Holistic Thinking: Definition and Tips

Holistic thinking is a cognitive style that focuses on the context of a situation, and the relationships between the disparate elements of that situation. Holistic thinking is often compared to linear thinking or analytical thinking.

Here are three elements that define holistic thinking:

1. 1. Exploration: Holistic thinkers spend time following their thoughts in an exploratory way, rather than simply trying to find an answer and moving on.
2. 2. Perspective: Thinking holistically entails looking at things from different angles, and considering your options carefully before making a decision.
3. 3. Scale: Holistic thinkers tend to consider the “big picture,” and resist getting caught up in the smaller details.

There are two main categories of thinking: holistic and linear. While both are useful, each works best in different circumstances.

• Holistic thinking: Holistic thinking takes its name from holism—used in philosophy to describe a way of thinking about the world that considers the parts as being inseparable from the whole, and not existing independently. Holistic thinking lends itself to flexibility, with a tolerance for contradiction and paradox. Thinking holistically enables you to find hidden correlations that linear thinkers might overlook.
• Linear thinking: Also known as analytical thinking, linear thinking is more results-oriented than holistic thinking. Linear or analytical thinkers tend to be logical and rational, and they can consider the parts separately from the whole, as independent objects. Linear thinking is often faster than holistic thinking. As with critical thinking, it emphasizes logical analysis. Linear thinkers often find it easier to choose from a wide range of possibilities, especially when there are clear values for correct or incorrect, true or false.

Holistic thinking doesn’t come naturally to everyone, but it is a skill that you can learn. Here are a few tips to think more holistically:

1. 1. Consider alternatives. Holistic thinking helps you consider other points of view. When you broaden your perspective, you can become more sensitive to subtleties of differentiation: how you can utilize different aspects of a situation constructively, how elements that seem irrelevant or extraneous can interconnect with other, and more important-seeming elements.
2. 2. Keep your objective in mind. Stay focused on the big picture, especially when problem-solving. One of the principles of holistic thinking is that many things that seem like opposites actually share a connection. This relationship, known as a dialectic, can help you see how a site of conflict might serve as an opportunity for growth.
3. 3. Relax. Slow down and relax. This holistic approach may run counter to the instincts of analytical thinkers, but it allows you to steady your pace and receive more stimuli from the world around you. Rather than seek the fastest way to complete a task, assess the situation broadly before you take any action.
4. 4. Resist the temptation to reduce. The holistic perspective is not reductionist. Instead of breaking something down into its constituent parts, look at the interconnectedness of all the individual objects working together. While some categorical distinctions are okay, temper your reductionism by always keeping in mind how the pieces interconnect.

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