A
system for classifying basic
thought processes, proposed by
Piers Anthony in
On a Pale Horse, the first novel in
Incarnations of Immortality.
Apologies for the awful
ASCII diagrams, but the patterns are fairly straightforward.
The first pattern of matchsticks is a
series:
- - - - -
This represents
linear thought, or
chain logic. It is definitive and straightforward, although to use it, one must have all the correct
facts, and be able to
connect them in the right order. Additionally, a
weakness of this pattern is that if the chain is in error at some point, the
conclusion will be flawed and
inaccurate.
The second pattern is in
parallel:
-
=
=
This represents many facts, all pointing towards the same conclusion. While not as
far-reaching as the first pattern, it begets fewer errors. It is very
powerful, yet tends not to advance thought far.
The third pattern is
divergent:
|
- -
/ \
This is the
creative formation. Thoughts go off in all directions, relating to the main idea. Useful for
problem-solving where there is not a set
procedure, its strength is new solutions. However, this pattern is only useful at the onset of a block. Continuing thought in this pattern will lead to an entirely
different topic,
tangential to the task at hand.
The fourth pattern is the
schizoid formation:
/ \
|_|
It symbolizes going around and around in a circle, trapped in one's own thoughts. While not necessarily
productive to the outer world, internalizing can be useful to the
inner development of the
individual. When "coming to terms with an ugly necessity," contemplating one's circumstances, meditating on a desired goal, or simply enjoying oneself, this is a useful pattern.
The fifth pattern relates to
intuition:
-|||-
This is "a sudden
jump to a conclusion," taking facts into consideration unconsciously. Not the most
reliable method, it results in conclusions that are hard to
justify. However, sometimes it is the only way past a block in understanding. After a conclusion is reached, one can then go back and fill in the missing parts by investigation or
correllation with
knowns.
These are only the most
basic of basic processes,
textbook examples, if you will. Actual
human thought takes a combination of these, as well as wild leaps, daisy chains, random odd
associations, and is constantly dealing with new data besides. However, I feel that these are a good
guideline for when one happens to be stuck in an
untenable situation. All text in quotes is Piers Anthony's
original text from the book, as are the
diagrams,
appellations and very brief descriptions of the patterns. All past the
concept is mine, pure
common sense.