Almost everyone thinks they are a good thinker,
but in reality, few people really are. A truly great thinker is constantly growing
and evolving, so take a look around you: how many people do you see moving forward in life? How many people do you see solving problem
after problem? And on the contrary, how many people do you
see running in circles? How many people do you see still trying to
solve the same problems they were working on years ago? The better you get at thinking, the better
you get at solving problems. And good thinking begins with clarity. A clear thought is unambiguous, captures the
essence of a thing, and is formulated logically. A clear thought can be communicated through
a simple if-then statement. For example, if you turn on the tap, then
you can get water. A clear thought leads to clear and intentional
action. For example, the statement if you turn on
the tap, then you can get water leads to

clear action when you're thirsty. And clear and intentional action leads to
clear feedback. When you go to test the tap for water, you
will immediately find out whether your original thought was true or not. Either water will come out or it won't. And because clear feedback proves or disproves
your thought, it helps improve your understanding of the world. Either you'll find out that your understanding
of the world is correct or incorrect, and finding out you are incorrect helps you move
closer towards correctness. And the more correct your worldview is, the
better you'll be at solving problem. Let's take a look at an example. Marcus Aurelius earned the titles of the
last of the Five Good Emperors of Rome and philosopher-king by becoming a great leader. And he became a great leader by becoming a
great thinker. And he became a great thinker by learning
to think clearly. And he learned to think clearly by writing
a private philosophy for himself which we

now refer to as his Meditations. In his Meditations, Aurelius organizes his
thoughts in a logical way, reflecting on the relationship between his actions and their
effects. And if you want to think clearly and improve
your ability to solve your own problems, it would be wise of you to do the same. Organize your thoughts. Reduce their ambiguity and make them clear
by turning them into simple if-then statements. Clear logic leads to clear thoughts. Clear thoughts lead to clear and intentional
action. Clear and intentional action leads to clear
feedback. Clear feedback leads to an improved understanding
of the world. And a clearer understanding of the world leads
to a better ability to solve problems. For example, let me formulate a clear, logical
thought: “if I publish a how-to video with a philosopher in the title, then it will get
over 100,000 views. That's a clear thought with clear logic. That clear thought leads to clear action:
I will write that video and publish it.

Now when this video is published, I’ll get
clear feedback. We’ll both find out if that thought is true. And once I find out whether that thought is
true or false, my understanding of the world will improve. And by improving my understanding of the world,
I'll be better equipped to solve my problem of being a successful YouTuber. So in conclusion, good thinking begins with
clear thinking, and clear thinking begins by turning your thoughts into unambiguous,
logical statements.

How to Think Clearly | The Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius

How to Think Clearly | The Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius