Now I am enjoying creating the logic of the new concept: minimalism in thinking. It is the mental version of minimalism. Today, I will talk about how to get another kind of breakthrough.
How to break through the deadlock
Sometimes, we want to break through the current hard situation. Despite many problems that exhaust us, we don’t know how to solve.
A typical example is money and a job. We want to quit our exhausting jobs. However, we need money to live. Without it, we cannot live. Caught between these two problems, we cannot do anything but continue the current situation.
That makes us wish for a new idea or an effective method. We might try to learn from various informational sources, such as books, websites, videos, and social media.
To solve the root problem
However, there is a problem: the more information we follow, the more confused we become. One example is forgetting the first objective. We started learning because we wanted to make our lives easier, yet by learning forcefully, we are increasing the burdens of life.
In addition, such an approach doesn’t solve the above problem about money and a job.
In other words, it means something is fundamentally wrong. We have to focus on the root of the problem.
However, we don’t know what is wrong.
To solve this problem, I will introduce one fundamental perspective. That is minimalism in thinking. This logic tells us how to break through a deadlock, like the problem of money and a job.
A deadlock vs. a lack of ability
There are two kinds of troubles, as follows:
- A deadlock is caused by a conflict of rules inside us. An example is a double bind, like ‘Quit your job, but don’t lose money!’ or ‘Live your life, but don’t be selfish!’ They are incompatible. To solve this problem, we have to reduce the rules inside us. Minimalism in thinking helps us.
- A lack of ability is caused by a lack of rules inside us. People call these rules knowledge or experience. To solve this problem, we have to add rules inside us. Learning and practicing help us.
We have to distinguish them. We tend to pursue only the latter. However, adding something could be pointless in some cases, such as deadlock or confusion. This is because a conflict of rules causes the trouble.
Thinking tools we can use
Minimalism in thinking would help in such a case. In this concept, there are several thinking tools, as follows:
- (The simplest) Logic is the simplest thinking tool. We solve problems according to the mechanism of the problem’s system. Although we can get the best solution, it is difficult to figure out the mechanism when the problem has many factors.
- Ways of life are the next simplest thinking tools. We solve problems by philosophy—balancing two contradictory aspects inside us. Examples are being active and resting, changing outside and inside, and creating changes and stability.
- Ways of thinking are the more specific thinking tools. We solve problems with individual rules. However, they often cause deadlocks and confusion.
- (The more specific) Other specific techniques are more precise ones with restricted conditions. It is only possible to master in a limited area. An example is the expertise held by specialists.
How to solve the problem of money and a job
Let’s look at an example of how to solve a problem. We use the problem of money and a job that I introduced at the beginning of this article.
Suppose we are stuck. Although we want to quit our exhausting jobs, we need money to live. It is the state of a double bind. That makes us unable to do anything but continue the current situation.
This means we are judging based on our ways of thinking. We can discern it by considering which of our ideas are mechanisms, philosophy, or rules. In this case, we have the following two ideas:
‘Quit the job. Otherwise I will be exhausted.’
‘Keep working. Otherwise I lose money.’
They are neither a whole mechanism of the system nor a philosophy. That tells us that these two ideas are rules in the level of ways of thinking.
The perspective of ways of life
Let’s elevate this conflict to the perspective of ways of life. From this perspective, we solve problems based on philosophy. To be more specific, we balance two contradictory aspects inside us based on our moods.
Let’s see the two aspects of a job and money.
It can be said that their relationship is the same as working and resources. We sometimes want to work but sometimes want to save or consume resources.
Contradictory but inseparable
However, from the perspective of life, we can find that they are contradictory but inseparable.
Try thinking of what is work. Working at a company is one job, but eating, sleeping, and even enjoying hobbies are forms of the job because they allow us to work well. All activities are connected to work.
Then, let’s think of saving or consuming resources. The purpose of saving and consuming money is the same. We want to buy something, so we save money. Their purpose is for other activities, such as eating, sleeping, enjoying hobbies, and even keeping working healthily.
That tells us we cannot separate money and a job. They are contradictory but inseparable.
What the knowledge of ignorance gives us
This awareness makes us unable to tell which is good or bad. There is neither right nor wrong.
In addition, we also don’t know how the future unfolds and what the future holds. This is because there is no good or right answer. An answer means a decision that surely makes the future better. However, from the perspective of life, there is no answer.
Philosophy is the factor that influences a person’s choice in the absence of an answer. In other words, we decide by mood at that time. Philosophy means deciding things by one’s mood based on his individuality.
In this state, we don’t have rules, such as ‘Quit the job or be exhausted’ or ‘Keep working or lose money.’ We are freed from the double bind.
Philosophy that reduces trivial rules
In other words, philosophy allows us to reduce trivial rules inside us. One form of philosophy is knowing our ignorance about future results. There are so many factors that affect the future. We can understand that the ways of thinking—specific rules inside us—are just small fragments of the possibilities in the world.
Thanks to this perspective, we can move more freely. Although it would not be the best way, we can find a reasonable path while avoiding critical mistakes. That allows us to proceed to the next stage in life.
That is a way to solve the problem of a deadlock.
Conclusion
That is how to use minimalism in thinking.
It provides us with a fundamental perspective for changing our lives.
This might allow us to break through a deadlock, like the problem of money and a job.
Thank you for reading this article. I hope to see you in the next one.
