<p>I think you need to think about what you mean by "speed of thinking".
Your language implies that you are looking for a generalised way to be more intelligent. I have not seen any simple interventions for increasing general intelligence.</p>

<p>You may find it more productive to focus on particular domains of your life that you want to improve. Practice and instruction improve performance in a given domain. There are a wide variety of mechanisms by which this occurs, some of which could be characterised as speed of thinking.</p>

<p>In particular, practice often leads to automaticity. Take for example, learning your times tables. When you first encounter a given question (e.g., 8 * 8 = 64), you may have to use a longer algorithm to solve the problem, but with practice, the equation itself may directly trigger recall. Alternatively, take many computer based tasks. The first time you try to perform a task (e.g., sorting your email by date), you may have to think more about how this task can be performed. With practice, you just recall how to do it.
A similar process of automaticity also applies to the perceptual and motor domains as you learn to assign visual attention effectively or learn to smooth out motor responses (for a review see Rosenbaum et al 2001). </p>

<p>This process of acquiring automaticity in a given domain is not exactly speed of thinking, but it has the same consequences. Automated actions reduce the demands on limited attentional resources, and can be executed quickly and efficiently.</p>

<p>For specific suggestions on what makes a great practice schedule you may want to read up on the literature on deliberate practice (e.g., Ericsson, et al 1993).</p>

<h2>References</h2>

<ul>
<li>Ericsson, K. A., Krampe, R. T., &amp; Tesch-Römer, C. (1993). The role of deliberate practice in the acquisition of expert performance. Psychological review, 100(3), 363. <a href="https://syllabus.byu.edu/uploads/h52kB4gCLyQP.pdf">PDF</a></li>
<li>Rosenbaum, D. A., Carlson, R. A., &amp; Gilmore, R. O. (2001). Acquisition of intellectual and perceptual-motor skills. Annual Review of Psychology, 52(1), 453-470. <a href="http://wexler.free.fr/library/files/rosenbaum%20%282001%29%20acquisition%20of%20intellectual%20and%20perceptual-motor%20skills.pdf">PDF</a></li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-01-18T01:21:59.167Z
2013-01-18T01:21:59.167Z
Jeromy Anglim
<p>In chess it helps not to watch for the entire thing, instead to watch only out for "structures" you know, e.g., some particular structure of a famous checkmate position. </p>

<p>You can also think in layers, and remove minor threads out of your thinking, like pawns or pieces on the starting line. This should also work in real world thinking.</p>

<ol>
<li>Remove minor threads </li>
<li>Recognize known structures and act faster as you would do if you would analyze every scenario you get into as unique</li>
</ol>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-12-30T15:39:29.100Z
2013-01-17T23:57:35.603Z
2013-01-17T23:57:35.603Z
thegrunt
<p>Thought can be trained like any other skill, by means of practice and persistence and gradual increase in the challenge until you peak. </p>

<p>There is a universal trade-off between bandwidth and latency, or throughput and delay if you will, that also applies to thinking. Fast thought cannot really go all that deep, it is basic and superficial. If you want to be able to rapidly present complex ideas or problem solutions, the only way is to be prepared in advance, though a far slower and gradual thought process. </p>

<p>It is a common misconception that routine thought is tad amount to practicing thought. Routine thought can at best maintain the current level, but usually it gradually drops it. It doesn't make you any better of a thinker than occasional running to catch the bus makes you a better runner.</p>

<p>And finally, be forewarned to the downsides of losing the "happiness of the dumb". Not that being more intelligent necessarily means being unhappy, it just means you can no longer be happy about many of the basic things, as they are no longer able to hit the now elevated level of "rewarding", instead appearing dull and unsatisfying. There is another common misconception that more intelligent people are intrinsically more unhappy, but those are people not quite intelligent enough to figure out that they simply need new and more meaningful things to be happy about and expect to get gratification from the stuff that used to work before the increase in intellect. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-03T16:01:02.587Z
Could you add sources and references to this answer to allow others to background read on your material?
AliceD
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-03T16:14:21.103Z
@AliceD I can't offer sources and references because I didn't source or reference this knowledge, but came about it through my own learning experience. I wouldn't be surprised if it is already documented tho, much of the stuff I come up with I eventually find published later on, it is just not my process, I am a hopeless autodidact - very good at learning on my own and very bad at learning from or being taught by others.
dtech
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-03T15:51:34.247Z
2018-07-03T16:34:04.503Z
2018-07-03T16:34:04.503Z
dtech
<p>What are some ways one can improve his/her speed of thinking and reasoning ? I am looking for some easy to follow strategies that can be systematically applied. (I am presuming it can be learnt/ taught ). </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-12-28T19:35:19.577Z
Practice. Almost all activities or types of reasoning involve having a mental library of useful facts or related situations that is built up through experience. There is such as thing as "pure" intelligence, unrelated to domain expertise, but in almost all situations people who can find solutions quickly and confidently are ones who have put a lot of time and work into learning the field and stretching their capabilities.
octern
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-12-29T01:37:23.247Z
By reducing thought depth and accuracy.
Kenshin
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-12-29T17:39:27.583Z
"speed of thinking"? can you be more specific? do you mean being able to solve math equations faster, speed up your internal monologue, or something else? i'm not sure what you're asking.
Jeff
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-01-30T10:14:40.047Z
You should be concerned about thinking better, not faster. Watch [this video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITTxTCz4Ums). I amazes me how Sam Harris talks so slowly, and yet is able to convey so much information.
Benjamin Crouzier
<cognitive-psychology><intelligence><reaction-time>
Improving Speed of Thinking
Shan
# Improving Speed of Thinking

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-12-28)

What are some ways one can improve his/her speed of thinking and reasoning ? I am looking for some easy to follow strategies that can be systematically applied. (I am presuming it can be learnt/ taught ).

**Tags:** cognitive-psychology, intelligence, reaction-time

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Practice. Almost all activities or types of reasoning involve having a mental library of useful facts or related situations that is built up through experience. There is such as thing as "pure" intelligence, unrelated to domain expertise, but in almost all situations people who can find solutions quickly and confidently are ones who have put a lot of time and work into learning the field and stretching their capabilities.  
> **username_2**: By reducing thought depth and accuracy.  
> **username_3**: "speed of thinking"? can you be more specific? do you mean being able to solve math equations faster, speed up your internal monologue, or something else? i'm not sure what you're asking.  
> **username_4**: You should be concerned about thinking better, not faster. Watch [this video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITTxTCz4Ums). I amazes me how Sam Harris talks so slowly, and yet is able to convey so much information.  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2013-01-18. Score: 7

I think you need to think about what you mean by "speed of thinking".
Your language implies that you are looking for a generalised way to be more intelligent. I have not seen any simple interventions for increasing general intelligence.

You may find it more productive to focus on particular domains of your life that you want to improve. Practice and instruction improve performance in a given domain. There are a wide variety of mechanisms by which this occurs, some of which could be characterised as speed of thinking.

In particular, practice often leads to automaticity. Take for example, learning your times tables. When you first encounter a given question (e.g., 8 \* 8 = 64), you may have to use a longer algorithm to solve the problem, but with practice, the equation itself may directly trigger recall. Alternatively, take many computer based tasks. The first time you try to perform a task (e.g., sorting your email by date), you may have to think more about how this task can be performed. With practice, you just recall how to do it.
A similar process of automaticity also applies to the perceptual and motor domains as you learn to assign visual attention effectively or learn to smooth out motor responses (for a review see Rosenbaum et al 2001).

This process of acquiring automaticity in a given domain is not exactly speed of thinking, but it has the same consequences. Automated actions reduce the demands on limited attentional resources, and can be executed quickly and efficiently.

For specific suggestions on what makes a great practice schedule you may want to read up on the literature on deliberate practice (e.g., Ericsson, et al 1993).

## References

* Ericsson, K. A., Krampe, R. T., & Tesch-Römer, C. (1993). The role of deliberate practice in the acquisition of expert performance. Psychological review, 100(3), 363. [PDF](https://syllabus.byu.edu/uploads/h52kB4gCLyQP.pdf)
* Rosenbaum, D. A., Carlson, R. A., & Gilmore, R. O. (2001). Acquisition of intellectual and perceptual-motor skills. Annual Review of Psychology, 52(1), 453-470. [PDF](http://wexler.free.fr/library/files/rosenbaum%20%282001%29%20acquisition%20of%20intellectual%20and%20perceptual-motor%20skills.pdf)


---

### Answer by username_6 on 2012-12-30. Score: 0

In chess it helps not to watch for the entire thing, instead to watch only out for "structures" you know, e.g., some particular structure of a famous checkmate position.

You can also think in layers, and remove minor threads out of your thinking, like pawns or pieces on the starting line. This should also work in real world thinking.

1. Remove minor threads
2. Recognize known structures and act faster as you would do if you would analyze every scenario you get into as unique


---

### Answer by username_7 on 2018-07-03. Score: -1

Thought can be trained like any other skill, by means of practice and persistence and gradual increase in the challenge until you peak.

There is a universal trade-off between bandwidth and latency, or throughput and delay if you will, that also applies to thinking. Fast thought cannot really go all that deep, it is basic and superficial. If you want to be able to rapidly present complex ideas or problem solutions, the only way is to be prepared in advance, though a far slower and gradual thought process.

It is a common misconception that routine thought is tad amount to practicing thought. Routine thought can at best maintain the current level, but usually it gradually drops it. It doesn't make you any better of a thinker than occasional running to catch the bus makes you a better runner.

And finally, be forewarned to the downsides of losing the "happiness of the dumb". Not that being more intelligent necessarily means being unhappy, it just means you can no longer be happy about many of the basic things, as they are no longer able to hit the now elevated level of "rewarding", instead appearing dull and unsatisfying. There is another common misconception that more intelligent people are intrinsically more unhappy, but those are people not quite intelligent enough to figure out that they simply need new and more meaningful things to be happy about and expect to get gratification from the stuff that used to work before the increase in intellect.

> **Comments:**
> **username_8**: Could you add sources and references to this answer to allow others to background read on your material?  
> **username_7**: @username_8 I can't offer sources and references because I didn't source or reference this knowledge, but came about it through my own learning experience. I wouldn't be surprised if it is already documented tho, much of the stuff I come up with I eventually find published later on, it is just not my process, I am a hopeless autodidact - very good at learning on my own and very bad at learning from or being taught by others.  

---

