Think running and run thinking

My Spanish for Managers class has revealed more insights than I expected from a language class. We had a guest professor come in, who essentially talked about the culture and about his background, mostly in Spanish (this was supposed to be our exercise - listening to a person other than our professor or TAs and ask him questions - I was guilty of reverting to English). He brought up a very interesting point about Spanish (or any language for that matter), being a way of thinking. When I learn Spanish, I am not only learning the language, but I am also gaining insight into what a native Spanish speaker might think like and structure his/her thoughts like. Being a non-native English speaker myself, this rung so true and I wondered why I had never thought about it that way. Learning a new language, the grammatical logic (or lack of it sometimes), and the difference between the language and your own, helps understand people and their way of thinking much better too. It also makes you feel so vulnerable and stupid when you just don't get something or when you struggle to say something as simple as "I don't know" that it levels the playground. Ever think about international students and how they struggle to get words out? Imagine having to translate your thoughts every time you have to say something!

My mind was very occupied with all of this when I ran today, and I wondered if learning anything new gives you an insight and changes your way of thinking. I see runners now, and I appreciate them more (I also hate them for running by me, chatting away as though its so easy), and I wonder if they are training for something, and if they had gone through the same starting pains that I went am going through. Even though I don't know exactly how, I think it is affecting the way I think - the way I set goals, and go about accomplishing them.

This kind of ties in with my Industrial Design Fundamentals class (part of the Management of Innovation & Product Development track) where we talk about design as a way of thinking (Design Thinking as its called - duh!). Think consumer, think ease of use, think solving the problem, think design.

Bottom Line: Learn something new - it keeps you on your toes, it humbles you, and it changes you.