There is an important thinking tool known as Level Two Thinking

Here’s what it is, why it matters, and how to use it in everyday life.

Level One Thinking is simple. This is what happens when you seek to solve the immediate problem without consideration of anything else.

E.g.: Eating a chocolate bar when you’re hungry. Replacing one software problem with another at work to solve a problem.

Level One Thinking also happens when you hear an opinion and don’t think for yourself.

E.g.: Masks don’t work. Buy this stock because it will go up.

Level One Thinking is common thinking. Common thinking reaches the same conclusions. The same conclusions get the same results.

Level Two Thinking is more deliberate. One easy way apply the concept is to ask yourself the question “And then what?”

What does the world look like now? What did I not do? What are the second order consequences? ... etc.

Don't just ask this question once. Ask it repeatedly.

E.g., What are the consequences of repeatedly eating a chocolate bar when I’m hungry? What happens if we fix this visible problem that annoys everyone by switching software programs? What happens if I let others think for me? What happens if I say yes to bad opportunities?

Here are three lessons you can put to work today:

Lesson one: Don’t let short term negatives go unexplored. Most people stop thinking at the first negative rather than asking themselves ‘And then what?’

Consider going for a run in the cold. Most people opt out when they see the temperature. Second level thinkers consider walking through the door after the run and see the benefits. They’re full of energy. They sleep better. You’re healthier. You feel great. You live longer.

Lesson two: Think in decades not days. Solving problems based on what's going to give you the biggest results in a decade allows you to see what really matters. When you take the longest view in the room, you see problems and opportunities that others can't.

Lesson three: Consider the opportunity cost. Choosing to work on something means you’re not working on something else. The hardest thing to understand when applying this lesson is that you have to say no to good opportunities to pursue great ones.

People often trade visible problems for invisible ones. Where there is visible short-term pain but long-term gain, you’ll find opportunity.

Level Two Thinking takes a lot of work. It’s not easy to think in terms of systems, interactions, and time.

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