Humans have always been thinkers. From the time early humans began to communicate, they used their brains to figure out how to survive and thrive. Over the years, humans have continued to use their brains to solve problems and create new things. To do this, humans have had to learn to think differently.

Interestingly, humans are not the only animals that think. Ravens, for example, are known for being very clever birds. They can solve problems and even use tools. However, humans still outrank all other animals regarding their thinking ability. This is mainly because humans can think abstractly. We can imagine things that don't exist and come up with solutions to problems that don't have straightforward answers.

Human versus Computers

With thinking, humans and computers have similarities and significant differences. Both humans and computers can solve problems. Although humans are better at abstract thinking, computers are better at logical thinking.

Computers can come up with ideas based on logic and data, but they cannot come up with totally new and original ideas. One thing that will always set humans apart from machines is our ability to think creatively and come up with new solutions to problems.

Thinking Styles

There are two fundamental ways humans think: convergent and divergent thinking.

Convergent thinking is focused and goal-oriented. It is suitable for solving problems that have a single correct answer. Most people think in a convergent way most of the time because our schools and workplaces reward people who come up with the one right answer. However, to innovate and create, we need people who can think in divergent ways.

Divergent thinking is more open-ended and exploratory. It is good for solving problems that have multiple correct answers. We often use this thinking in creative professions, where people are encouraged to develop new and innovative ideas.

Both convergent and divergent thinking are essential. The best way to solve a problem is to use both types of thinking together. Start by using divergent thinking to explore different possibilities to develop new and innovative ideas. Then, by using convergent thinking, you can narrow down your options and find the best solution.

Convergent Thinking

Convergent thinking is a problem-solving approach that involves generating one correct solution to a problem and creating action plans.

Characteristics of Convergent Thinking

There are several characteristics of convergent thinking. First, it is logical and systematic. This means that convergent thinkers approach problems step-by-step, analyzing all the data before coming to a conclusion. Second, they are analytical. They like to break down problems into smaller parts so that they can understand them better. Third, they are objective. They make decisions based on facts and data, not emotions or personal opinions. Finally, they are decisive. They know what they want, and they go after it aggressively.

Limitations of Convergent Thinking

While convergent thinking is an important skill, it has some limitations. First, it can be rigid and inflexible. They often have trouble adapting to new situations or changing their minds once they have made a decision. Second, it can be restrictive. They often focus too much on the details and lose sight of the bigger picture. And finally, it can be boring. It can be repetitive and unchallenging, leading to stagnation and a lack of creativity.

Divergent Thinking

Humans need people with divergent thinking skills to create and innovate. Divergents think outside of the box and come up with many possible solutions for a problem instead of one good idea like convergent thinkers do; they explore all angles to find something new or different about any given situation which can lead them down paths not taken by others before – essential if we want our world's progress made quickly enough!

Characteristics of Divergent Thinking

There are several characteristics of divergent thinking. First, it is creative. Divergent thinkers think outside the box and come up with ideas that no one else has thought of before. Second, it is flexible. Divergent thinkers can adapt quickly to new situations and change their minds when necessary. Third, it is open-minded. Divergent thinkers are willing to consider different points of view and explore alternate solutions. And fourth, it is challenging. Divergent thinking can be frustrating because it involves taking risks and stepping out of your comfort zone.

Limitations of Divergent Thinking

While divergent thinking is essential for innovation, it has its own set of limitations. First, it can be disorganized. Divergent thinkers often have trouble staying focused on one task or goal. Second, it can be undisciplined. Divergent thinkers may start projects but never finish them because they get sidetracked easily. And finally, it can be chaotic. Divergent thinking can lead to confusion and may not always result in a clear solution.

Need More Divergent Thinkers

Since convergent thinking is the most common form of thinking, we need to expand our thinking styles by building up divergent thinkers.

The first step in improving your divergent thinking skills is understanding the different types of divergent thinking. There are ideators, connectors, and analogizers. Ideators come up with a lot of ideas, connectors connect ideas, and analogizers see similarities between ideas.

You need to practice and be proficient in all three types to improve your divergent thinking skills.

The Ideator

To be a successful divergent thinker, you need to be an ideator — the ability to generate new ideas constantly. The best way to do this is to have a tool or method that you can use to stimulate your creativity. It can be any process, approach, aid (e.g., card decks), or tool you find helpful in getting your creative juices flowing.

The key is to use the tools to be creative regularly. Don't just use it to develop new ideas for work or school projects. Use it to come up with new ideas for anything and everything. The more you use your ideator skills, the better your divergent thinking skills will become.

There are so many ways that you can improve your ideator skills. One way is to practice brainstorming by identifying a daily object like a ballpoint pen and setting an idea quote (e.g., 25) for how many ways you could improve it. The idea quota forces you to brainstorm various ideas, some of which may be far-fetched and beyond the obvious. Still, the important part is that it gets you into the habit of generating new ideas regularly.

The Connector

The connector skill takes two seemingly unrelated ideas and finds the link. Divergent thinkers need to see the world in terms of connections and can come up with new ideas by linking together different concepts. This results in taking a lot of disparate ideas and finding the common thread that ties them together. The result is ideas that wouldn't have been possible if the thinking was linear.

One exercise is to take a problem you are trying to solve and break it down into different fundamental parts. Then, find as many evident and non-obvious connections between those parts. Then take those connections and use your ideator skills to brainstorm more ideas.

This will force you to see the problem differently and come up with new ideas that might seem random but could lead to an unexpected solution.

The Analogizer

The Analogizer is the skill where someone can see the similarities between wildly different ideas. They can take two seemingly unrelated concepts and mash them up. The result is the ability to come up with new and innovative ideas by finding connections between ideas that don't seem to be related.

For example, it can take two different industries, companies, products, or services and find as many non-obvious similarities and differences as possible. Then take those and use your ideator skills to brainstorm more ideas.

Divergent Thinkers Win

The world is full of convergent thinkers. They are the people who work in corporations, follow the rules, and arrive at a single solution. They are good at following instructions and are often praised for their ability to “stay within the lines.” The world also has its fair share of divergent thinkers. They are the people who start businesses, push boundaries, and come up with new ideas. They are often praised for their creativity and innovation.

Divergent thinkers are critical to innovation and progress. Corporations rely on convergent thinkers to maintain efficiency and consistency, but divergent thinkers drive innovation and change. Divergent thinkers can see beyond the status quo and develop new ways of doing things. They challenge the rules and find solutions to problems nobody else has thought of.

Divergent thinkers help businesses stay ahead of the competition by coming up with new ideas that no one has ever thought of before. They help businesses remain innovative and relevant in today's constantly changing world. As a result, businesses that want to succeed must embrace divergence and encourage their employees to think creatively.

To know more about divergent and convergent thinking, listen to: Why Divergent Thinkers Will Always Win.