Right, logic. Sounds very simple. But not many of us are actually practicing it.
Yes, I used the word "us." It's because even I am writing about logic sometimes I will be controlled by my instinct and emotions.
I remember first encountering the history of logic during my first year of university. Learning about Aristoc and the evolution of logic during ancient Greece, I was not fond of any of it. Only because the subject is one of those required subjects that I had to endure 12 weeks of philosophy.
However, after a few years and some education by socialization, "logic" somehow seemed a lost skill in humans. Or, in a way that is less offensive, logic is practiced at different levels amongst all of us.
Like any other skill in the world, everyone is on different levels. The same applies to the use of logic in real life. But, it is absolutely horrendous to see how some people are actually using their logic.
Levels of Logic
Let's talk about the most basic level of logic: "A will lead to B." This is, I would say, the simplest form of logic. And it exists in almost all animals. We rely on this simple logic to tame most of the animals in zoos. You do the trick, you get the snack. The most basic AI is also trained with this logic. So, it is a waste of time to discuss this level.
Obviously, our world does not operate this way. It is not an "A must lead to B" thing. C, D, E and any other alphabets could lead to B. And A could lead not only to B but C, D, E as well.
The complexity does not end there. It could be "A + B will lead to C", "A + B + C will lead to D", "A + B will lead to C + D" and any other combinations. And, this is where logic gets interesting.
Problems with Logic
It is common that we are blindsided when trying to understand a certain logic. It could be due to limitations by our knowledge or the capability to understand the knowledge or a total missing of such knowledge.
Whatever the case may be, it will lead to wrong judgments. For example, "A + B will lead to C + D". But because of our limitations, we may only see "A will lead to C + D", "A + B will lead to C" and other possibilities.
And when we are talking about possibilities, it also plays a difference in our logic. In the same "A + B will lead to C + D" reasoning scenario, C could have greater importance than D. So if our understanding is "A + B will lead to C," our logic is considered better than those who only know "A + B will lead to D".
Did you notice a logical issue in the above paragraph? If C has greater importance than D, a more realistic scenario is that most people know "A + B will lead to C" but less will know about "A + B will lead to C + D."
This also goes the same if A has greater importance or better known than B. So most will know about "A will lead to C + D" but not "A + B will lead to C + D."
Improving Logical Reasoning
Before developing your logical reasoning, there is a fact that you must know beforehand.
"We all have cognitive defects." I have it. You have it. Everybody has it.
However, you should not let your cognitive defects to limit yourself. This also includes the ego after you find yourself practicing logical reasoning well. While you might feel others being less "smart", they might not be so because they did not have the same education as yourself.
In the next "Let's Talk About", I will "talk about" how knowledge can help to improve logical reasoning.
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