Writing 2 and Different Ways of Thinking

           

In “Teaching Two Kinds of Thinking by Teaching Writing”, Peter Elbow discusses two paths of thinking and the end result of each path. Elbow describes the first path of thinking as thinking in the spur of the moment and is not filtered. This type of thinking leads to people expressing their initial thoughts when asked a question and people expressing their true opinions. The second of path of thinking is described as critical thinking and thoughts that take time to develop. In writing, as I have learned in Writing 2, this mode of thinking leads people to think long and hard about certain subjects and usually generates well-thought and well-prepared responses. However, although creating well-constructed answers, I believe the second path of thinking does not create genuine answers and does not reflect the writer’s true beliefs. The writer is no longer writing as a means of reflecting their own beliefs but rather is simply writing to please the reader and writing what they think the reader wants to read. Sometimes, critical thinking leads to phony, generic answers and does not produce personal responses and individuality. Yet, a fusion of both orders of thinking can produce writing with genuine thoughts that are well-developed and presented in an intelligent manner. I believe that the most interesting thoughts are produced within the first path of thinking in that people demonstrate their true thoughts and, within those thoughts and in tandem with second path thinking, may lay true ingenuity and innovation.