It all began with a story about fishing.
Two brothers were discussing the strategies needed to become a successful fisherman. One spoke about the importance of thinking, prompting the other to ask what he meant by that. The reply was intriguing:
“All there is to thinking is seeing something noticeable which makes you see something you weren’t noticing, which makes you see something that isn’t even visible…”
(From A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean)
This perspective echoes a principle from Gestalt Psychology: the more one starts noticing, the more one truly sees. Conversely, the more one is preoccupied—especially in thought—the more one becomes blind to what is directly in front of them.
The Power of Noticing
Research and experiments, such as the famous “Invisible Gorilla” study, demonstrate how selective attention can cause people to miss even obvious things. In this experiment, participants focusing on counting basketball passes failed to notice a person in a gorilla suit walking right through the scene.
The lesson? When attention is narrowed, awareness shrinks. In thinking, this means important insights can be missed entirely.
Considering: The First Thinking Skill
In the Thinking for Humans training, the very first thinking skill introduced is consideration. At first glance, it seems easy—merely giving thought to a new or different idea. But in practice, it is one of the most challenging thinking skills to master.
Without the ability to consider, there is no entry point to true thinking. A closed mind simply reinforces what it already knows—sometimes reinforcing ignorance and blocking opportunities to grow wiser.
How Considering Works
Much like the fishing story, considering involves:
- Seeing something noticeable
- Staying with it long enough to
- See something previously unnoticed
- And eventually, perceiving something that may not even be directly visible.
True consideration takes time and patience. It’s like meditation—you let your mind sit with a thought, “try it on,” and explore it without rushing.
Trying Ideas On for Size
An essential part of considering is fully representing an idea in your mind—similar to trying on clothes before buying them. You see how the idea fits, walk around in it, and test how it feels. Only then can you decide whether it’s worth keeping.
Why Considering Matters
Considering is the foundation for all other thinking skills—drawing conclusions, testing with language, inferring consequences, evaluating values, and anticipating implications. Without it, these higher-order thinking processes are inaccessible.
The problem? Many people never even start here. They openly refuse, saying, “That’s a stupid idea, I won’t give it a moment’s thought.” When this happens:
- Conversations shut down
- Negotiations stall
- Problem-solving stops
- Committees and boards cling to the status quo
- Transformation is blocked before it begins
Open Mind, No Obligation
Importantly, considering doesn’t require agreement or a change of mind. It simply asks that one entertain the idea—invite it in, give it a fair hearing, ask respectful questions. If it’s still not appealing, it can be declined graciously:
“Thank you, but no thanks.”
An open mind doesn’t claim to have all the answers—it simply leaves the door open for learning.
Curated by Danielle Tan.
Reference:
- [Certified_meta-coach] 2025 Morpheus #32 THINKING AS CONSIDERING by L. Michael Hall, Ph.D. Executive Director, ISNS.
