and observation of facts.

A high-level thinker is considered intelligent because of the complex processes involved. This includes knowing how to analyze and evaluate information, idea generation, critical thinking, synthesizing information, connecting, categorizing and manipulating information, using metaphors and analogies to describe concepts, problem-solving, insightful reasoning, ideation, and big-picture thinking.

To engage all these faculties, we must go beyond superficial thinking and delve deeper. This is the domain of mastery.

Author Robert Greene describes mastery as “a function of time and intense focus applied to a particular field of knowledge.” It’s not a function of genius or talent, as many people tend to think.

High-level thinking also includes metacognition—the ability to think about your own thinking and knowing about knowing. Metacognitive abilities allow us to distinguish between superficial and deep knowledge, and between memorizing and understanding information. This is because a person is willing to look closely at their mental strengths and weaknesses and improve with techniques that work best for them. 

For example: knowing that we learn better by viewing presentation slides (visual learners) over listening to audiobooks (auditory learners) or finding out we’re more creative in the morning than in the evening.

High-level thinking is more challenging to teach. The people who absorb it best are intrinsically motivated and have the desire to improve and level up their intellectual abilities. They’re also confident in their capabilities and seek out mentors and role models who can help them improve their thinking.

Why the world needs more high-level thinkers

While it’s essential to live in a world where people are heart-centered, it’s equally important that they also upgrade the quality of their thinking for three reasons:

1. Advancing humanity: When high-level thinkers engage their creativity and critical thinking skills, they can contribute to the economy and the arts in a significant way.

Our future and survival as a species depend on innovation, knowledge, and technology. History has shown us how breakthroughs in human ingenuity and curiosity can lead us to grow by leaps and bounds.

 2. Better citizens: For a society to function effectively, its citizens need to discern what’s right and wrong, what’s true and what’s false, and what’s good and bad for the collective. This occurs when they engage in high-level thinking instead of falling for a tribal mentality that does not question things and sticks with what’s familiar.

In a democracy, high-level citizens think they will make better choices with their votes because sound reasoning, facts, and evidence back them up. They don’t fall for propaganda, biases, and false narratives. US president Thomas Jefferson said, “An educated citizenry is vital for our survival as a free people.”

3. Better leadership: Undoubtedly, if a person in power engages in high-level thinking, it will benefit everyone. Think of leaders like Marcus Aurelius and Elizabeth II, who engaged in deep thought before making decisions and how their citizens benefited from their process. Unlike leaders who were shallow thinkers and were ruled by impulses, they brought about peace and stability.

When we’re willing to slow down and stay with problems long enough, we’ll become assets to our families, communities, countries, and the world. We can unite with other high-level thinkers, work towards solving some of the world’s most vexing problems and improve things.

How high-level thinking can benefit you

High-level thinking will make you a better citizen and benefit you in your personal and professional life. The ability to create, invent, problem-solve, and communicate in fresh ways can make you stand out in a sea full of conformity. As a high-level thinker, you will:

• Have the ability to generate and translate your ideas, hidden talents, and creative visions into expressions, works of art, and prose that people can understand and appreciate. 
• Develop confidence in your ability to reason and debate with anyone who challenges your views without being fearful of their judgment.
• Impress recruiters, investors, higher-ups, teachers, and influencers with originality, out-of-the-box thinking, and thoroughness.
• Solve everyday problems systematically and thoughtfully without getting overwhelmed with emotion and hopelessness. In this way, we trust ourselves more and develop independence.
• Evaluate choices confidently, knowing you have the reasoning capabilities and resourcefulness to decide which ones are best for you.
• Develop perspectives, beliefs, and personal narratives that serve your growth and happiness.
• Be a sounding board for those who seek your advice and opinions.
• Become adept at reading people and understanding their intentions and perspectives.
• Exercise your mind beyond your comfort zone and increase its threshold for thinking and learning.

Ten steps to increase high-level thinking

There are several ways to improve the quality of our thoughts and become better thinkers. Here are ten steps that will help you accomplish this:

1. Ask a lot of questions and be inquisitive. A thirst for knowledge will lead you down new, wonderful paths and possibilities.
2. Become a healthy skeptic. Don’t accept things at face value and realize that an argument has many sides. Explore all sides before coming to a conclusion. Question mass opinions and recognize that experts don’t necessarily have all the answers.
3. Read voraciously. Strive to stretch your knowledge base by exposing yourself to different thinkers by reading various books that challenge you.
4. Engage in stimulating discussions. Everyone has something interesting to share. Conversations with good thinkers who get you to think differently are a potent way to improve your thinking. Getting their feedback on your ideas allows you to improve as well.
5. Know your biases and blind spots. Biases lead to errors in our judgment. None of us is immune, but we can avoid them with greater awareness.
6. Take courses. There are several courses on mental models and critical thinking where you can train your mind to think differently. These frameworks represent how the world works, guide our thoughts, and help us understand the world better.
7. Boost your brain power. Improve your brain health by eating certain foods, getting enough sleep, exercising, and drinking plenty of water. Meditation and playing mind games or brain-challenging activities are other practices that improve your thoughts.
8. Practice emotional regulation: Our rational minds and emotional brains are connected – whatever we feel impacts our thoughts and decision-making. We must develop coping skills to manage anxiety, stress, or other feelings that could cloud our judgment.
9. Build your metacognition abilities. When we practice purposeful introspection, thinking shifts from a background operation to one we can analyze and improve. Metacognition allows deliberate thought and self-reflection through journaling and sharing our thoughts with others.
10. Utilize challenges as opportunities to problem-solve. Instead of viewing problems as obstacles to success and happiness, see them as opportunities to tap into your resourcefulness. They offer a chance to develop wisdom and exercise your strategic and tactical abilities.

“You are what you think” is popular in Buddhist teaching. It indicates how potent our thoughts can be. It has the power to create, but it also has the power to destroy.

As a high-level thinker, you guard the gates of your mind and only allow creative and positive influences to enter. With every high-quality thought that arises, you’re emboldened to be more and give more.

All my best on your journey,

Seline

Question for you: Do you consider yourself a high-level thinker? Why or why not, and how can you improve the quality of your thoughts?

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