Idea 88: Holistic thinking
I can see the whole of it at a single glance in my mind, as if it were a beautiful painting or a handsome human being.
Mozart
An analytical mind is diametrically opposite to a holistic mind. The former separates wholes into their constituent parts. That works well with inanimate objects, with all except in the case of living beings. Then, as Wordsworth said, ‘We murder to dissect.’
Knowing how to think holistically – to see the wood as well as the trees, to see the whole that is the sum of more than the constituent parts – is a key skill for an effective thinker.
Those who are good judges of people tend to have more holistic minds. People may have sets of qualities or strengths and weaknesses, but a psychological analysis ...
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