Why your brain hates hard tasks, how to train it to think smarter
Why our brain dislikes complex tasks and how to teach it to think differently (photo: Freepik)
Our brain is designed to save energy, which is why it often looks for simple answers instead of analyzing. Yet systematic thinking is what helps us make accurate decisions, recognize patterns, and avoid falling into the trap of superficial conclusions. Ukrainian family and holistic psychologist Anna Bohomolets explains why our brain resists complex tasks and how to train it to think systematically.
Why the brain seeks simplicity
The human brain consumes up to 20% of the body's energy, even when we are just thinking. To reduce this load, it looks for shortcuts such as patterns, ready-made answers, and intuitive reactions.
This effect is called cognitive economy. It is the brain's ability to avoid overload by automatically simplifying information.
"Imagine the brain as a traveler in a dense forest. Every day it has to make choices: which way to go, which paths to take, what to notice. When it sees a straight, well-trodden path, it naturally follows it. It's simple, clear, and saves energy," says the psychologist.
Simply put, the brain tries to operate in a way that avoids strain:
- It relies on first impressions
- It seeks confirmation of existing beliefs
- It avoids long reflections and doubts
This is how cognitive biases appear. These are systematic errors in thinking that can lead us to misjudge situations or people.
"Our brain prefers simple answers because they are fast, easy to understand, and do not require complex calculations. Scientifically, this is explained as cognitive economy: neurons try to use as little energy as possible, so we often follow ready-made patterns and simplified solutions," explains Anna Bohomolets.
How systematic thinking works
Systematic thinking is the ability to see not just individual events, but the connections between them. A person with this approach does not look for a single "guilty cause," but considers the process dynamically: what results from what, which factors influence it, and how everything interacts.
"The world is not a straight path, but a labyrinth of interconnected roads, turns, and obstacles. Here, simple answers become a trap, and we risk missing important details or failing to notice hidden consequences.
Systematic thinking is like having a map and a compass at the same time. It helps to see how each part of the forest affects the others and plan a route while taking the whole landscape into account," adds the expert.
Systematic thinking involves:
- Analytical skills: breaking a problem into components
- Cause-and-effect understanding: seeing how one decision influences another
- Flexibility: considering multiple scenarios
- Strategic vision: assessing long-term consequences
This is the kind of thinking leaders, scientists, and strategists use, but anyone can cultivate it.
How to develop systematic thinking
According to Anna Bohomolets, it can be trained by teaching the brain to "see the network" instead of just a single path:
- Observe connections and consequences in simple events
- Ask "what if?" questions and imagine alternative routes
- Listen to different viewpoints, like different sounds in the forest
- Pause and return to the chosen path, evaluating whether it truly leads where you need to go
"Simple solutions are easy and safe, and they reduce anxiety. But the brain's true power emerges when we practice seeing more broadly. Then we do not just follow a path; we understand the entire forest, sense its rhythm, and consciously choose our route," says the psychologist.
Systematic thinking reduces mistakes, helps us see causes rather than symptoms, and develops critical thinking, a quality essential for a mature perception of reality.
Those who think systematically are not afraid of uncertainty because they understand that the world is complex but predictable.
Previously, we revealed why we crave change but get scared when it happens.
