Hello, I'm Maneshwar. I'm working on FreeDevTools online currently building **one place for all dev tools, cheat codes, and TLDRs* — a free, open-source hub where developers can quickly find and use tools without any hassle of searching all over the internet.*
1. Slow down the first answer
Before answering anything, force this pause:
- What exactly is being asked?
- What assumptions am I making?
- What would make this answer wrong?
That short pause alone improves accuracy a lot.
2. Make your thinking explicit
Reasoning improves when it’s visible.
When solving anything:
- Write the inputs
- Write the goal
- Write the constraints
- Write the trade-offs
If you can’t explain your reasoning in 3–5 clear steps, you probably don’t understand it yet.
3. Separate facts from inferences
Most bad reasoning comes from mixing these.
Train yourself to label:
- Facts → what you directly know or observe
- Inferences → what you conclude from those facts
Ask: If this inference is wrong, which fact disproves it?
4. Actively look for counterexamples
Good reasoners try to break their own ideas.
After forming an answer:
- Ask: In what case does this fail?
- Try extreme inputs, edge cases, adversarial scenarios
If your idea survives attack, it’s probably solid.
5. Use first-principles thinking (sparingly)
Don’t do it for everything—do it for important problems.
Process:
- Strip the problem to fundamentals
- Ignore conventions and “how it’s usually done”
- Rebuild a solution from constraints
This is especially powerful in systems, performance, and architecture decisions.
6. Compare multiple solutions, not just one
Reasoning sharpens when you contrast.
For any problem, force yourself to find:
- A simple solution
- A brute-force solution
- An optimized solution
- A “wrong but tempting” solution
Understanding why one is better is where reasoning grows.
7. Post-mortem your mistakes
This is huge and most people skip it.
When you’re wrong, don’t just correct it—ask:
- Which assumption misled me?
- What signal did I ignore?
- How could I have detected this earlier?
Mistakes are compressed lessons.
8. Explain things to an imaginary junior
If you can teach it simply, you understand it.
Try explaining:
- Without jargon
- Without skipping steps
- Without “trust me” leaps
If you get stuck, that’s the gap to fix.
9. Read slow, think slower
When reading technical material:
- Pause after each section
- Predict what comes next
- Ask why this design exists instead of just how it works
Passive reading doesn’t improve reasoning. Interrogating text does.
10. Measure reasoning, not speed
Fast answers feel smart but often aren’t.
Better metric:
- Fewer reversals
- Cleaner explanations
- Better edge-case handling
- Stronger confidence with evidence
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