A journalist wrote this text some time ago
(I added the three modes of thinking at the end):
The term philocognition, coined by Fanny Nusbaum, PhD in psychology and neuroscience researcher, redefines a way of being in the world often associated with labels such as “gifted”, “precocious”, “neuroatypical” or “high potential”. She built the word from “philo” (to love) and “cognition” (thought/knowledge). Philocognition thus refers to people who love to spend time thinking and show a marked appetite for everything related to thought and knowledge.
Philocognition is a genuine orientation of being, an inclination towards thought and knowledge, a compulsion to reflect on the world 24/7 and to run everything through the “thinking mill”. The philocognitive is driven by an irrepressible need to question, analyse and debate ideas. Nothing is taken for granted; everything can be discussed, from the deeper meaning of words to the origins of the universe. A question that seems trivial to others can become an existential emergency for a philocognitive.
This relationship with thought can be a source of great comfort, like being “with your best friends having drinks in the sun”. It is a space where the philocognitive feels at ease, like on a mental “sofa”. However, this powerful engine can also turn into a nightmare when thoughts go round in circles and become rumination, leaving the person trapped like a “hamster on a wheel”.
Although philocognitives are often seen as “the bosses of thinking”, this ability is not synonymous with intelligence. Fanny Nusbaum stresses a fundamental confusion: philocognition is an inclination, even an ability, just like athletic or artistic aptitudes, whereas intelligence is a state. It is the state that allows you to reveal your abilities and express them optimally, rather like a Ferrari that can only show its power on a race track, not on a snowy road.
So you can be philocognitive without being “intelligent”. Fanny Nusbaum recounts her own experience: despite her strong reasoning abilities, she has many times found herself unable to answer correctly because she was tired or intimidated. Her thinking “superpower” had let her down at the crucial moment. In this way, someone with a mind that is always on the move can end up less intelligent than someone for whom thinking is not their main orientation.
Philocognitives are not a homogeneous group. They fall mainly into two distinct personality profiles: the laminar and the complex.
Beyond these profiles, philocognition is expressed through three modes of thinking, which can be combined:
In short, philocognition is a unique way of inhabiting the world, characterised by a compulsion to think. It is a remarkable ability which, when put to work in a state of intelligence and performance, allows you to stand out and give intense meaning to your existence.
My talks develop this model and explain it through psychology and neuroscience, with keys to making the most of your philocognition profile.
