Thinking A Lot Isn't Thinking Clearly: Four Sentences That Define What Thinking Really Is

Hello everyone — Year of the Dragon, may you all strike it rich!

Bottom line up front: Thinking = Think Clearly. We "think" every day, but very few of us actually "think clearly." This article uses four sentences to break down the difference — what thinking actually is, why it so often degrades into "loose thinking," why thinking is a muscle that needs training, and how to start practicing it in everyday life.

I just wrapped up an extremely lazy Lunar New Year. Flat on the couch for nearly 7 days.

For the first time ever, I stayed home for the entire holiday. I visited exactly one friend's place, and saw a grand total of three friends across 10 days.

Why? Because my normal life is too high-strung. Even my massage therapist tells me I "use my brain too much."

Every time he presses on my head, I yelp from the pain.

So this holiday, I deliberately let my brain rest. No thinking.

Just figuring out what to eat, where to go, the occasional catch-up with friends. Full Relax mode.

In the language of Thinking, Fast and Slow: I was running on System 1 only.

Daniel Kahneman proposed that humans have two systems: one for fast decisions, one for deliberate thought.

Like everyone else, I lean on the fast system most of the time.

But because I love thinking, my fast system has a habit of "kicking on" the slow one.

So this break, I really wanted my brain to take a breather.

Once I got back to Malaysia, I still couldn't stop noticing things in my environment.

Three houses near my parents' place were on the market, and I couldn't help checking the asking prices.

Then I worked out the rental yield based on location, layout, size, and average rent in the area.

Then I factored in the renovation and supervision costs based on how worn down the house was.

Finally I mapped it against my own asset allocation — what % I'd want in real estate, and what total net worth I'd need to hit before this purchase made sense.

Yes, I'm the kind of person who thinks about things a lot.

Even though I can't actually afford to buy right now, lol.

The people around me sometimes push back: do you really need to think this hard about this?

What's the difference between "loose thinking" and "thinking"?

A lot of online articles define "thinking" as a single passing thought.

And "deep thinking" as something with system, process, logic, and a conclusion.

Some people even treat "mindset" as a premium upgrade of "thinking."

I think they're overcomplicating thinking.

My logic is simple: Thinking = Think Clearly.

As someone who loves thinking, I really enjoy getting clear on things.

If you go look it up in Google Translate, you'll notice that "thinking" and "deep thinking" both translate to Think.

So from the English angle: Thinking = Think Clearly.

That clears it up.

Both "thinking" and "deep thinking" are Actions — processing information in your head.

Mindset is a Model — basically a thinking habit.

Mindset training means building the habit of thinking correctly.

In day-to-day life, it's actually really hard to tell whether someone is "loosely thinking" or actually "thinking."

But we can analyze and figure out: did this person actually think clearly?

Why does thinking so easily degrade into "loose thinking"?

The Inertia of thinking is innate.

We bias toward keeping the status quo, because change costs effort.

We keep making the same mistakes, because habits don't break easily.

Thinking Habits are learned — shaped by society and education.

In cultures with strong hierarchical norms, kids are less willing to challenge their elders.

I've noticed kids whose political views differ from their parents' tend to stay silent at family gatherings (shhh!).

We get used to not changing the Status Quo in certain situations, because it's a hassle.

Even I find it genuinely annoying to discuss politics with my parents, lol.

When thinking feels like "too much hassle," we slip into "loose thinking" mode.

Everyone loves to think in "the way they're used to":

• The roommate who drinks too much: I can't really hold my liquor, but tonight I'll just have one bottle? Result — couldn't wake up the next day, late for work!
• The employee who quits voluntarily: getting laid off is embarrassing, why bother for a little money? Lost out on 6 months of unemployment benefits!
• The warehouse subordinate: we're just shifting things around a bit, should be fine? Now nobody else can find anything!
• The line cook: I think we can use less seasoning, healthier that way? Customers complain the food tastes different!

Recently, a junior who's struggling in his career asked me: what did we do wrong?

I asked him back: what do you think you did right?

From what I know of him, he's hardworking and probably hasn't done anything obviously wrong.

He couldn't answer me. And if he can't answer, that means he "isn't actually clear" about what he's been doing.

Right — he was also "thinking loosely." So the outcome isn't surprising.

But this isn't his fault.

It's a problem society and the education system don't address.

There's no class that teaches you how to think.

We assume thinking is something we "naturally pick up as we grow up."

But it isn't. Thinking needs to be practiced.

Why does thinking need training, like a muscle?

Thinking needs Training.

Someone who isn't good at thinking — who can't get clear — usually just hasn't practiced "thinking clearly" enough.

Like weightlifting. Nobody starts off lifting 100kg.

The first time I worked out, I lifted 2.5kg dumbbells. Second month, I got to 5kg.

But it took half a year before I got to 8kg, and on a good day I could push 10kg.

I stopped working out after that. Now I can only manage 6kg. Pretty weak, lol!

Thinking works the same way. If you stay in "loose thinking" mode forever, you'll never get better.

Using the lifting analogy: if you're always lifting 5kg, of course you'll never reach 10kg!

So how do we practice thinking?

The fastest way: solve actual problems you encounter in daily life.

I had a student who got into both National Chengchi University (NCCU) and National Taiwan University via the recommendation track.

He was torn between the two graduate programs. Each had its own strengths. Tough call.

We looked at the positioning, faculty, future trajectories, and differences of both programs together. Spent an afternoon analyzing.

He went home and thought about it for a week. Eventually picked National Taiwan University. The reason was simple.

Because he'd already spent four years at NCCU.

If he wanted to study abroad in the future, switching environments now and learning to adapt seemed like the better move.

Honestly, the two programs had very different positioning, so it was hard to compare them as "better" or "worse."

The only real difference was: which decision would better "prepare him personally" for the future?

By solving real problems we actually face, we build the habit of thinking much faster.

Another way to train thinking: reflect often.

Recently the cold front was brutal. My wife and I couldn't take it anymore and decided to buy a space heater.

I started searching YouTube and articles to see what people "consider" when buying a heater.

End result? I still couldn't tell the difference. I mean, I can't really feel temperature through text and video, lol!

So my wife just swiped my card and ordered a really expensive-looking heater that PCHOME had on sale.

The HELLER 12-fin oil-filled radiator with timer, KED-512T deluxe model!

And then I got it. I felt it. The power of money!

I mean — the warmth from this very expensive heater is so "comfortable and gentle" ~

PS: My wife really, really can't handle the cold. So fine, we bought it … sniff sniff …

The point of this story:

1. Even though I spent a lot of time researching and thinking, I still didn't know if this was the right purchase.
2. So I bought it first, then checked whether the result matched my original goal.
3. Use the outcome to reflect on whether my thinking was actually solid.

Sometimes, instead of trying to think your way to the perfect answer first, just making the call and reflecting afterward is also a strategy.

Sometimes, no matter how much research you do, you can't reach an answer — and there might not even be a correct one.

One key part of mindset training: getting comfortable making decisions when certainty is low.

But — does that mean I didn't "think clearly" before buying the heater?

No. I thought very clearly: It's freezing. Just buy one. I want to be warm now!

I read a lot. I still couldn't reach a conclusion. And I didn't want to spend more time researching.

If that's the situation, just buy the relatively higher-priced one. I can afford it.

It's just expensive. Just a little wallet-pain. QQ.

Yes, I thought clearly. I felt OK with that decision.

How do you tell if you've actually "thought clearly"?

Take "buying a house" as an example. If someone tells you they want to buy a house, you can ask:

• What kind of house do you want?
• What's the market price for that layout?
• How much have you saved for a down payment?
• What's your monthly mortgage going to be? Over how many years?

If they can answer, and the answers are concrete, they've probably actually "thought clearly."

If they can't answer, their thinking is incomplete. They're probably still in loose thinking mode.

A quick contrast:

• Just in mind: You have a thought in your head, but can't fill in the details. Mostly stuck at the "I kind of want this" level.
• Thinking clearly: You can answer with specific numbers, conditions, and constraints — and those details line up with each other.

For the same situation, the difference between the two states isn't "did you use your brain or not." It's whether you've unpacked what's in your head into something you can actually examine.

RECAP

Thinking has Inertia and Habit.

Thinking, like muscle, needs Training.

We can practice thinking on the real problems we face every day.

We can also do a bit of research, make a choice, then reflect on the outcome.

In the end, ask yourself: have I actually "thought clearly"?

FAQ

Q: What's the biggest difference between "loose thinking" and "thinking clearly"? A: "Loose thinking" stops at the level of a thought — you can't articulate the specifics. "Thinking clearly" means you can answer with numbers, conditions, and constraints, and those details are internally consistent. Quick test: tell someone what you've been thinking, and see if you can answer their follow-up questions.

Q: Can thinking really be practiced? Where do I start? A: Yes. The fastest way is to use the real problems you face daily — buying appliances, choosing a graduate school, deciding whether to switch jobs. After every decision, look back and ask whether your initial judgment held up. That's reflection practice.

Q: I've done a lot of research and still can't decide. Does that mean I haven't thought it through? A: Not necessarily. When certainty is low, making a choice first and reflecting on the outcome is itself a valid decision-making method. The point isn't to nail the perfect answer before acting on every single thing. It's to get used to making decisions you can later reflect on, even with incomplete information.