The Extended Mind

Annie Murphy Paul · 2021

Your surroundings can be part of the thinking.

Big Idea

Paul argues that bodies, environments, and relationships can help people think more effectively than relying on internal effort alone.

Movement and bodily signals can support attention and problem-solving in suitable contexts.

Using the hands can help make a difficult idea concrete while explaining or learning it.

The design of a place can influence distraction, engagement, and the ease of working with information.

Diagrams and arranged objects can make relationships easier to inspect than holding everything in memory.

Discussion, teaching, and shared knowledge can extend what an individual can understand.

The best support depends on the task; no environment works equally well for everyone.

For a difficult problem, change the thinking setup: draw its parts, move briefly, or explain it to someone.

Improve the thinking environment as well as the effort.