Wondering why communication is so hard? Or how two, intelligent, educated people can come to such different conclusions on any given topic? I suggest it’s because we don’t all use the same processes to think. Dive in and comment below – there’s a great debate and we want your opinion!
I was tasked at work to blog on the difference between Linear Thinking and Non-Linear Thinking, and how it relates to business. Not being an expert in the subject (but not feeling limited in expressing my opinion either) I dove in. Please feel free to comment – I love hearing your opinion.
Logic and Creativity
Some of us pride ourselves on being logical. We think through ideas with the efficiency of a well-oiled machine. We enjoy structured thought and evidence-based conclusions. I’m sure you know the type – we plan out every step of a process, follow the Gantt chart to the “t”, and ensure results within schedules and deadlines.
Others of us pride ourselves on being creative. We rejoice in the big ideas, in the new discoveries, and in the satisfaction of creation. We are always coming up with new ways to solve problems, love the questions “what if?” and don’t mind jumping ahead in a conversation to tell you what we just thought of.
Or perhaps you find yourself some mixture of the two (if I had to bet, I’d guess this is the likely scenario).
I suggest that these two characteristics of humans (logic and creativity) are often correlated with two different, but not disconnected types of thought processes: Linear thinking and non-Linear thinking. Rather than argue that one is more important or practical than the other, I suggest that both linear and non-linear thought processes are integral to success in business and, on the grander scale, life.
The Linear Nature of Logic
“Linear Thinking” is defined as follows:
[Linear thinking is] a process of thought following known cycles or step-by-step progression where a response to a step must be elicited before another step is taken.
Linear means “like a line”, and so a linear process moves forward in a line. If a = b, and b = c, then a = c. The application of linear thinking can be found in the well known Socratic Method:
a form of inquiry and debate between individuals with opposing viewpoints based on asking and answering questions to stimulate rational thinking and to illuminate ideas
Jan Helfeld (pronounced Iain), a rather infamous libertarian reporter, provides an amusing (or infuriating – depending on who’s side you’re on) application of the Socratic method to our political representatives. It’s all very logical, and for those who don’t build their policies or opinions on logic, it’s a game that raises tempers with captivating efficiency. After watching, I tend to wonder if any of our policy makers think through their political conclusions logically. Logic seems lost from our world, like an ancient language that’s spoken only by tribes of some distant jungle.
More important to this blog’s argument however, is that Jan’s use of the Socratic method is also extremely linear, and evidence that Jan thinks in a linear fashion (or at least enjoys doing so). As much as the person in the hot seat wants to jump around and evade, Jan forces them to answer one question before they move on to the next. The videos remind me of walking a puppy – when they want to walk every direction but the one you’re traveling. You rein them in every time before moving forward.
Though you may doubt it after watching Jan Helfeld’s videos, much of our world is indeed structured upon the concept of logic (very basic logic at least). We learn math, deductive reasoning, and tend to apply these logical processes to our everyday life. Our drive to do so comes from our inherent need, as cognitive humans, to categorize our experiences in our minds and make projections about what the outcome of an action will be. We compare our expectations with our experience, weigh the similarity, and adjust our thought processes as needed.
Linear thinkers are very much the same; they start at step one and usually do a good and efficient job of completing the task before moving on to step two. They are driven, focused, and don’t easily get off topic. Does this sound like you? Perhaps. Or maybe it sounds like the person in the office you have a tough time working with?
The Dangers of Logic
There’s a danger in relying too heavily on logic. The danger is in the determination of the starting point. Once a starting point is chosen, there are a limited number of logical conclusions to any given problem. For example, imagine a store owner who believes that he must raise his revenues to increase his profits. He tries multiple methods including advertising, increasing inventory, and product bundling to bring in more customers and increase sales. But he forgot that he could also reduce his costs to increase profits, and in doing so missed what might have been much less expensive, less demanding options.
This example is simplistic, but it underscores the point that for any logical process, there must be a decided-upon truth as a starting point. And the beauty of logic, is that it allows us to reach an answer from a given starting point. It’s easy, however, to rely upon starting points simply because they’re what we’ve used all our lives – starting points that either may be false, or that limit us from finding a much better answer. In fact, I’ve written another article all about the problems in our political systems stemming from mismatched starting points. You can read it here.
Non-Linear Thinking
Non-linear thinking, a relatively new term, is vague enough (perhaps naturally so) that a simple google search will yield more beatings-around-the-bushes than formal definitions for the phrase. I think of it as follows:
Non-Linear Thinking is human thought characterized by expansion in multiple directions, rather than in one direction, and based on the concept that there are multiple starting points from which one can apply logic to a problem.
Non-linear thinking is less constrictive – letting the creative side of you run rampant because of its inherent lack of structure. It’s kind of like letting a puppy run wild on a walk up a mountain – anything of interest will be thoroughly investigated (and perhaps peed on) before jumping to the next, possibly non-related subject! It’s very much like brainstorming – allowing thought to flow, unhindered, in attempts to arrive upon something special in the process.
Non-linear thought increases possible outcomes by not being so certain about the starting point for any logic process. Non-linear thinkers tend to jump forward, and from side to side through the steps of a project, in an effort to see the big picture and tackle those areas where they have the most interest. Where non-linear thinking falters is in finally carrying out the required action, because as a thought process it often encourages a user to agonize incessantly over where to start (that agreed upon truth, from which logic can be applied and action can be taken).
A new form of digital presentation created by the folks at Prezi.com is a great example of non-linear and linear thinking in action. Why? Because rather than a linear slide show, it’s ultimately a picture, into which you can zoom in and out, infinitely. It allows you to present a product, concept, or argument in a logically by moving from location to location what is essentially group of images, but at any point you can zoom out and suddenly, “See the big picture” takes on a whole new meaning – Check it out!
Is Non-Linear Thinking the same as Fragmented Thinking or Disordered Thinking?
Is non-linear thinking the same as fragmented thinking? The truth is, I’m not sure. Medically speaking, fragmented and disordered thinking seem types of thought processes that are similar to “non-linear thinking” but more extreme in their severity. Fragmented thinkers, or disordered thinkers suffer from inability to string thoughts together such that they have a hard time forming sentences. I’m sure we’ve all experienced times in which our thoughts were difficult to control, or when we couldn’t seem to come to conclusions about a given topic. That said, fragmented thinkers may experience this as the norm in their lives.
In Conclusion
Again, as in my introduction, I stress the importance of both processes. And what I mean by this is maybe it’s important to have both types of thinkers on a team. Or perhaps its fine to experience both types of thinking in your own mind, and to understand how and why both thought processes can be useful. Not that I’m so certain one can force themselves to think a certain way. However, we can put ourselves in positions that encourage certain types of thought.
Need to get something done, a task for which you know the starting point and the desired outcome? It may be worth your while to place yourself in an environment with few distractions and keep yourself on target.
That said, many business leaders take intentional breaks to go on walks and to “tend their gardens” mentally, allowing their minds to wander and think and perhaps stumble upon ideas and answers they hadn’t previously considered.
When it comes to the teams of people you work with, remember that for any given problem, you need those naturally creative types to work in sync with those who can hold their noses to the grindstone. Use non-linear thought processes (and those who are naturally good at acting this way) to reexamine starting points and increase the possibility of finding the best option, and use linear thinkers and their efficient logic-based reasoning, once a starting point has been established, to get the job done in a timely manner.
Whatever mixture of these two processes you prefer, take responsibility for your choices and learn from your mistakes, and I’ll bet on your success.
~Cecil “Chuck” McCumber
PS – What is linear thinking? What is non-linear thinking? Want to take a shot at your own definition (like I did)? I’d love your feedback! Comment below!
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I don’t think thinking in a linear fashion is the synonym of being logical. Both a linear and a creative thinker can be logical. Being logical is being able to look at the real world to understand concepts, make decisions or create NEW solutions. Logical thinking makes sense and is adaptable to, yes, real world evidence. However, in my opinion, a logical thinker is also able to observe patterns of progress and see that many real solutions have come from out-of-the-box creative thinking and dare to venture into wavier paths.
Thinking in a mechanical, step-by-step way, only using known principles is just linear, not logical. (Pun alert) LOGICALLY, we would not have any scientific progress in any field if we only used old known solutions without trying new, outrageous ones.
From my experience, putting both a linear thinker and a non-linear thinker on the same team to tackle the same issue without assigning them clear roles is not a good thing. I’ll explain.
If one of them knows how to be stubborn and get his/her way, the other side is doomed to be belittled, frustrated and disappointed. You’ll end up with a solution that might get you nowhere forward. If, however, both have clearly defined tasks and are able to bring two kinds of solutions to the table, both sets of ideas can be compared and analyzed by other parties. A GREATER, more efficient solution can then be found.
Are the two methods (or processes) of thinking cosidered to be influenced by Nature ? or Nurture?
are we predisposed to one or the other? and if we are..can we control or change to the other team ?
Hi Chck. It’s a great job you brought a discussion here that, from my point of view, is and will be the most important subject for present and future generations as to know how to guide and run each part of the life and society. Let me add something:
It has been indeed a big issue over the course of history between different levels of people, especially the philosophers and politicians, whether they were or weren’t aware of the fact that they have been divided into two groups of these liner and non-linear thinkers. The actual root to this matter goes back to the epistemology of the humans, before they think what to do to in a specific or general issue.
Now, when you bring this matter in a discussion that should determine what do in a specific issue, we better delineate the tow phases: thinking and doing. By doing this, now we have linear and non-liner thinkers, and then linear and non-liner doers. Thinkers are the leaders of the doers on how to think and how to do. And doers are the followers of the initial thoughts and school by thinkers, while they are also sub-thinkers of the main idea. Doers, especially linear-doers have been public figures and big achievers, especially in the eyes of public/grassroot.
Among thinkers, the non-linear thinkers are the ones who are going and thinking very deep in the nature to discover more and expand the knowledge of the humanity to its satisfied extent. But linear thinkers are habitually leaning to stop at some point in order to make a structured knowledge for others: humanity. Therefore, non-linear thinkers who are going further and deeper, are discoverers and guiders of the rest, in terms of what to think. No matter if this non-linear thinker is a big philosopher of theory in politics and sociology, or a simple non-linear thinker in a single part of a small project/issue.
My conclusion: for having a sound philosophy and ideology to guide societies and governments, as well as founding better facts and knowledge for the public, we need the linear thinkers to found a structured and solid guide. But these linear thinkers must be inspired and informed by the non-linear thinkers. Once we have and ideal set of theories and guidance, we need linear doers, who are in the meantime linear sub-thinkers, to run the segments of the public life like government, law, economics and etc based on that ideology. But these linear doers (sub-thinkers) better to be inspired or sometimes be adjusted by ideas from the non-linear doers, who are also non-linear sub-thinkers. Once the initial ideas set and the actions determined, this must be examined and adjusted periodically in terms of its righteousness and usefulness, by all parties in a human society.
There are two ways : Take an idea and build it into something by reasoning and exploring possibilities OR
Decide what you want to do and then start planning around it to get it.
I am for the second option.
Linear and non-linear think do not have to be used together for logic to be used. In fact, I’m sure there is a lot of logic to the way a politician talks, just on a level that is more personal, and thus odd to a bystander who is not that person or does not know them personally. Good article Chuck, helps me understand the other side.
My boyfriend tells me to not think linear with him, can anyone advise me as to what he means by that? He is a writer, has published books comma as well as producer and actor. Keeping that in mind I was wondering if you might have any advice. I have always thought myself as a creative person. I would appreciate some feedback thanks much.
salaam thank you for bringing up this important subject! 🙂 I would like to point out that nonlinear thinking need not be “letting the creative side of you run rampant because of its inherent lack of structure.” nonlinear thinking can be very structured. I am currently working on defining multiple potential reality mapping; which delineates the difference between one true reality and a multitude of related unrealities in a definite structure.
The thinking process according to definition is divided into four parts. Observing, absorbing, thinking and abstraction. in my opinion there should be little bit more: Observing absorbing, understanding,
predicting, innovating, thinking and abstraction. part of innovating would be non linear thinking. A very simplistic example of it would be
having a puzzle. With just few pieces filled. As well as each of those pieces being located far away from each other. Someone being able to think non linearly would be able to choose the right pieces quicker and fill this puzzle without knowing the picture it supposed to represent beforehand. Like i said this is very simplistic example. Because its one dimensional and static. in truly non linear thinking. Person would be able to do same thing but in dynamic ever changing system. Someone who is really good at non-linear thinking I think would be able to look at a system about which he himself or even no one else has lot of knowledge. By looking at that system this person would realize what gaps of knowledge he has to understand this system.knowing what needs to be done to fill those gaps. As well as being able to understand the whole system based only on few of those gaps being filled. Also being able to fill more gaps in a correct order to further understand this system. (Which would be a dynamic ever changing system) And build many widely diverse new systems from there. (Each of those systems individually, and all of them together. Being dynamic ever changing systems in which common connection exists but is difficult to find and calculate because calculations and grasping of the system are non linear). non linear thinking in my opinion has close ties with abstract thinking. one might think at first glance that its not that close to being able to predict. but its exactly opposite. In fact non linear thinking is very closely related to predicting especially given the fact that many systems are non linear. As far as relation between logic and non linear thinking. in my opinion non linear thinking is combination of logic and innovation. however the concepts used to get to a given goal have to have underling connection but be able to be flexible enough to compensate for dynamic changes underling system being studied. In a nutshell I believe that non linear thinking means understanding distant concepts(as well as forming new ones) putting them all together in logical fashion. While underling nature of those concepts has certain logical arrangement as a whole but is dynamic and ever changing. I’m sorry if I was not able to make myself entirely clear.
I think term non linear thinking is self evident but very difficult to truly define. Much like time.
Leider zu gut!
Funny I always thought creativity ran in a linear fashion. That it was Necessity, Formation, Expression, emanation in a sense. For me the definition of non linear thought would be:
Unnecessarily original, and also beautifully gifted inspiration.
To me I see this when children intervene in adult affairs, and bring sincerity to Over complicated disputes.
“Human” being the first word in your definition of non- linear thinking, limits your starting point right out of the gate. I’m sure I’m not the best Christian apologist to represent this (IMO) constructive viewpoint, but you’ve precluded Devine inspiration from the realm of possibility. I like the definition otherwise, but would nix the first word. Good article. I believe I’ve learned something substantial here.
Hi Kelly – thanks for your insight! I wrote this article many years ago, and to tell the truth I’m not sure that the word “human” really is all that necessary to my arguments – perhaps it was/is unnecessary. Even so, calling thought “human” doesn’t specify where thoughts themselves come from; it doesn’t preclude thoughts from being divine or the concept of divine inspiration. As a creative (I’m a songwriter and artist as well as an essayist), I think a lot about inspiration. And, to your point, the more I examine the process of creativity, the less I believe that I consciously “create” very much at all. Each work of art that I create seems filled with things upon which I “stumble”, rather than consciously set out to create.
I talk a bit about this in another article here. Anyway – hope you enjoy and thank you so much for your feedback!
Really fantastic the number of insightful comments that are on this page – I’ve learned a lot, simply from everyone’s feedback!
Appreciation to my father who shared with me regarding this blog, this blog
is in fact remarkable.
Hi Chuck. First of all, it is useful to know your fascinating explanation. Now may you give me some advises or comments on applying linear thinking for studying a foreign language. And to you, what method/thinking is the best to get language proficiency as fast as possible? Im sincerely look forward to hearing you. Thank you so much.
Im also eager to receive someone else’s comments. Please feel free to remark.
What an interesting question! Well, I guess one could consider the standard grammar lessons of any language as a “linear” approach to learning. And believe me, those grammar lessons are important. At the same time, I think it’s just as important to learn to say things you know you’ll need. For instance, maybe you haven’t reached the point in class where you use past tense, but you’re taking a trip somewhere and you want to be able to say “I was born in the United States” or “I studied literature in college”… you should let yourself skip around because those are the phrases that are fun, and are likely to be used in conversation. I think language learning is a perfect example of the need for both linear and non-linear thinking. Keep at the grammar, but make a list of phrases you use in daily life that you should learn, even if you don’t fully understand the grammar beneath them. Just learn them and use them. That’s how we all started, anyway 🙂 I remember I used to think the phrase was “take it for granite,” as opposed to “granted.” Didn’t matter that I was saying it wrong, I knew what it meant. Thanks for your question! What do you think? I’m not the expert – haha.
I would call my husband a linear thinker. When he wants to know how to get to a new place, he looks at mapquest and writes down every step.
I consider myself a non-linear thinker. I look at the map and “take a picture” in my head of the shape of the lines.
And I call myself a non-thinker. I don’t tend to arrive where I’m going.
(kidding) – thank you for the feedback!
~ Chuck
We should look into above discussion as linear thinking vs whole thinking which includes intuitional thinking which is non thinking,the stage from where all truly great inventions n discoveries hv come.This is whole body thinking not by brain or mind which is everywhere n no where.
I like that! More and more I’m reminded that the entire body (and perhaps beyond) is our organism and that while we conceptualize of our “brain” and our “consciousness” as being in our heads, there’s not as much evidence of that as we’d like to think! Thanks for your input!