How to think logically in day to day: 8 tips
The ability to think logically is not an innate mental ability . It requires years of practice, in addition to growing in a cultural context in which there is a level of development that allows it. Therefore, until several thousand years ago, practically no one was able to perceive reality from a perspective linked to logic.
However, although mastering the habit of thinking logically requires some effort and learning, it is essential to live in current societies, both in the personal and in the professional sphere. Fundamentally, it is something that allows us to make the most of our intelligence and ability to think in abstract terms, with all the applications that this has when adapting to such a changing environment as human societies.
- Related article: "Are we rational or emotional beings?"
Tips to learn to think more logically
Follow this series of tips to get used to thinking in a logical way in most situations. Yes, you will have to adapt these key ideas to the characteristics of your life .
1. Learn to distinguish ideas
It is important make sure we do not confuse concepts , making the same word actually have two imprecise meanings instead of one that is clear and according to its definition. For example, it is not the same to refer to "the people" speaking about the inhabitants of a country, that speaking about a State.
So, adopt the habit of stopping to analyze if the most frequent terms in which you think are consistent and if you do not mix concepts.
2. Order your thoughts
Which aspects are the most important for you in relation to an issue? Is it reasonable that these are your priorities when analyzing an event or phenomenon? Do you cling unjustifiably to a very specific element of a much more complex reality? Sort thoughts and endow them with a certain hierarchy It helps to think logically.
3. Analyze your leaps of faith
The information you have about the reality that surrounds you is limited, and therefore, to some extent, you will always have to assume things about facts that you do not know . However ... are these leaps of faith justified? Are your conclusions really derived from the premises that you part? Or are you simplifying a problem simply to reach a conclusion that seems most comfortable?
4. Avoid argumentative fallacies
Remember that fallacies are not erroneous beliefs, but faulty reasoning. It is impossible to know if all our beliefs are correct or not, but we can analyze if there are inconsistencies in our way of reasoning and arguing.
So, familiarize yourself with the fallacies and check, on a day-to-day basis, if you fall on them . Most likely, you will do it several times, but these times should be to learn and correct your mistakes.
- Maybe you're interested: "The 10 types of logical and argumentative fallacies"
5. Meet new people
The possibility of interacting with new people, especially if it's people who think differently from us , is a great help when it comes to getting used to thinking logically. Why? Because we find ourselves in situations that challenge our intelligence and lead us to argue our beliefs.
Thus, exposing ourselves to the clash of different and incompatible ideas leads us to review our convictions and see if there are cracks in our belief systems, which
6. Detects simplification patterns
Do you tend to attribute to individuals facts that are more complex and have a social root (such as poverty)? Do you think that abstract ideas can be treated as physical objects (for example, talking about the law of attraction)? These are common mistakes that lead you to think in a way that is far from logic and that gives you a caricatured image of reality.
7. Adopt a distance perspective
Do not let your desires and feelings drag you when it comes to thinking coldly about important things . Failure to do so often ends in reaching conclusions according to how you feel, or to those that best fit your wishes. This is a way of dishonesty with oneself and does no good to our chances of having a fuller understanding of what actually happens.
8. Beware of false references
Sometimes, we falsely believe that the most realistic and logical option is that which we interpret as the most moderate between two opposing options. However, this does not have to be like this. For example, it is possible that our references to what are "extremes" are anything.
Our position on what racism is, for example, can be a middle ground between those who want to exterminate entire races and those who ignore the existence of those differences, if we stick to that logic. Therefore, before positioning ourselves, we must ask ourselves if those extremes are representations of valid options, in the first place.
