How to think completely logically?

[VulcanGuy]

Has anyone here ever tried this? I just bought this book to help me out: http://www.amazon.com/Being-Logical...bs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231245807&sr=8-1

What do you guys think? Anyone have some experience?

 

[Sci]

Has anyone here ever tried this? I just bought this book to help me out: http://www.amazon.com/Being-Logical...bs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231245807&sr=8-1

What do you guys think? Anyone have some experience?

You can't. Here's why:

The human brain is literally not wired to think completely logically. There are individuals who have suffered brain damage that impaired their ability to experience emotions -- they don't get happy, they don't get sad, they don't get afraid, etc. And you know what they've found?

They're really not able to function logically.

For instance, many of these individuals will not wear a seatbelt when traveling by car. Now, they know that one could easily get into a car accident, and they know that their chances of surviving a car accident increase dramatically if they wear a seatbelt. But they usually don't choose to do so, because they don't fear their own potential deaths. Their inability to feel emotions actually damages their ability to behave rationally.

Simply put, you actually need emotions to be able to think rationally at all -- but the price of that, of course, is that you'll never be able to think completely rationally. Such is life.

 

[blaXXer]

also you're never gonna get laid that way, chum...

 

[Deks]

Actually, you don't need emotions in order to think rationally.
You just have to adjust your perspective on things and evaluate your options.

Once a person has changed their way of thinking and how they perceive things, and if they realize it's working for them, then it works (for them).

You have to keep in mind that generalization is not a way to go.
You will always have people who are wired to adopt certain extremes.
They remain human, just behave in a slightly different capacity compared to others.

Suffering brain damage is an excessive stupidity.
Having psychological issues (if you don't know how to handle your emotions internally) can happen.
People can definitely learn to suppress their emotions and deal with them internally.
Just because people were TOLD that expressing your emotions (and letting it all out) is the healthy way to go, it hardly means it's the ONLY way to go.
As I said, different people react/behave differently.

 

[USS Triumphant]

Vulcans don't really, and you shouldn't either.

Pure Logic: The heat-death of the universe is inevitable. All religions are based on illogical emotions. Nothing anyone can do will ultimately matter after the end of it all. The most efficient thing to do is die. >BANG<

Not great. A little illogic helps.

I apply this to Artificial Intelligence. Modelling the function of the brain is great, but I don't believe we'll ever get real sentient A.I. until we've modelled the flaws. We'll know we've done it when a computer has its first "why the hell am I in the kitchen?!" moment.

 

[2 of 10]

^^
Have you read the book "Why the Universe is the way it Is" by Hugh Ross, he goes into great detail about The Heat Death of the Universe, and about proton decay being a fundamental limit on Physical Life. This is still a long way off though, no need to worry...

 

[Rÿcher]

Has anyone here ever tried this? I just bought this book to help me out: http://www.amazon.com/Being-Logical...bs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231245807&sr=8-1

What do you guys think? Anyone have some experience?

You're that much better off having asked than not. I don't have the words to express my admiration for someone willing to ask something like this.

Unfortunately, I too don't think it's possible to think like a Vulcan from Star Trek unless you had a really high IQ and really severe autism.

There are certain brain exercises you can do to train yourself to think more logically. I suppose if you were a fan of Sherlock Holmes and his methodology...

Logic lesson #1; we're human - illogical by design.

 

[Nardpuncher]

Has anyone here ever tried this? I just bought this book to help me out: http://www.amazon.com/Being-Logical...bs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231245807&sr=8-1

What do you guys think? Anyone have some experience?

I 've read that book and it is good as an introduction, but it's very simple and written for laymen. I'm not saying I could handle much heavier, but there should be some more books near it on the bookshelf at the store you bought it at that could take you further.

 

[VulcanGuy]

You're that much better off having asked than not. I don't have the words to express my admiration for someone willing to ask something like this.

Unfortunately, I too don't think it's possible to think like a Vulcan from Star Trek unless you had a really high IQ and really severe autism.

There are certain brain exercises you can do to train yourself to think more logically. I suppose if you were a fan of Sherlock Holmes and his methodology...

Logic lesson #1; we're human - illogical by design.

alright thanks, what exercises can i do?

i don't understand what you meant by that last comment of being illogical by design. does it really matter if the body is illogical by design? i thought to vulcans the mind was the most important thing.

I 've read that book and it is good as an introduction, but it's very simple and written for laymen. I'm not saying I could handle much heavier, but there should be some more books near it on the bookshelf at the store you bought it at that could take you further.

oh ok, thanks. i haven't read it yet, is it a good introduction to logic? how much does it help? what other books were you thinking of?
i tried sending you a PM, but i couldn't find the PM function. do you have MSN?

 

[Rÿcher]

alright thanks, what exercises can i do?

i don't understand what you meant by that last comment of being illogical by design. does it really matter if the body is illogical by design? i thought to vulcans the mind was the most important thing.

I think what I meant that when we're supposed to think logically, we will. In fact, we think logically all the time without even realizing it. There are parts of the brain that overrides logic. It's nature. You can try to overcome it best you can but the first step, in my opinion would be to tell yourself, "it's logical to conclude that I cannot think logically 100% of the time therefore I will accept it and do what I can to train my brain to think more logically more of the time." It's a mouthful.

There are books and things filled with brain-teasers that you can get at any bookstore. Try also Brain-Age by Nintendo.

 

[C.E. Evans]

IMO, the first step to thinking logically is to remove one's ego from the equation. To me, that begins the process of seeing things from an objective point of view, including oneself.


That's !@#$%^& impossible...

 

[Nardpuncher]

It's good to search for critical thinking books as opposed to logic as you'll end up getting all those books that are about formal logic ( which may be a worthy endeavor, but damned if I can do it, and it's more like mathematics).
Here's a website I found : http://www.criticalthinking.org/resources/books/

And here's one with a list of logical fallacies that would help hone your critical thinking ( and mine too, of course!): http://www.csun.edu/~dgw61315/fallacies.html

I've read one book by this guy...his stuff is also quite easy to read: http://www.mindpower-inc.com/about.html

Here's a great book. The link goes to Amazon though: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Irrationality-Stuart-Sutherland/dp/1905177070

 

[VulcanGuy]

thanks man

was there ever a Trek book or guide on Vulcan logic and how they use it?

 

[Lee]

One thing to also remember is that Vulcans are an alien species (and a fictional alien species to boot). They're not human. Their brains are presumably wired differently from ours. So what may be possible for them could easily be impossible for us.

 

[Nardpuncher]

Also, the Vulcans are just a fictional race written by TV writers, so don't use everything they say or do as an example of logic. For example, the statement "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few," needs a heck of a lot of qualification. What needs? Who needs what, the many or the few? As well as some others I guess.

 

[Green Shirt]

Has anyone here ever tried this? I just bought this book to help me out: http://www.amazon.com/Being-Logical...bs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231245807&sr=8-1

What do you guys think? Anyone have some experience?

Well, one could try walking around with a stick up their butt, and pretend the prime directive doesn't apply to the "African Species".

Edit: just commenting on the closed thread.

 

[Gepard]

Has anyone here ever tried this? I just bought this book to help me out: http://www.amazon.com/Being-Logical...bs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231245807&sr=8-1

What do you guys think? Anyone have some experience?

You can't. Here's why:

The human brain is literally not wired to think completely logically. There are individuals who have suffered brain damage that impaired their ability to experience emotions -- they don't get happy, they don't get sad, they don't get afraid, etc. And you know what they've found?

They're really not able to function logically.

For instance, many of these individuals will not wear a seatbelt when traveling by car. Now, they know that one could easily get into a car accident, and they know that their chances of surviving a car accident increase dramatically if they wear a seatbelt. But they usually don't choose to do so, because they don't fear their own potential deaths. Their inability to feel emotions actually damages their ability to behave rationally.

Simply put, you actually need emotions to be able to think rationally at all -- but the price of that, of course, is that you'll never be able to think completely rationally. Such is life.

Then there's this fun little bit of info.

Personally, I'd say trying to think in an unemotional way is not only ill advised, it would rob life of any meaning. Who cares if you make the "logical" decision if you can't feel anything about it?