My Life@MMU: Methods of Creative Thinking

Today, we're going to talk about mind map. As we all know since primary school, mind map learning is somehow compulsory to every teacher's teaching material, but yet most people still don't realize how is mind map so important to them and how to utilize it. From here, I'm going to introduce you, THE mind map!

As it was named, a mind map is the map to our mind, what we think? what our mind was generating? So, why is it so important for us to draw out a mind map? In fact, let's start with the container of our mind, the all mighty brain.

Ah! the mysterious brain. Who knew this 1.5 kilograms body tissue could built a whole human civilization? Without the utilization of brain, we are no different than animal. Our brain is so powerful that even the smartest person in the world had only utilized less than 10% of his brain, so that you can imagine, the brain is way more powerful than we thought. Now, in order to differentiate us from animals, we must learn to utilize our brain and express it, the one solution to it is by drawing mind map!

Our brain receive information in a very special way different from what we imagine. When your parents first gave you your name, for example, Michael, your brain won't just simply receive the information 'MICHAEL' into random part of your brain, the brain will dismantle the whole name into alphabet, 'M','I','C','H','A','E','L' , then spread them separately into different parts of the brain. Whenever people ask you about your name, the brain will starts to collect back the alphabets from your brain, then spell them back exactly the correct arrangement 'MICHAEL'. The brain's data transmission is so fast that when people ask you your name, you can answer them in less than 0.5 second, the frequent the question, the faster the transmission.

Now, another question, what if we are to think of something original? Something that never exist before? Something that never stored in our brain before? The brain is so powerful not just because of the speed of data transmission, but also the ability to connect data. What do you think the brain dismantle the name for? To make them easier to store? NO! The brain dismantle them to allow you to connect them with other data in the future! Inside our little brain, lives millions and billions of neuron cells, which is far more popular than the human population of the world. Most neuron cells connect each other with their neurons, which I assume, trillions of them, but despite them, there are still neuron cells that are not connected. In order to connect them, the only thing to do is think. Human brain can grow in every second of our life, there is no reason for us to stop thinking, the moment you do that, you're declared dead.

People came out with a lot of original ideas because they connected the neurons that you haven't connected yet, when you study their idea, you can connect your neurons just like theirs too, but there will be no more originality. So, in order to be the first connector of original idea, you must think! Not by brainstorming, but by a systematic method of idea generating, which lead us to MIND MAP.

Have you ever sit on a couch, closing your eyes, trying to think of one specific subject? Here's the awkward moment, when you're trying so hard think of the solution of solving your math assignment, then suddenly, your girlfriend pops out in your brain, 'oh how pretty she is, how cute she is, oh I forgot how it feels to kiss her' BAM! you lost your focus. The reason is, our brain is designed to multi-task, by just sitting down and think, you won't be able to 100% focus on the main subject, you'll get distracted. So, drawing mind map could help you think specifically and arranged.

According to Wikipedia,

A mind map is a diagram used to visually outline information. A mind map is often created around a single word or text, placed in the center, to which associated ideas, words and concepts are added. Major categories radiate from a central node, and lesser categories are sub-branches of larger branches.Categories can represent words, ideas, tasks, or other items related to a central key word or idea.

According to me,

A mind map is a diagram used to generate idea from information we know. It started with 1 subject, usually, in the center, then spread out like branches, following with the words associated with the subject. The first branches of associated words should be just 1 word. Next, spread into more and more sub-branches, the words after first branches can be more than 1 word.

Tony Buzan
( 1942 - today )

The mind map we see nowadays was developed in the early 1950s, at first, it was written in black and white, straight lines, colors and drawings are not encouraged because they are considered informal. Until an author showed up and installed the mind map with new concept, and the author is the famous Tony Buzan. Although Tony is not the one who developed mind map, but he literally popularize the utilization of mind map through out the world. He advocated the using of colors instead of black and white, using of curved organic line instead of just straight line, using of images and drawings instead of words.

Maximize the Power of Your Brain : Tony Buzan Mind Mapping

'We don't use color in notes traditionally because we are told not to in school, or the research. I say the opposite should do so, we love color.'

-Tony Buzan

Classic mind map

Tony Buzan mind map

‘An image is a picture, a picture worth a thousand words.’

-Tony Buzan

There are two types of mind map - logical mind map and associated mind map. Both mind maps are very much similar visually, but the detail are way different. As what it named, logical mind map is more to logical thinking, that means, never think out of the box. On the other hand, associated mind map can be much more unrestrained than logical mind map, because it doesn't need to be logical, as long as it associated with your thought. Enough talking, let me show you some examples for further understanding.

Analytic, Realistic, Categorized, Logic

Creative, Free, Imagination, Different

There, as I told you just now that mind map is developed to help us generate new ideas, then the reason why mind map is classified into two types is because our brain is, at the mean time divided into two part naturally too, which is the left and the right brain.

The picture is taken from an advertisement of Mercedes-Benz. It stated that our left brain is actually responsible for the logical thinking of our brain, such as maths, science, physics. As for the right brain, it takes the other responsible for our creativity, emotions, feelings, senses, imagination. That's why there are two types of mind map, logical mind map for the left brain, and associated mind map for the right brain. Together, it forms a powerful brain.

To me, mind map is a method to generate original ideas, to connect things that you never thought they could be connected before, to try new things, to be creative.

-KS Yong

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Exercise on Logical Mind Map

According to the order of the mighty lecturer, I will need to do my own logical mind map by choosing any 3 words from his mind map as first branch. My logical mind map must generate 3 original ideas of the function of mortar and pestle, assuming the original function of mortar and pestle hasn't been invented yet in our society. Hmm...interesting. So, here goes!