If thinking is categorized practically, it can be broadly split into ‘volitional thinking’ and ‘instrumental thinking.’ Volitional thinking involves the belief that to succeed, a person must have a strong will to overcome hardships and obstacles. Self-improvement falls under this category. However, to actually overcome hardships and obstacles, it is instrumental thinking that drives us to consider that we need ‘tools’ to get past them. In other words, it’s like how carpenters build houses: they construct the structure, but tools are what make it possible. There is no carpenter without tools. Both are essential for success, but if I had to emphasize one, focusing on instrumental thinking is more advantageous. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”
Since 2008, the US CDC has published annual flu reports aimed at preventing the spread of influenza nationwide. Researchers took two weeks to compile data on each flu outbreak by calculating the number of cases and generating a report. Meanwhile, the flu had already spread across the country. Google addressed this issue by analyzing search query statistics. However, an error emerged in 2013 when the flu vaccine became scarce, prompting the media to publish numerous flu-related articles that further distorted the situation by conflating the search terms for flu patients. In other words, accurate data analysis depends on the ability to interpret quality, untainted data and its context. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”