The main difference between a person as a thinking creature and representatives of the rest of the living world inhabiting our planet is the ability to think in abstract categories.
What is abstract thinking?
The mental activity of any animal is limited by specific concepts and goals, consisting in the desire to get the necessary amount of food and give offspring. Most people are more complicated.
There is a famous story about the famous fashion designer, who began his lecture with a proposal to imagine that the human body has the shape of a ball. Part of the shocked audience left the hall, and in vain. The rest of the material was very interesting, and the example demonstrated the need for the ability to abstract. This applies not only to tailoring suits and dresses, but to almost any type of human activity.
In the process of work, problems arise that are sometimes so numerous that the task seems impossible. Difficulties multiply, they begin to grow in cross-links, and it is not clear where to start. In such a situation, the most effective method for the consistent resolution of many problems is analysis, that is, dividing the general problem into a number of simpler ones.
Identify the main thing
However, the algorithm does not end there. Each of the components of the overall complex task requires its own solution, which should be sought abstractly. Temporarily it is necessary to ignore all circumstances that are not related to a narrowly defined issue, or to abstract. This ability allows the human mind to make scientific discoveries, create immortal works of art and solve the most complex technical problems.
A scientist, engineer, and poet should be able to distinguish grains from chaff, essential from insignificant, the main thing from unnecessary. But what about the ordinary life of ordinary people? The ability to abstract, that is, to be distracted from everything secondary, is very important for every person. According to the poet, our planet is poorly equipped for pleasure. All the time, some circumstances interfere with work or rest. It is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to achieve ideal conditions for both. One thing remains - to abstract. This means that in the event of undesirable circumstances that interfere with life and the inability to eliminate them, they must be ignored.
In this case, of course, the effect of interference should be minimized by all possible means. For example, to get rid of noise, it is not enough just not to pay attention to it (not everyone can do this). But you can plug your ears with cotton.
The cure for fear
Abstraction is not only a means of solving many complex problems, but also a surefire way to deal with fears. For example, if a person is afraid of heights, but often forced to fly airplanes, he should move away from unpleasant emotions. To do this, it is enough to understand that during the flight, its safety does not depend on the passenger. The pilot is responsible for it, and therefore, he must worry. There is still a wicked statistical argument that driving a car is much more risky.
In addition, people sometimes have to overcome fears far stronger than those that arise with some passengers of airliners. A well-known soldier rule says that you do not need to be afraid of death. While a person is alive, she is not there, and as soon as she comes, there will be no one to fear. This is a vivid example of the ability to distance oneself not from danger, of course, but from panic horror that interferes with normal thinking.
In schools, colleges and universities, you can get a lot of useful knowledge. There is no comprehensive information about where and how to learn to abstract. There are people who have such a talent by nature, but most comprehend this wisdom on their own along with gaining life experience.