Theory of Unconscious Thinking

QUOTE

Frida Kahlo once said…

“It's during our idle, relaxed moments that the depths of our minds get to work.”

CONCEPT

Theory of Unconscious Thinking

Have you ever faced a difficult decision, decided to "sleep on it," and then woke up with newfound clarity? This phenomenon is explained by the "Theory of Unconscious Thinking."

Rooted in psychology, it suggests that our brains can process information and find solutions even when we're not actively thinking about the problem.

In situations where decisions are complex, letting our unconscious mind take over, while engaging in other tasks or resting, often leads to better outcomes than forcing conscious deliberation.

STORY

While You Rest ... Ideas Nest?

The ancient city of Syracuse, around 250 BC, faced a peculiar dilemma.

King Hiero II had given a chunk of gold to a goldsmith to craft a crown. However, when he received the finished product, he suspected that the goldsmith might have replaced some of the gold with silver, defrauding him. But how could one prove this without destroying the crown?

The King turned to Archimedes, a brilliant mathematician, for help.

Archimedes was perplexed. He pondered it for many days and consciously tried to solve the problem, but the solution eluded him. Without melting the crown to a regular shape, such as a cube, it was impossible to measure its volume.

Or so he thought.

One day, having all but given up, Archimedes was taking a bath when he noticed the water level rise as he submerged himself. This observation led him to realize that the volume of irregular objects, like the King's crown, could be determined by the amount of water they displaced.

By measuring the displacement of the crown, Archimedes could ascertain the volume and, along with the crown’s weight, calculate the density—to ultimately figure out if the crown had silver in it.

Excitedly, he jumped out of the bath and ran through the streets naked, shouting, "Eureka!"

Archimedes wasn't consciously thinking about the problem during his bath, yet his unconscious mind was at work. By allowing his thoughts to drift while engaged in another activity, he stumbled upon a fundamental principle of physics.

As for the crown? It did, in fact, contain silver.