Writing Task for Week 1: Describe Your Thinking Style
Humanities 100 Online

Simplicity is the last step of art, and the beginning of nature.
-----Bruce Lee

The chains of habit are often too weak to be felt
until they are too strong to be broken.
-----Samuel Johnson

Each person is an island unto himself, in a very real sense;
and he can only build bridges to other islands
if he is first of all willing to be himself,
and permitted to be himself.
-----Carl Rogers

     Your thinking style is a matter of how much you habitually emphasize a particular thinking characteristic.  You have probably heard many thinking style phrases, like:  "He likes to hear himself talk" , or "She sure has her feet on  the ground," or "His imagination knows no bounds," or "She always says what she thinks."

     To take a look at your style, ask two good friends (family included) to characterize your thinking and write down their remarks separately. Below are some typical adjectives, but let them use their own and you write them down.  Place them under (aside) each  key characteristic of thought (thinker, reality, ...etc, as I have below.   Reflect on and describe whether they are projecting their own thinking style or describing yours.

      Thinker:  self centered, opinionated, open-minded, self motivated, thoughtful, other directed, follower, leader.

      Reality:  down to earth, practical, what you see is what you get, matter of fact, realistic, superstitious, silly.

      Imagination:  curious, artistic,  romantic, inventive, problem solver, funny, goal oriented.

      Maps:  experienced, naive, wise, well traveled, green, learned, practiced, competent,

      Standards:  perfectionist, sloppy, exacting, flexible, consistent, honest, wily, raises the bar.