Walking prompts thinking in two ways:
- The mild physicality of walking (i.e., repetition of steps, navigating terrain, etc.) encourages focus, mindfulness, and deep thought.
- Objects in the environment can serve as prompts to thinking (e.g., nature prompts thinking about nature)
It is particularly effective in deciphering connections and generating inklings. While it might not be the best way to fully develop inklings (this is best done at home in front of a laptop; see Use your phone to collect materials not read them), one can take stops and write down cohesive threads of thought.
walking is an integral part of my my daily routine because walking accomplishes multiple goals.
Despite its many benefits in intellectual work, I also notice some cons
- Compared to sitting down on the desk and engaging with one’s talahardin, generating ideas is not as consistent when walking. It is a hit or miss process. I can go out and walk for two hours and not think about something. Perhaps I need more lessons on how to walk to think properly?
Aside from prompting thinking, walking changes your perspective.
References
Bunzl, M. (2021). Thinking while Walking: Reflections on the Pacific Crest Trail. Perry Street Press.
Hiking consumes the self. It demands focus, and its rhythmic repetition begets focus, if only because it blots out everything else.
The distraction of the mild physicality of the stroll sustains that process, not perhaps when you need to generate a rigorous proof, or even search for counter-examples, but when you are looking for connections you had not thought about. It is a circumstance ideal for a kind of creativity which is hard to order up when you are sitting at a desk, staring at a blank piece of paper.
the trail is stimulus for thinking about nature.