The Human System and Thinking It is easier, and far more practical, to examine “thinking” from a functional than from an anatomical point of view. For our purposes, very little can be practically realized by studying the anatomy of the brain itself. But by studying the brain’s functions, much can be realized. An examination of the structure of the intellect (as indicated in the matrix above) reveals information about human thinking functions – as well as about the different languages associated with these functions.

Level 4.1 – “Thinking” Under the Laws of Psychological Inertia. The lowest level of human “thinking” (cell 4.1) is not really thinking at all. No attention is required for this function to operate, because its operation is automatic. The intellectual functions at this level include A) information storage, that handles the registration of impressions, of memories and of associations; B) information retrieval; and C) word association, i.e., a relationship database. “Thinking” at this low level is really a relatively rapid, automatic response, based upon the storage of ready words and associations. Such responses pass for real thinking most of the time. Unfortunately the type of “thinking” available at this level is not capable of effectively solving problems that have any degree of newness or complexity or difficulty to them. This type of “thinking” can be observed when several people are sitting together socially (or even in a business situation). Their discussion – if it were really analysed in depth – would be found to be very “associative.” Here is a sample of such a discussion:

Person 1: “What do you think about that new creative approach, TRIZ?”

Person 2: “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of that term. What is it?”

Person 1: “It’s a new approach to solving problems.”

Person 3: “We’ve got plenty of problems. Today, all day, we’ve been struggling with that same old defective chip.”

Person 2: “We have chip problems, too. Glad to hear we’re not alone. But sometimes, one has to take time off from problems, and just relax.”

Person 3: “Isn’t that right! We’re heading to the hockey game tonight. The Flyers are going to smash everyone in the league!”

Person 1: “Not Seattle they won’t! Just watch Seattle! Do you want to put some hard money down to back up your rash statement?”

Person 3: “I’m not a betting man – at least I wasn’t until that Vegas trip last month. Let’s just say that Seattle doesn’t stand a chance at the Cup.”

Person 2: “We were in Reno just last week. Lost a small fortune. But then, the shows were great.”

Etc., etc., etc. When associative thinking attempts to replace real thinking, the results are based on the words and word associations that have been previously programmed in the mind’s storage unit. Such is the nature of “psychological inertia.” This lower part of the intellectual system, with its several important information storage, search, retrieval and association functions, is critical to the overall functioning of the intellect. But when this same lower part attempts to replace the intellect itself, trouble begins. This part is incapable of thinking! It really was not designed to think.

Some of the people who are “stuck” in this part of the intellect have an “encyclopedic” knowledge, with no, or only a little, capability for deep thinking. People who routinely “live” in this functional part of the human intellectual system are prone to respond to problems and design challenges in a very ordinary and traditional way – or they respond to questions with ready phrases or clichés. When they are operating in this “gear” of the instinctive function, they don’t have to “think” – everything is automatic, operating from a previously programmed intellectual database. It is difficult for a person under the sole influence of this function to adapt to a change in circumstances, so he continues to operate in the way that he always has been operating, or in the way that he started out.

This part of the intellect works best when it serves, and contributes to, and is controlled by, the “whole” of the human intellectual system. It is meant to store registered input, and to produce the proper stored information (and sometimes, its association with other information) on an “on call as requested” basis. Operating with no such control or discrimination, this function is “out of control.”

It would be wrong or improper (i.e., a harmful function) for the lower part of the intellectual function (i.e., level 4.1 in the matrix) to reply to questions that are really addressed to the whole intellectual function of a person. This lower function is incapable of effectively solving complex, difficult or previously untried problems because, like a computer, it can never be equivalent to the highest functions of a human being (in spite of the so-called “success” of Big Blue at chess!). It is quite incapable of “deciding” anything at all, but it is always ready to “make decisions” based upon its current program, and it replies to questions in a narrow and limited way, with canned phrases, colloquial expressions, and “politically correct” slogans. These reactions are inappropriately accomplished because they are automatic. Welcome to the “seat” of psychological inertia, which has its residence in cell 4.1 of the matrix.

It has been said by the Russian author and journalist P.D. Ouspensky (Reference 2) that the great majority of mankind live all their lives here, never touching other (higher) parts of the intellectual function. This part of the intellectual system is sufficient for the lowest level of “living.” It is through this part, working by itself, that the human intellectual function divides everything into two sides: “them and us;” “Republicans and Democrats;” democracy and communism; the rich and the poor. This part of the intellectual system is behind almost all, if not all, popular theories.

There are several different types of psychological inertia. Some of these types are discussed in a 1993 Russian article (Reference 3) entitled “Developing a Creative Imagination. These “harmful functions” belong to level 4.1.

The “language” associated with this level of “thinking” is a relationship-based language of words. These words are associated with each other in various ways. The use of this language produces results that are not unlike the results of a search, using one of the search engines available on the world wide web. These “results” do not represent the final design or the final solution to a problem. They are merely a step on the way to a solution, or to a conceptual design. This associative language works rapidly – unlike true thinking, which takes considerable time. This “lower” language is incapable of producing results that are creative – except by chance or accident.

Level 4.2 – Maintaining Intellectual ActivityUnlike the intellectual activities of level 4.1, which require no attention at all to operate, and which are automatic, the intellectual activities at the next higher level – level 4.2 in the matrix – do require attention to operate. But in the case of this level of the intellectual system, the attention is drawn or “attracted” by the object of attention, so no effort is required on the part of the person. This function is “in gear” when a human being is “interested” in a subject, or “drawn to” a certain subject matter (in other words, he is “emotional” about the subject matter). This function has a certain “emotional” flavor, because the interest of the person under its influence is maintained on the subject matter. Besides “interest,” we could also apply the words “passion” or “devotion” or “enthusiasm” or “dedication” to this function.

The intellectual function at level 4.2 is connected with the desire to know, the desire to understand, the satisfaction of knowing or understanding, the thrill and pleasure of discovery, and the “love of knowledge.” This function, just like the functions previously discussed (for cell 4.1), is meant to serve the overall intellectual system by maintaining interest in, and attention to, the subject matter at hand. In that capacity, it is a useful function. Operating by itself (i.e., uncontrolled), however, this function will periodically find different subject matters or topics to be interested in, and will have inadequate attention for the subject or topic that represents the main objective. Uncontrolled, it is like a little child, left alone in an “intellectual” toy store – wandering around from toy to toy (i.e., from topic to topic). Unguided in this way, the function becomes a “harmful function.” It is possible to observe this function operating in people who enter a bookstore, and get “lost” in it for hours at a time.

The matrix cell for this function (function 4.2) describes it as requiring attention in order to operate. However, this attention is drawn by the subject matter of interest (i.e., the person’s attention is captured by, or “attached to” the subject matter).

If there is a “language” associated with this level of the intellectual function, it is a “language of attention” that has one scale of measurement: the degree of attention that is attracting the person to a subject of interest. In a certain sense, this is like the part of a software program that keeps the necessary files open so that the user has access to them, and can perform useful work.

Level 4.3 – Intentionally Controlling Intellectual Activity The highest level of the human intellectual function includes “creating,” “constructing,” “inventing,” and “discovery.” It is the seat of the “logical mind.” It will not work without attention, and that attention must be intentionally controlled and held, by the continued effort and will-power of a human being. It is this part of the human intellectual function that provides the leadership (i.e., the control and will-power) required for high-level, focused, intellectual activities. This is a slow function, relative to the other functions of the human body, but it is very important. It is responsible for logically conceiving, building and structuring concepts, and it is able to use the lower intellectual functions (levels 4.1 and 4.2) to advantage. This cell is where true thinking occurs.

The primary language associated with this high intellectual function is logic (i.e., dialectics). It is a language of words that are used in a “scientific” way – a way that deals with the principles, and criteria of validity, of inference and demonstration. It involves the formal principles of reasoning. The use of “comparison” is also a part of this function – the comparative thinking process is called “analogous thinking.”

This higher part of the intellectual function is capable of operating with “higher parts” of other functions, and of using additional languages to solve problems. For example, when functions 4.3 and 2.3 (intellectual and moving functions) operate together, the common language used is much faster – and more effective – than words. It is a graphical language of charts and curves and relationships. When the functions 4.3 and 3.3 (intellectual and emotional functions) operate together, we have what is called “abstract thinking,” which involves moving from the specific to the general, or from the general to the specific. This combination is also behind “metaphorical thinking,” which is “poetic” expression, and which is characteristic of persons with great vision and broad genius. The corresponding language is the language of metaphors.

Beyond Human Thinking Is it possible to go beyond the (ordinary) capability of human beings, using higher forms of languages to solve problems and create solution designs? Let us first list some of the problem-solving languages we have already discussed:

1. Ordinary words gathered together in a database.
2. Ordinary words associated in a database.
3. Words used to compare and contrast concepts (analogous thinking)
4. The language of logic, using words alone.
5. The combined language of words and the language of graphs, charts, plots, diagrams and drawings.
6. The metaphorical language used in metaphorical thinking (or abstract thinking).

A still higher language is the “Language of symbols.” For example, chemistry and physics make broad use of symbols to represent actions, relationships, reactions, etc. But the Symbolic Language has within itself various levels. For example, the language of Substance-Fields (or “S-Fields”) used by TRIZniks is a symbolic language that is effectively employed to solve problems. It is used in conjunction with abstract thinking. There is also the language of “Triads” that has been developed for problem-solving by the Renaissance Leadership Institute; this language is even higher and more effective than S-Fields (Reference 4), although the language of Triads includes the use of S-Fields. And there are still higher symbolic languages such as those recorded in certain ancient philosophical, psychological, and religious texts that have yet to be fully deciphered by science. Due to psychological inertia, some scientists outrightly discount the value of these higher symbols. This does not detract from their true value. Just as there are very few human beings who routinely function at level 4.3 in the matrix shown above, there are even far fewer still, who are practiced in the use of higher functions.

Attempting to address higher languages than the language of symbols is speculative, so the author will refrain from such speculation. However, if there are one or two readers out there who seriously want to pursue this . . . . .

References

1. M. Nicoll (a student of Jung), Psychological Commentaries, published by Robinson & Watkins, 1973 (out of print).
2. P.D. Ouspensky, (in Russian): Translated Russian Title: “In Search of the Miraculous,” 1994, ISBN 5-8555-029-X.
3. B. Zlotin, Developing a Creative Imagination – Summary of Lectures from February, 1993.
4. J. Kowalick, Advanced Developments in TRIZ: Triads, Polysystem Design Approach, & Function Decomposition, ASI, Annual Taguchi Symposium, 1996