We shouldn’t confuse just thinking with good thinking. Practically every situation we encounter requires thinking before acting. But commonly, your usual cognitive methods won’t cut it. You’ll need a fresh perspective. A new way to look at things to solve a complex problem. That’s where thinking in 3D – or three-dimensional thinking – can help.
The scientific word for 3D thinking is spatial visualization.
Spatial visualization is the ability to rotate, maneuver, and disassemble two and three-dimensional objects in your head. You interact with objects with your working memory to see how they look from all sides and potentially figure out how they were assembled.
Strong 3D thinkers can even invent whole structures in their heads before even picking up a drawing tool to start the initial blueprint.
Commonly, people who are dyslexic are considered strong 3D thinkers.
One example is James Russell. The person who invented the compact disk in 1973 – or at least the first operating prototype was produced then.
In an interview, he shares that a large part of the design was invented in his head before he even touched a pencil.
All that sounds great.
But you might ask: “How we can leverage thinking in 3D in our daily lives besides faster-constructing Legos?” And, potentially, “Why do we need to use this thinking type?”
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Since you’ve come this far, it seems that you are passionate about pursuing depth over distraction. I am too! And while what I’m about to say next probably won’t quite excite you, I have to say it…
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- Ted Talks, Perspective is everything, Rory Sutherland. On the web: https://www.ted.com/talks/rory_sutherland_perspective_is_everything
- I first found out about this puzzle – and thinking technique – from the book Thinkertoys. I highly recommend checking it if you want to push the limits of your creative thinking.
- Manzoor F, Wei L and Asif M (2021) Intrinsic Rewards and Employee’s Performance With the Mediating Mechanism of Employee’s Motivation. Front. Psychol. 12:563070. On the web: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.563070
- John D. Norton, Chasing a Beam of Light:Einstein’s Most Famous Thought Experiment. On the web: https://sites.pitt.edu/~jdnorton/Goodies/Chasing_the_light/
