Logical thinking
Logic is the science of right thinking. It studies how to reason correctly and draw conclusions. Logic, as an ability, is not an innate quality, but is acquired with knowledge of the world. Therefore, logic needs to be developed like any skill. If you can reason according to the laws of logic, then the efficiency of thinking increases.
You are better at building cause-and-effect relationships, drawing conclusions and recognizing illogical things. Also, logical thinking helps to express thoughts better, which helps in communication. All human reasoning has been studied by logicians and described in the form of laws.
There are four of them in total:
1. The law of identity: any thought must necessarily be equal to itself, that is, it must be clear, precise, simple and definite;
2. The law of contradiction: it is forbidden to assert something and deny the same thing at the same time;
3. The law of the excluded third: two contradictory judgments about the same subject, at the same time and in the same relation, cannot be simultaneously true and cannot be simultaneously false. That is, the truth of one of them necessarily means the falsity of the other, and vice versa;
4. The law of sufficient reason: any thought, in order to be valid, must necessarily be justified by arguments. Arguments should be sufficient to prove the original idea.
I know it sounds complicated, but if you think carefully or watch videos with explanations, formulas and examples, it will immediately become clearer. We will not grow a beard like Aristotle’s and make a dash for such a complex science. You need to start with the simple and applicable. I think the argumentation skill is perfect. It can become a natural guide to the world of logic. That’s what happened to me.
The study of argumentation led me to the study of logic. I often began to notice that people cannot agree at meetings. Even the coolest professionals and top managers sometimes fail. They have long conversations, but they don’t move forward. I started analyzing people’s communication and visualizing cause-and-effect relationships, which led me to argumentation content.
That’s how I got acquainted with Sergey Povarnin’s book “The Art of Argument”. I recommend this book to everyone to start upgrading logical thinking. In the book, Sergey explains approaches to the truth, explains what a thesis, argument, proof is, what the tricks and varieties of disputes are. It’s all very accessible and interesting. When you realize that it was possible to approach the argument in this way, you will not be able to communicate with people as before.
For example, try to argue and analyze other people’s arguments through the SExI algorithm. This is an abbreviation, where “S” (Statement) is a thesis, “Ex” (Explanation) is an explanation using arguments, “I” (Illustration) is an illustration. Good argumentation is when the main thesis is announced, then there are arguments and arguments from which the thesis follows, and at the end an illustrative example is given.
Look at the communication through this algorithm and you will notice that many parts are often missing, and sometimes people can’t even formulate a thesis. By applying the SExI algorithm, you will be able to convey thoughts better, which will have a positive impact on many things. Of course, not everything is so simple, and this is just the tip of the iceberg, but even such a small step towards understanding logic will significantly affect your thinking.
Develop logic in all possible ways. Play chess, solve logic problems, watch movies with intricate plots, analyze events, draw conclusions, ask yourself questions, learn to notice arguments. Read the reasoning of smart people and look at examples of logic. There is a lot of content, it is very fascinating and entertaining. The main thing is not to overdo it, so as not to become an insensitive, but absolutely logical person in all spheres of life. After all, we are living irrational beings and do not always act logically in relationships or negotiations because of emotions.
