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I think a lot of my deep thoughts come subconsciously. My biggest leaps of insight happen when I've taken some time - hours, maybe days - away from a problem.

I think a lot of my deep thoughts come subconsciously. My biggest leaps of insight happen when I've taken some time - hours, maybe days - away from a problem. I've found this to be true of many pursuits: programming, writing fiction, even things like "where should the fridge go when we redo the kitchen?" What you're talking about, good responses in the moment, isn't about deep thought, it's about being witty. They're different problems. And I suspect that a lot of the people you think are being clever in the moment are actually repeating fragments of conversations that they've had with themselves in private. This isn't universally true, of course, but I do think it plays a part.

karmakaze 5y ago
I recognize this form of quick wit form of smart response. I didn't read the posed situation as this. Often in highly technical discussions, there are people who can 'do the deep dive' in real time, vs those who have to explore, formulate and validate their thoughts. I find myself to belong to either camp depending on the particular issue and how familiar I am with the case and past experience relating to potential solutions or pitfalls. I think one factor that separates those who have those ideas in real time are the ones willing to say something that might be wrong. If you're always wanting to ensure that there's no flaw in what you want to say, it will not be said in the moment.
truth_ 5y ago
I can completely relate to this. Taking time to think about something really opens up many perspectives that are not accessible at the moment. I first noticed this when I wanted to buy something but had to save money to comfortably afford it. In many cases, by the time I had saved the money, I did not want the item any more. So, I created a rule for myself, whenever I wanted to spend on something that would take more than 500, I would take 30 days to buy it. If I still wanted to buy that thing, I went for it. This rule is still in place. I don't think about it actively, but some kind of subconscious analysis goes on from time to time. I have saved a ton of money that I otherwise would have spent on things that I did not need or want. Then I incorporated some variant of the rule on other avenues of my life. It translates well to other areas as well.

karmakaze 5y ago

I recognize this form of quick wit form of smart response. I didn't read the posed situation as this. Often in highly technical discussions, there are people who can 'do the deep dive' in real time, vs those who have to explore, formulate and validate their thoughts. I find myself to belong to either camp depending on the particular issue and how familiar I am with the case and past experience relating to potential solutions or pitfalls. I think one factor that separates those who have those ideas in real time are the ones willing to say something that might be wrong. If you're always wanting to ensure that there's no flaw in what you want to say, it will not be said in the moment.

truth_ 5y ago

I can completely relate to this. Taking time to think about something really opens up many perspectives that are not accessible at the moment. I first noticed this when I wanted to buy something but had to save money to comfortably afford it. In many cases, by the time I had saved the money, I did not want the item any more. So, I created a rule for myself, whenever I wanted to spend on something that would take more than 500, I would take 30 days to buy it. If I still wanted to buy that thing, I went for it. This rule is still in place. I don't think about it actively, but some kind of subconscious analysis goes on from time to time. I have saved a ton of money that I otherwise would have spent on things that I did not need or want. Then I incorporated some variant of the rule on other avenues of my life. It translates well to other areas as well.