How to Borrow Thinking Tools Without Borrowing Beliefs

In today’s fast-paced world, we often find ourselves searching for ways to improve how we think, solve problems, and create new ideas. With the rise of interdisciplinary work and the abundance of available resources, it’s become easier than ever to borrow tools and methods from various fields. Whether it’s psychology, design, or systems thinking, these tools can help us streamline our cognitive processes and foster creativity.

However, there’s a challenge. Along with these powerful tools often come the philosophical beliefs or assumptions embedded in them. The key is to borrow the thinking tools without taking on the beliefs that might not resonate with our own values or worldview. In this article, we’ll explore how you can tap into powerful thinking tools without adopting the ideologies that come with them, ensuring you can build your own mental toolkit while staying true to yourself.

1. What Are Thinking Tools and Beliefs?

Understanding the difference between thinking tools and beliefs is key.

• Thinking Tools: These are methods or frameworks that help us think, solve problems, or be creative. Examples include systems thinking, mind mapping, and decision-making models.
• Beliefs: These are deeper convictions that shape how we view the world. They influence our values and decisions.

The goal is to use tools as methods to improve our thinking, not as frameworks that shape our worldviews.

2. Why Borrow Thinking Tools?

Personal growth thrives on continuous learning. Building a personal toolkit of thinking tools lets us approach challenges from different angles and refine decision-making skills.

For example, tools like the Eisenhower Matrix help with time management, while mindfulness techniques boost focus and reduce stress. The challenge is to adopt these tools without internalizing their accompanying beliefs.

Borrowing tools opens up new ways to approach problems and improve mental flexibility without locking us into rigid worldviews.

3. The Risk of Adopting Beliefs Along with Tools

Many tools come with beliefs about how we should view the world or act within it. For instance:

• Productivity tools often assume that success depends on constant work and “hustle.”
• Mindfulness practices may carry spiritual or philosophical beliefs that don’t always fit with a secular lifestyle.

By not being cautious, we might adopt these beliefs alongside the tools, narrowing our thinking.

For example, design thinking encourages us to approach problems as “design challenges,” but we don’t need to embrace its underlying belief that everything can be “designed.” Similarly, systems thinking focuses on interconnections, but we can still apply it without adopting the belief that all systems should be analyzed in terms of dependencies.

4. How to Borrow Thinking Tools Without Adopting Beliefs

Here’s how to use thinking tools effectively while avoiding unnecessary beliefs.

A. Focus on the Tool’s Function, Not Its Framework

When exploring a new thinking tool, concentrate on what it is designed to do, not the philosophical framework it comes with. For example, the Pomodoro Technique helps you break your work into intervals. You can use this tool without adopting the belief that constant productivity is essential.

• Understand the core benefit: What problem does the tool solve? Focus on that.
• Adapt the tool to your needs: Customize it to fit your context. Tools can be adjusted to suit various scenarios without following the ideology behind them.

B. Separate the Tool from Its Source

Many thinking tools originate in specific philosophies or disciplines. Design thinking is widely used in product development and business, but you don’t need to adopt the belief that all problems are design-related.

• Look at the tool, not its origin: Apply tools across disciplines without buying into the underlying worldview.
• Critically evaluate assumptions: Does the tool align with your values? Is it helpful in your context?

C. Stay Critical and Reflective

While learning new tools, stay aware of how you’re applying them. Regularly ask yourself:

• Is this tool working for me?
• Am I starting to adopt its belief system without realizing it?
• How can I modify the tool to serve my needs without adopting unnecessary beliefs?

By reflecting on these questions, you can ensure that the tool remains a useful method without limiting your worldview.

D. Personalize the Tool

Once you’ve borrowed a tool, make it your own. Tailoring it to your style and needs ensures that you’re borrowing only the utility of the tool, not the associated beliefs.

• Combine tools from different disciplines: Borrow ideas from various fields to create your unique approach.
• Experiment and iterate: Feel free to tweak and adjust tools to suit your context, ensuring that it aligns with your needs.

5. Examples of Borrowing Thinking Tools Without Adopting Beliefs

Here are a few examples of how you can borrow thinking tools without adopting the beliefs tied to them:

Meditation and Mindfulness: Many mindfulness practices are rooted in spirituality, but you can adopt mindfulness techniques (e.g., breathwork, body scan) in a secular way to improve focus and stress management.

Mind Mapping: This tool helps you organize thoughts visually. Whether you’re brainstorming ideas for a project or outlining a research paper, you can use it without adopting any specific ideology.

Systems Thinking: Systems thinking helps identify connections in complex situations. Apply it to problem-solving without necessarily buying into the belief that everything is a system.

Conclusion

Borrowing thinking tools allows you to expand your mental toolkit, sharpen problem-solving skills, and improve creativity. However, it’s important to stay conscious of the beliefs that often accompany these tools. By focusing on the tool’s functionality and adapting it to your own needs, you can benefit from these tools without adopting beliefs that don’t align with your values.

Here’s a recap:

• Understand the function of the tool and focus on that.
• Separate the tool from its philosophical underpinnings.
• Customize the tool to fit your needs.
• Reflect regularly to ensure the tool serves you without altering your core beliefs.

By borrowing thinking tools and adapting them to your context, you can cultivate personal growth, creativity, and flexibility—all while staying true to your own worldview.

Reference

1. Development of the Critical Thinking Toolkit (CriTT): A measure of student attitudes and beliefs about critical thinking, https://www.sciencedirect.com
2. Mind Mapping: Utility Beyond Ideology, https://www.linkfacts.link
3. Critical Thinking Frameworks, https://en.wikipedia.org