Thinking as a Science - The Neglect of Thinking

The Skill We Forgot to Practice

We live in a world full of information, debates, and quick fixes. But there’s one skill we rarely talk about: thinking. Not the kind of thinking that happens when we scroll through social media or chat about the weather, but the deep, focused kind—the kind Henry Hazlitt calls “thinking as a science” in his book of the same name.

Hazlitt’s first chapter, “The Neglect of Thinking,” starts with a simple idea: everyone sees problems in the world, but few realize that the biggest problem is our own failure to think clearly. We blame systems, politics, or other people, but rarely ask if our own thinking habits are part of the issue. Let’s break down why Hazlitt believes this neglect of thinking matters—and how we can fix it.

The Myth of “Being Informed”

Hazlitt points out a common misunderstanding. People think they’re thinking more than ever because they’re reading more. Libraries, books, and endless articles make us feel smart. But reading isn’t the same as thinking. When faced with a problem, we often reach for a book or search the web instead of wrestling with the question ourselves.

Imagine sitting in a waiting room, watching everyone else read. If you don’t have a book, you might feel bored or restless. But Hazlitt asks: why not use that time to think? Not daydreaming, but real thinking—like solving a puzzle or untangling a personal dilemma. Most of us have forgotten how to do this. We’ve replaced curiosity with convenience.

Your Mind is a Tool (And Tools Need Care)

Here’s Hazlitt’s key analogy: your mind is like a tool. A carpenter wouldn’t use a broken saw to cut wood. A chef wouldn’t cook with a blunt knife. But when it comes to thinking, we rarely maintain our “tools.” We tackle big questions—like climate change, career choices, or relationships—without ever learning how to think about them.

Ella Wheeler Wilcox, a writer Hazlitt quotes, compares human thinking to “music before the invention of musical notes.” It’s messy and disorganized. Hazlitt agrees. He argues that thinking needs structure, like any other skill. We don’t expect to play piano without practice, yet we assume good thinking just “happens.”

How to Think Better

So what does “thinking as a science” mean? Hazlitt splits it into two parts:

Wanting to think. This means valuing the process of solving problems, not just the answers.

Learning how to think. This is where most of us struggle.

Hazlitt calls thinking a “normative science”—a fancy way of saying it’s about how we should think, not just how we do think. It’s like a roadmap for your brain. Logic, for example, is part of this. But logic alone isn’t enough. You also need creativity and the courage to question assumptions.

Why This Matters Today

Hazlitt wrote this book over a century ago, but his message feels urgent now. We’re drowning in information but starved for wisdom. Algorithms feed us opinions, and social media rewards quick reactions, not deep thought. The neglect of thinking isn’t just a personal flaw—it’s a cultural problem.

To fix it, we need to relearn how to sit with uncertainty, ask better questions, and resist the urge to outsource our thinking to others. This isn’t about being a genius. It’s about being intentional.