mõttekäigu

Mõttekäik is an Estonian term that translates to "train of thought" or "line of reasoning." It refers to the sequence of ideas, judgments, and inferences that make up a person's thinking process as they move from one thought to another. It describes the logical progression or associative connection between different mental states.

A mõttekäik can be simple or complex, linear or branching. It encompasses how an individual connects existing knowledge, experiences, and perceptions to arrive at a conclusion or form a new understanding. Understanding someone's mõttekäik is crucial in fields like psychology, philosophy, and communication, as it helps to decipher their underlying motivations, beliefs, and decision-making processes.

In everyday conversation, referring to a mõttekäik acknowledges the journey of thought rather than just the final outcome. It implies that there is a connected series of steps that led to a particular idea or opinion. It is not simply a single thought, but the process by which thoughts evolve and link together. This concept is fundamental to understanding how humans process information and construct meaning.