Thinking twice this way is a review and double-check. This is what is usually meant by “think twice.” 2. Think once then change one or more of the following, partially or completely: perspective, information, thought process. Then think again.
Sometimes this will lead to a different conclusion, sometimes not. Far too many people mistake the first approach to thinking twice for the second approach. They mistakenly think they have been open-minded just by simply going over the same information using the same thought process from the same perspective. It is also important to understand that when two conclusions exist after thinking twice, one conclusion is not necessarily better than the other.
It simply means that some portion of the first time you thought about something and some portion of the second time you thought about something is different enough to lead to a different conclusion – slightly, significantly or totally. This helps remind you how a difference in perspective, information or thought process, changes conclusions for yourself and for others. When you have reached different conclusions, it is helpful to seek to understand where the difference occurred and why. Then, you must seek to understand whether or not you need to make some adjustments between information, thought processes and perspectives used during each of the two times you thought about the same thing. This helps you understand yourself better when you reach conclusions and make decisions and also helps you understand others better when their conclusions and subsequent decisions differ from yours. Don't focus on the person or their conclusions and decisions. Focus on the information they are using, the perspective they are using and the thought process they are using.
Practice on yourself by reviewing conclusions you once reached and decisions you once made that are now different. Pick an approach and try it out. Then change something and try it out again.
Try to understand the points of convergence where the two approaches match and also try to understand the points of divergence, where the two approaches don't match.
I suggest avoiding the use of the words agree and disagree when practicing on yourself and when thinking about others or having discussions with others. Those two words, agree and disagree automatically invoke thoughts of persuasion and convincing, which are two things that most people resist and guard against because those words cause people to think someone is smarter than them or right and they are not as smart and wrong. All of this is not a good basis to try to reach understanding of information, understanding of thought process or understanding of perspective.
If we do some or all of what is put forth in this blog message, it will help facilitate understanding of self, which is what our focus should be on when it comes to encountering information, experiencing information and studying information, processes, perspectives, conclusions and decisions made by self and made by others during any time period of human existence.
Think Three Times
Even though each person has the free will to decide when and how to think twice, that does not change the obvious need to think more than once when it comes to making certain decisions.It helpful to think once, then think twice using the first approach, and then think twice using the second approach. Thinking more than once automatically occurs when a person seeks counsel from family, friends or other sources.
However, sometimes the person falls into the trap of relying on family, friends or other sources that meet the requirements of the first approach above but do not meet the requirements of the second approach. This becomes confirmation bias intentionally or not. Consider this. Every moment of every day, we are constantly living, experiencing and encountering information through our various sensing abilities.
Hopefully we are also increasing in understanding (maturing).
As a result of all this information, we should either continuously or periodically think twice and think three, four or more times about some of our most important conclusions and decisions.
