Neuron of the human retina

I've been thinking about thinking.
About how our mind forms habits, patterns and perceptions; how they lead to convenience and less mental effort. And when this convenience becomes a barrier to better thinking.

Borrowing from ideas by thinking gurus such as Edward De Bono, Malcolm Gladwell and the Kelley brothers, here are some things I have learned:

Our mind looks for patterns. Establishing patterns allows us to make decisions faster, with less information, drastically simplifying the decision-making process.
Imagine you're getting dressed for the day. You have 10 tops, 10 bottoms and 10 jackets. If you have to consider each possible outfit, you have 1000 outfits from which to choose - making a daily task an exhausting process! Instead, you probably reach into your wardrobe and pull together an outfit similar to ones you've worn before, dramatically simplifying the process of getting dressed.

Although necessary for trivial tasks, this shortcut way of seeking patterns comes at the expense of curiosity. Because our mind likes to see patterns, we may accidentally ignore bits that don't fit into this pattern. Because we always take a particular route to work, we forget there are alternative routes. Because it's easier to stereotype and make assumptions, we forget to suspend our pre-judgements when getting to know someone.

Our mind forms patterns (routines and habits). Patterns allow us to reach an outcome faster, the more we repeat it. This type of thinking is often (over)emphasised in school - this is rote learning. Forming and repeating patterns make the behaviour more reflexive - we think faster, and achieve the same outcome with less thinking (for example, the more we rote learn the times tables, the faster we are at answering 7x9).

When we repeat past patterns, we think along paths of less mental resistance. It feels easy, 'natural' (because we've done it for a long time) - we go on autopilot.

Is this true? Is this the best way to do or think about it? 

We assume the answer to both these questions is yes, because it's easy and effortless... And our thinking is stuck in a rut - mechanical rather than exploratory, linear rather than divergent, predictable rather than creative.