<em>Most people consider their own mental processes to be what thinking is, without ever considering the nature of the activity and without ever questioning the effectiveness of their particular methods. Modern schooling practices discourage critical thinking by their very nature (e.g. multiple-choice testing) and leave young people without this most crucial of acquired life skills. Much of the mental activity most people indulge in is counterproductive and unworthy of the term ‘thinking’. Thinking is an important mental process. It helps us to define and organise experiences, plan, learn, reflect and create. But sometimes our thinking may for a variety of reasons become unhelpful and this has a negative impact on our well being.</em>
