Linear thinking is a myth. Yet, somehow, the way we teach people to think at school is linear. First, formulate a question. Then, the hypothesis. Third, design a protocol to test your hypothesis. Evaluate the results. Of course, it can be argued the process is circular rather than linear—a learning loop of sort where you formulate a new hypothesis based on the results of the latest experiment—but the process traditionally taught to students still involves thinking in a specific order.