The Onion Test for the Sharpness of Minds
You may have heard about the tomato test. The tomato test, or tomato-slicing test, tests if your knives could do with sharpening. Sharpened blade should slice through the skin of a tomato with minimal pressure.
The idea behind the tomato test is extensible to onions and for a good purpose. We use onions a lot as a metaphor. For example, we ask the five-whys questions to reveal the core of the problem.?
The sharper the questions are the easier they peel the onion. Relevant question sharpen the blade of the mind and it can peel layers of ambiguity one after another.
Einstein realized the value of questions “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery every day."
The questions help us also form the onion layers of understanding. A good example is writing an article. You can arrange your thoughts with the core issue in the center. The layers and their subsequence helps in arranging your thoughts logically because one layer leader to the next layer.
It is with storytelling with the theme of the story in the center. The sequence of events are the subsequent layers that reflect the sequence of events. If these layers are not organized thoughtfully then the resulting onion is bad and is hard for the blasé of the mind to peel its events.
It is both the quality of the onion and the sharpness of the blade of mind.
CEO at MILKATU ZADOK AND SONS LTD
1 年We need the knife and the onion approach analytical mind to connect between related items or pieces of info to Integrate combined info to better understand the relationship between the information being processed. We most compile the info by putting parts together to form a whole or building a structure or a pattern from the diverse elements. Evaluating assessing the reasonableness and quality of ideas or materials on order to present and defend the opinion. We most generate producing new info ideas products or ways of viewing things . Thinking about thinking is called metacognition is the highest level of thinking that enables understanding analysis and control of our cognitive processes it involves planning monitoring assessing and Evaluating our use of cognitive resources. We need to sharpen our knives to go through our mind onion layers. Thanks my dearest friend for an excellent post I enjoy every part of it . Though challenging. Happy weekend.
CEO at MILKATU ZADOK AND SONS LTD
1 年This is really interesting, provoking your thinking and running it deep for analytics. My question is what the onion does to knife is it the same thing our unguided analytical mind does to the out come of our analysis. The study shows investigation done by the sharpness of knife by onion cutting under a digital microscope as the myth claimed onion accelerate corrosion and dullness of knife by releasing gas sulphur compound which contribute to the corrosive properties towards metals and degrade and decrease the sharpness of the knife. I am sure same applies to us delving into unknown areas of our minds we should do it with caution and responsibility. Our thinking skills are cognitive operations processes that are building blocks for our thinking there are several core thinking processes including focusing, organising, analysing, evaluating and generating. Focusing is to attend to selective pieces of information while ignoring other stimuli . Gathering is bringing to the conscious the relative info needed for cognitive processing, organising is to arrange info so it can be used more effectively. Analysing is to break down info by examining parts and relationships so that it's organizational structure may be understood .thanks
HR Professional | AON Certified Performance Management Ready Professional |Trainer in Sales, Soft Skills & Personality Development I Rich HR Generalist experience in Mfg/Retail I YouTuber
1 年A thought-provoking post Ali Anani, PhD Interesting metaphors and analogies. Indeed ! Sharper the mind easier is the cut through the clutter. And yes, sharpening of our thought process (blade) depends largely on the smart questions that we ask with regard to the core issues. The writing of articles is such a relatable example of gathering, organizing and presenting our thoughts reaching the core layer by layer.
Strategic Partnerships Leader | Driving Growth Through Collaboration, Innovation & Impact | Author, Speaker & Poet - Living my mantra "Know your value, Live your values"
1 年Your cleverness never fails me Ali Anani, PhD , I appreciate your creative and thoughtful view in the topic of mental sharpness.
Columnist & Featured Contributor at BIZCATALYST 360
1 年Thank you dears Zen ?? Benefiel and Raed AL-Taji AL-Farouki (???? ????????) for your sharing the post. ?? ??