The Missouri Current Post: Mind/Body/Spirit Well-Being: Self-acceptance

Self-acceptance is a key construct to Mind/Body/Spirit well being. How do you approach life? Each of us is created with a valid, honorable personality. Making the most of our abilities creates a path of personal success. Success is meeting your own potential.

Understanding your personal thinking style can change your life. Have you found yourself in a group where your ideas and methods were discounted, or ignored? This causes personal stress and friction in the work group.

Each of us has a preferred thinking style that organizes how we interact with information, learn, and act in problem solving work groups. Educators and psychologists use concepts of thinking style to design lessons and understand human behavior.

The theoretical model created by Anthony Gregorc is useful for understanding our different ways of thinking and is described in his book An Adult's Guide To Style.

According to Gregorc, there are two main preferred types--Perceptual (abstract vs. concrete thought) and Ordering (sequential vs. random thought). Perceptual thinking style describes a preferred way of working with information.

Although we have a preferred “a thinking style”, we are able to understand and use other approaches. When we become overly committed to one style, the “one and only perfect way,” we develop rigid thinking patterns. Being able to choose a mind style that suits the task creates efficient, effective learners and workers.

Value judgments should not be placed on one’s preferred thinking style as representing high or low intelligence, or naiveté/sophistication. The inherent characteristics of Perceptual and Ordering abilities should be flexible to the study or task to be efficient practical.

What is your Perceptual Thinking Style? Concrete, or Abstract

A Concrete Approach is a preference for taking in information directly through the five senses: sight, smell, touch, taste, and hearing. A concrete approach is working with the obvious, the “here and now, or what is.” The concrete person is not looking for hidden meanings and does not see relationships between ideas or concepts. For example, the occupation of financial accounting typically takes a Concrete Approach.

Those with a natural strength in the concrete style will communicate in a direct, literal, no-nonsense manner. (Examples for US TV watchers. There is a range from Forest Gump to Temperance Brennan “Bones”)

An Abstract Approach is to visualize, creating ideas, to understand, or imagine that which cannot actually be seen. When you use the abstract quality to work, you use intuition, imagination, and look beyond “what is” to the more subtle implications.

For example the occupations of novelist, or researcher, take an Abstract Approach. The person whose natural strength is the abstract style may use more subtle ways to get a point across. (If this quote has meaning to you, you are thinking abstractly. “The man who never alters his opinion is like standing water, and breeds reptiles of the mind.” ― William Blake)

Work and learning tasks often require us to shift back and forth from abstract to concrete. Although we have both concrete and abstract perceptual abilities to some extent, each person typically has a preferred style. Some of us shift between thinking styles more easily. My hypothesis is that thinking style reflects our biochemistry as well as one’s genetic code---wow, interesting research topic!

What is your Ordering Ability preference? Sequential, or Random

Ordering Ability is how you organize information. A sequential approach allows the mind to organize information in a linear, step-by-step manner, as if following a set of directions, a computer application, or a recipe.

A sequential approach is to follow the model, a logical train of thought, or a traditional approach. You may prefer to follow a plan, rather than relying on impulse. When I plan a vacation I have a step by step plan as I do not like to get lost, or waste time in a an unknown city.

Random approach, ordering ability, lets the mind organize information by chunks, and in no particular order. Random thinking often allows us to skip steps in a procedure and still produce the desired result. We may even start in the middle, or at the end, and work backwards. Random thinkers may prefer life to be more impulsive or spur of the moment rather than planned.

Thinking Style Characteristics

Concrete Sequential worker/learner

Likes order, logical sequence, following directions, predictability, and working with facts
Learns best in a structured environment, where they can rely on others to complete this task, situations are predictable situations, and ideas have practical use
Has stress and difficulty working in groups and with unpredictable people

The concrete thinker is stressed when discussions have no specific point, in an unorganized work environment, and when following incomplete or unclear directions. Dealing with abstract ideas, being asked to "use your imagination," and questions with no right or wrong answers are difficult and stressful for those with a concrete thinking preference. Concrete-sequential individuals are very stressed when things are not conventionally correct, or when others are too emotional, or too academic.

Abstract Sequential worker/learner

· Likes for his/her point to be heard, analyzing situations before making a decision or acting, or applying logic when solving or finding solutions to problems

· Works best when they have access to experts or references, prefer stimulating environments, and are able to work alone. They are

· Has stress when working with multiple differing views, if there is too little time to work thoroughly, by repeating the same tasks over and over, and when boxed in by lots of specific rules and regulations.

Abstract Sequential people are stressed by "sentimental" thinking, by being asked to express their emotions, or by being diplomatic when convincing others. The abstract-sequential person may have a tendency to monopolizing a conversation.

Concrete Random worker/learner

Likes experimenting to find answers, taking risks, using their intuition, and solving problems independently
Learns best when able to use trial-and-error approaches, to compete with others, when given the opportunity to work through the problems by themselves
Is stressed by restrictions and limitations, formal reports, routines, re-doing anything once it is done, keeping detailed records, showing how they got an answer, choosing only one answer, and having no options.

The Concrete Random individual finds it difficult to work with fuzzy headed thinking, being told to seek hard data, and working with those unwilling to consider various options.

Abstract Random worker/learner

Likes to listen to others, bring harmony to group situations, establishing healthy relationships with others, and focusing on the issues at hand. They
Learns best in a personalized environment, when given broad or general guidelines, able to maintain friendly relationships, able to participate in group activities
Stressed when to explain or justify feelings, competition, working with dictatorial/authoritarian personalities, a restrictive environment, emotionally cold environment, concentrating on one thing at a time, giving exact details, negative or positive criticism.

Abstract/Random individuals are stressed by being told to be realistic, working in restrictive environments, and dealing with non-caring unemotional people.

How to Use this Information to De-Stress

Understand and accept your style and abilities
Understand and accept your spouse, children, family, friends, coworkers
Build on strengths (you can’t change your preferred abilities but you can consciously develop new abilities)
Honor what you like
Honor how you learn
Honor what creates stress in you
Know that your preferred style and abilities are most efficient, but you can train yourself to use other thinking styles for specific tasks (flexible thinking)
Choose a career that is consistent with your thinking style and life will be less stressful
Give yourself permission “to be” yourself
Choose work environments consistent with your thinking style and ordering ability (there is a right place for every one)