What is Deep Thinking?

As I was writing The Thousand Mile Hole, a friend asked me what deep thinking is, along with some related questions. This is that conversation, as well as I can recall it.

Q: How do you make the distinction between deep thinking and shallower thinking?

A: We generally know it when we see it, don't we? Of course, it is a matter of degree, so it can be debated where to draw the line. But beyond that intuitive grasp and the arbitrary classifying of degree, there are some specific ways to differentiate the two.

Q: You mean a test of sorts?

A: Yes, in a way. Here's a test of relative depth: If a concept is an example of another concept, the latter is usually the deeper one. For example, if paying someone for damage done to their property is an example of justice, then the concept of justice is a deeper one than the concept of restitution.

Q: Does that rule always work?

A: Not if it isn't used properly, because the depth of thinking is also a matter of context. For example, a human is an example of an animal, but we may not think of a human as a shallower subject than animals in general. On the other hand, if a human comes up as an example of an animal, then the deeper questions are about the nature of animals - in that context.

A: I think I understand. Is there another way to make the determination?

Q: Another perspective on the idea of one thing being an example of something deeper, is to think of it as one thing explaining another. Those facts or concepts which explain more about our world are the deeper ones. For example, water boiling at a given temperature is a fact, but the fact that all substances have a solid, liquid and gaseous state according to the temperature they are at is a deeper insight. It explains not only boiling water, but many other facts.

Q: So deep thinking is about getting beyond the particular surface ideas and going after the ideas which explain those shallower ideas and more.

A: That's not a bad way to express it.

Q: Any other guidelines?

A: Simple examples make it clear on a more intuitive level. Here's one: Noticing that politicians are prone to lie more than other people is a common insight. Deep thinking goes beyond that to asking what causes this difference. Of course practical thinking also leads from there to asking how we make politics more honest.