What Is Abstract Thinking and How to Cultivate It

As a human, you engage in abstract thinking daily, even if you don’t know it. Often described as "big picture thinking," abstract thinking goes beyond concrete thought processes based on facts and literal interpretations. It allows you to dream about the future, debate with friends over the pros and cons of a particular topic, and reflect on your feelings at a specific moment. 

Explore the concept further throughout this guide, including how it differs from concrete thinking, how to use it, and how to develop your abstract thinking skills.

What is abstract thinking?

Abstract thinking involves higher-order reasoning. It allows humans to contemplate intangible concepts that aren't material or concrete, like fear, freedom, happiness, hope, jealousy, and love. It also allows humans to think about the big picture or the situation as a whole instead of focusing on the here and now. Exploring examples can help you fully comprehend abstract thinking.  

Abstract thinking examples

While it may seem like a complex subject, abstract thinking is easy to grasp once you recognize how you use it daily. Consider several ways that you might use abstract thinking in your daily life.

• Visualizing beyond the here and now: When you visualize an event or concept beyond what is physically in front of you, you’re using abstract thinking. For example, you use abstract thinking when shopping for a sofa. You assess the sofa's size, color, shape, and fabric in-store, then visualize how it will fit into your current home setup. From this visualization, you decide whether to buy the sofa.

• Comparison: When you use analogies, metaphors, or similes to make comparisons, you engage in abstract thinking. For example, you might try to study one concept per day leading up to your exam rather than studying all concepts the night before. When describing this method to a friend, you might say it’s a “marathon, not a sprint.” This metaphor is abstract thinking.

• Criticism: Critiquing a book, piece of art, or movie requires abstract thinking. Here, you’re thinking of underlying messages, representations, and consistent themes throughout the storyline. 

• Imagination: You use abstract thinking when imagining where you'll live in the future or what sort of job you'll have. While you might have concrete elements in your imagery from the here and now, much of your imaginary scenario requires going beyond what is physically present and filling in the blanks with what might be. 

• Philosophy: You think in the abstract when you reflect on human nature, your existence, or your relationship to the world. One example might be when you reflect on different cultures and how everyday practices shape views on morality. What is “right” in one culture might feel “wrong” to another.  

• Point of view: Abstract thinking allows you to consider your spouse's or a coworker's point of view when discussing something. It enables you to accept the idea that two truths can exist simultaneously. 

• Prediction: Making a prediction about the weather or how your stock will perform requires abstract thinking. 

• Problem-solving: Abstract thinking allows you to devise creative solutions to problems at home or work. 

• Symbolism: When interpreting symbols in art or literature to find hidden meaning, you use abstract thinking. For example, you might consider how the author uses imagery to paint the event's mood or how the music choice in a video helps you anticipate what will happen.  

• Theory: When formulating a theory about why your child struggles in school, you use abstract thinking. In some cases, you might develop several different theories and consider the likelihood of each. 

Abstract thinking vs. concrete thinking: What’s the difference?

For another way to understand abstract thinking, explore how it differs from concrete thinking. When thinking concretely, you focus on what is directly around you in the here and now, like your desk, boss, dog, car, or home. Concrete thinking doesn't involve activities like analysis, comparison, or imagination. 

Small children think concretely, and they learn to think abstractly as they grow. This explains why babies put everything within reach in their mouths, and toddlers have trouble understanding why the snowman melted. 

To better comprehend the difference between a concrete thought and an abstract thought, consider your morning cup of coffee. When you have a thought about how good your coffee tastes, you're engaging in concrete thinking. When you think about why you love coffee, how drinking coffee fits into your daily routine, or how coffee compares to tea, you're engaging in abstract thinking. In other words, you're thinking beyond the here and now of your cup of coffee.

What is the value of abstract thinking?

Abstract thinking makes life easier in a variety of ways. Thinking in the abstract allows you to process new information, which helps you learn new skills and find quicker solutions to problems. Abstract thinking also allows you to look at issues from many angles, aiding decision-making. You also use abstract thinking to empathize with other people, which helps strengthen relationships. 

Abstract thinkers often do well at:

• Improvisation

• Writing poetry or fiction

• Creating all types of art

• Doing puzzles

• Inventing things

• Using figurative language

• Solving complex math problems

• Hypothesizing different solutions

• Understanding different perspectives

• Understanding or making jokes

Ways you can use abstract thinking

Abstract thinking can be useful in many areas of life. Consider how you might use it both professionally and personally.

In your professional life 

Abstract thinking can help you in your professional life because it allows you to have vision. For example, suppose you're developing a new procedure for employee training. In that case, abstract thinking allows you to consider how the procedure will affect you, your fellow employees, your supervisors, the company as a whole, and its stakeholders.  

Having vision can also help you advance in your career. The ability to imagine possibilities can help you set career goals, focus on them, and manage your time wisely. 

In your personal life 

At home, you benefit from abstract thinking in a variety of ways. Abstract thinking allows you to contemplate the health of your current relationship, imagine how alternate choices might affect you, decide how to spend your day or find meaning in a beautiful piece of art. Abstract thinking also helps you develop a “moral compass” or sense of spirituality, making decisions about what feels right or wrong or contemplating life's meaning.

How to develop abstract thinking skills

Several strategies can help you develop your abstract thinking skills. Try these tips:

• Delegate simple duties at work to free up more time for more complex tasks. 

• Collaborate or brainstorm with coworkers to benefit from different points of view.

• Engage in reflection at home through journaling or visualization.

• Expose yourself to new situations and experiences.

• Read poetry and think about its meaning.

• Solve problems by asking how, what, and why questions.

• Solve visual puzzles that require you to think beyond initial solutions.

• Visit a modern art museum or attend an interpretive dance performance. 

• Write stories and share them with friends, family, or others.

Read more: What Can You Do With a Psychology Degree? Jobs and More

One disadvantage of abstract thinking

Occasionally, an overactive imagination can become a problem. Some people suffer from a cognitive distortion known as catastrophizing, where they imagine the worst possible results in any situation. People who catastrophize may benefit from focusing more on concrete information than abstract ideas.

Learn more about abstract thinking on Coursera

Abstract thinking is part of what it means to be human. Every day, whether you’re considering your favorite style of coffee or comparing your dog’s behavior today with yesterday’s, you’re engaging in abstract thinking. Abstract thinking skills can help you personally and professionally, enhancing your creativity, expanding your perspective, and solving problems.

To learn more about abstract thinking, consider taking Introduction to Psychology, offered by Yale University on Coursera. You'll have the opportunity to learn about abstract thinking, analytical thinking, and critical thinking, and you'll explore topics like communication, decision-making, emotions, learning, memory, perception, and social behavior. 

You'll get an introduction to important psychological theories, such as Sigmund Freud's Psychodynamic Theory and B. F. Skinner's Theory of Behaviorism. You'll also explore how children think and learn language.