Thinking is a skill — and most people, myself included in the past, are not very good at it. Why? Because we tend to think in a straight line: we only approach a problem from the front, so some problems never get solved.
The fix is simple. When a problem has resisted you for years, try Charlie Munger’s inversion: think it through backwards. Always invert. One example makes it clear.
How do you make money investing? Do not start there. Ask instead: how do I lose money investing? For instance, never check what the business does, never ask whether it earns a profit, never ask what it is worth — just buy with your eyes closed. If that somehow fails to lose money, do this: lock yourself in a room, stare at a cold screen full of red and green candlesticks, buy today and sell tomorrow. Do that for three to five years, check your pocket, and you will understand exactly what a losing trade looks like.
When a problem will not yield, stop pushing at the same wall. Try Munger’s inversion: think backwards. Always invert. It works.