Thinking Styles Essay Example for Free

Thinking Styles Essay According to Harrison and Bramson, there are six thinking styles: analyst, synthesist, pragmatist, idealist, realist, and spiritually-guided. In this paper, I will analyze the last three. An idealist is typically concerned with value judgments. He looks at the world with inquiring eyes, asking about what is good for the people and society and believes in the good in people. The idealist is like Pollyanna – optimistic with his view of man, the idealist believes that conflict can be resolved by getting down to the basics. We are after all linked by the same humanity, and our similarities will help reconcile our differences. The realist, on the other hand, looks at the world as is. Facts are of utmost importance, as is observation and objectivity. The world as perceived through the senses is the real world, and hopes and value judgments should not cloud one’s view of reality. A realist sees a bleak landscape than an idealist because a realist chooses to look things as detachedly as possible, to make objective assessments and not make excuses or conjure reasoning to defend negative behavior. A realist insist on having reality, no matter how awful it could be. Â  A spiritually-guided thinking style is radically different from the first two because it is anchored on a belief in God. Faith plays a central role, a determining factor. A spiritually-guided person will see everything in relation to God’s will and its place in God’s great scheme of things. Spiritually-guided people tend to be more accepting and forgiving in the name of faith; however, authentic belief in the principles espoused by the religion can be suspicious. Focusing on God does not mean that the person truly understands the values of the faith, but simply that he is looking at the world and connecting what he sees with an idea of God. Â   Source: Bramson, Robert and Harrsion, Allen. The Art of Thinking. Berkley Publishing Group, 1987.