Connected Thinking: Linking Ideas That Don’t Always Match
- AutistIQ-Consultant
- Oct 3
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 6
Introduction
Have you ever tried to solve a tricky problem and realized you needed to think in a new way? Maybe you had to mix ideas from different places — like science and art, or feelings and facts. That’s called Connected Thinking.
Connected Thinking means looking at the world like a puzzle where the pieces don’t always fit perfectly — but with effort, curiosity, and care, you can find ways to link them together.
Lack of Connected Thinking leads to siloes, over-specialisation, duplication, and limited outcomes.
What Is Connected Thinking?
Connected thinking is when you link different ideas, even if they come from very different places. It’s not about matching things that already fit — it’s about making connections that help you understand more, solve problems better, and create new things.
Jay Shetty, author of Think Like a Monk, says:
“Connected thinkers find patterns where others see anomalies.”
How Do We Think in a Connected Way?
Here are some tools that help people think in connected ways:
Concept Mapping
Purpose: Helps visualize relationships between concepts, making it easier to see how ideas interconnect.
“Learning is a process of connecting new information with existing knowledge.” ~ David Ausubel, educational psychologist
Systems Thinking
Purpose: Understand complex systems by modeling feedback loops, interdependencies, and emergent behaviour.
“You think that because you understand one, you must understand two because one and one make two. But you forget that you must also understand ‘and’.” ~Sufi proverb, often cited in systems thinking literature
Lateral Thinking
Purpose: Encourages looking at problems from multiple angles to generate creative solutions.
“You cannot dig a hole in a different place by digging the same hole deeper.” ~Edward de Bono
Mind Mapping
Purpose: Organizes thoughts visually around a central idea, promoting associative and non-linear thinking.
“The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.” ~Plutarch
Interdisciplinary Thinking
Purpose: Builds a network of linked notes that reflect how ideas relate across domains.
“The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not ‘Eureka!’ but ‘That’s funny…’” ~Isaac Asimov
6. Analogical Reasoning
Purpose: Solves problems by drawing parallels from unrelated domains.
“All perception of truth is the detection of an analogy.” ~Henry David Thoreau
How does this help us view the world in a better way?
Psychology: Thinking and Feeling Together
Psychologists like Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow believed:
“Positive and supportive relationships foster psychological well-being and self-actualization.”
Connected thinking helps us:
Understand emotions
Work better with others
Feel more confident and less alone
Sociology: People and Communities
Sociologists study how people connect in groups. Emile Durkheim said:
“Society is not a mere sum of individuals.”
Connected thinking helps us:
Understand why people behave the way they do
See how culture and community shape our choices
Business: Smart Ideas That Work
“Innovation is seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought.” ~Dr. Albert Szent-Györgyi, Nobel Prize-winning scientist
In business, connected thinkers:
Spot patterns others miss
Build better teams
Create products people love
The following will also help the intrepid explorer of thought and connected thinking. Jay Shetty’s Four Mindsets for connected thinkers:
Community Thinking – Connect with diverse people.
Coach Thinking – Understand different personalities.
Child-like Thinking – Stay curious and playful.
Coder Thinking – Blend digital and real-world ideas.
Conclusion: Building Bridges Between Ideas
Connected thinking is like building bridges between islands. Each island is an idea — and the bridges are how we link them. It takes effort, imagination, and sometimes help from others, but when we connect ideas, we discover new paths, solve problems better, and understand the world more deeply.
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