As the name implies, one of the characteristics of linear thinking is to arrange the related aspects of the problem in order and connect them one by one. Linear thinking often deduces problems step by step, thinking that things develop and change in the same order or logic.

Linear thinking will fall into misunderstanding when dealing with interactive, developing, iterative and diversified problems. For example, we are now facing the problem of housing difficulties, and the linear thinking of the government is like this:

Housing is difficult because housing prices are high, and people with less money can't afford to buy a house-> People with less money can't afford to buy a house, so renting a house can solve the problem-> Calling people to rent a house is a rational choice-> Everyone rents a house, and the housing problem will be solved.

So the government thinks that they have explained the housing problem clearly, and the problem has not been solved because the people are disobedient.

Actually, it's not. Linear thinking can't figure out the real structure of things;

Housing difficulties

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People with high housing prices have no money.

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Land rent rises, tax law loopholes, wages do not rise, and welfare is not enough.

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Unbalanced regional development, legal gaps, market chaos and monopoly polarization.

It can be seen that the really complicated problem is a network, and all parts interact and influence each other, so thinking in linear thinking order can't solve the problem.