I was fortunate to experience a sauna last week. While there, a conversation was struck up by a few guys between themselves. They were expressing some populist views. Pandemic conspiracies. Government conspiracies. Strong views. Angry, aggressive, and unhappy views. Fearful, defensive views of the world. Even the reasoning for why she left him, why he’s not talking to him was bonkers.
What struck me most was the thinking or rather an absence of thinking that leads to a view. You know the kind of thing: ‘If it is a bird, it can fly. Z can fly. Therefore, Z is a bird.’ ‘All cats are animals. All dogs are animals. Therefore, all cats are dogs.’
The sauna man’s thinking was vacuous – empty, void. It made no sense. We are not taught to critically think. A process of objectively analysing, evaluating, and synthesising information to make reasoned judgments or solve problems effectively. It involves going beyond superficial assumptions, asking probing questions, and assessing arguments and evidence critically. It’s an essential skill in personal and professional contexts, helping individuals make informed decisions, avoid biases, and address complex issues.
Logical thinking is the process of using structured reasoning to analyse situations, solve problems, and reach well-founded conclusions. It’s a skill that enables you to break down complex information into smaller, manageable parts, apply rules or patterns, and make sense of things step by step. Here are some key components of logical thinking:
1. Analysis. This involves breaking down information into its component parts. When faced with a problem, logical thinkers look for patterns, relationships, and the structure of the information to understand how each piece relates to the whole.
2. Deduction. Deductive reasoning starts with a general statement or hypothesis and examines the possibilities to reach a specific, logical conclusion. For instance, in math, if all squares are rectangles, and you have a square, you can logically deduce that this square is a rectangle.
3. Induction. Inductive reasoning moves from specific observations to broader generalizations. It’s used to make predictions based on observed patterns, but since it isn’t foolproof, it requires testing and validation. For example, if you observe that the sun rises every morning, you may conclude that it will rise again tomorrow.
4. Inference. Inferences allow you to draw conclusions based on available evidence and previous knowledge. This helps fill in gaps in knowledge with the best-possible assumption, which is particularly useful in decision-making with incomplete information.
5. Problem-Solving. Logical thinking is heavily applied in problem-solving, where you define the problem, identify possible solutions, evaluate each one, and choose the most effective approach.
6. Sequencing. Logical thinkers follow sequences and processes to ensure nothing is overlooked and that each step logically follows the previous one. This approach is especially helpful in fields like programming or any systematic task.
How to Improve Logical Thinking
Well ask “how come?”, what is the source (epistemology) frequently to understand underlying causes and connections.
Where does this lead? Logical thinking is in daily life, helping us make sound decisions and effectively solve challenges.
Without it equals ‘disassembly’, no objective reality. Irrationality.
Unskilful or uniformed views about ourselves, others and other things lead to misinformation and conflict. Conflict within ourselves and with others.
Then there’s our reactions…
All begins with mind. With forethought we can be creative in our responses. Reactive mind risks impulsiveness and irrationality. Emotions are secondary to a creative mind.
By Shantinara (aka Tim Allard)
Photo Credit: Image by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay
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