This note is essentially a summary of the themes of [[The Extended Mind]], with some other goodness from [[Getting Things Done The Art of Stress-Free Productivity]] thrown in. The popular model of cognition for most of my life thus far as been the so-called **"brain-bound"** model - where human intelligence and thinking essentially _only_ happens inside the confines of the skull. This is, however, both _wrong_ and reductionistic. Stopping there neglects many real-world life-affecting methods and mechanisms that are used pervasively, and they come in many disparate forms. # Thinking with Your Body [[Emotional Algorithms]] are a thing. Your body is capable of learning on a subconscious level. This is one reason to get good at reading your body's signals (through [[Interoception]]) and _using_ your body when thinking (to incorporate [[Proprioception]]). Recall the firefighter who saved his crews' lives by calling for immediate evacuation of the collapsing house. Only _after_ was he able to put into words the wisdom his **body** held, "my feet were too hot". That was chocked up as [[Thin Slicing]], but it's also definitely the result of the body _extending_ the mind. Recall that [[Gestures Reveal Learning Before It Happens]]. You can cultivate better brain-body connection by using [[Interoceptive Shuttling]]. Ask yourself what your body is telling you, and [[What is this Situation Asking of Me]]. [[Walking Aids Thinking]] - move your body! **Especially** walking outside. # Thinking with Your Environment One comment thing that separates amateurs from professionals in any given arena is how _effectively_ they are able to **cognitively off-load** to their environment. Utilize [[Contextual Reminders]], like putting your keys by whatever you _need_ to take with you when you leave. Write down [[Note Types#Fleeting Notes|Fleeting Notes]] when making measurements. Utilize whiteboards, cork boards, and gigantic monitors to make use of your biological predisposition to memorize _places_ and pull in spatial reasoning. Recall the author who literally outlines his books across his entire wall. Use nature to restore your energy through the use of [[Breaks (index)|breaks]]. Use solitary spaces intermittently in combination with areas of communion to achieve [[Intermittent Collaboration]]. # Thinking with Your Tools This is what [[Evergreen Notes]] are all about. The [[Smart Notes Standard Workflow]] is built around this concept (because [[Writing is Thinking]]). This is where you get into David Allen's "[[Think, Don't Remember]]" mantra comes in. It's the point of the [[Inbox]], [[Task Manager]]s, and [[Project Lists]]. That's what I'm doing right now. That's what [[My Notes]] are all about. # Thinking with Others Humans are social creatures. What "we can do" is _not_ what we can do _by ourselves_. You have people, use them! You can get a jumpstart on things through the use of [[Imitation]] and benchmarking. You can learn better through _teaching_ the material to others. You can offload responsibilities for certain strains of knowledge to others with whom you have a relationship. This is the "I'll do the money, you do the school communication" split. **** # More ## Source - [[The Extended Mind]] ## Related