Verbal and logical thinking. How to develop logical thinking: training and games

Every day a person feels the need to use logic to solve problems. The formation and development of logical thinking is aimed at preventing mistakes that are made despite the presence of life experience and common sense.

People need logic almost every day to solve a variety of problems. It is used in scientific research, when organizing official work, routine, personal life. All these spheres are based on its elements. Developing logical thinking, people can cope with other everyday problems faster and more rationally. For example, this is the ability to highlight the main thing, discarding the secondary. Let's look at how to develop these skills below.

Basic functions of logical thinking

Mental activity consistently establishes existing connections between objects and phenomena, as well as relationships between them. Cognition moves to a higher level compared to sensory perception, which gives only an external representation without awareness of the principles.

This process also plays a regulatory and communicative role. People often carry it out verbally when communicating. Thoughts are expressed in words, spoken or written. The acquisition of a skill begins in childhood through contact with adults. The following types of thinking are distinguished.

  1. Visually effective.
  2. Visual figurative.
  3. Verbal and logical thinking.
  4. Abstract-logical.

The first two varieties rely on the perception of objects when interacting with them or on their images. Verbal-logical thinking includes operating with concepts, through which the patterns and relationships of reality are cognized. With its development, figurative and practical ideas are streamlined. Abstract-logical thinking is otherwise called abstract thinking. It is based on identifying significant properties, connections and separating them from less significant ones. Reflecting reality during cognitive activity, the thought process is endowed with the following functions.

  1. Understanding, awareness of the role of concepts, scope of distribution. And also their classification.
  2. Solving problems related to life.
  3. Understanding reality helps an individual manage his activities, plan behavior, and motivate them.
  4. Reflection allows you to analyze both the activity and its result, and use knowledge meaningfully.

Logic is endowed with the following list of forms

  • A concept is a thought that reflects objects and phenomena.
  • A judgment expresses an attitude and assessment towards the content of a specific thought.
  • Inference connects various thoughts into a sequence of causes and effects.

The following logic functions are distinguished:

  • Cataloging of correct methods of thinking that lead to truth.
  • Developing theories to study ways to implement the thought process.
  • Formalization of created theories in the form of symbols, signs.

Now it is easy to understand what functions logic and thinking perform together. The first in its meaning is formulated as “the science of the correct thought process” or “the art of reasoning.” Modernity defines it as a science about the laws and standards of intellectual activity. That (in turn) includes techniques, studies ways to achieve the right results in the form of truth. One of the primary tasks is to find out how it is possible to reach a conclusion from premises. And also get accurate knowledge, then understand the aspects.

Components of logical thinking

Having realized the tasks and forms of logical thinking, we can clearly formulate a definition this concept. This is a process with evidentiary properties. The goal is to obtain a conclusion from the premises. You should also consider its types in detail.

Figurative-logical thinking

This variety is otherwise called visual-figurative thinking. The situation is presented visually, operations are performed on the images of the objects included in it. In essence, it is imagination, which allows you to give a variety of vivid characteristics. Such mental activity and logical thinking begin to develop from the age of 1.5 years in childhood. You can check the level of development using the Raven Test - an auxiliary questionnaire. It allows you to derive your IQ, which is essentially a diagnostic of logical thinking with an objective assessment.

Development from 1936 by D. Raven and R. Penrose calculates IQ without depending on a person’s education or social affiliation. The progressive matrix scale is based on images of figures and does not include text. There are 60 tables with pictures connected by some dependence. The missing figure is located at the bottom of the image among 6 - 8 others. A person must establish a pattern, choose the right element that is missing. Tables are offered according to the principle of increasing task complexity.

Abstract logical thinking

This type uses non-existent categories - abstractions through which they think. Relationships are modeled not only for real objects, but also between created figurative representations. It is this kind of thinking that includes the forms: concept, judgment, inference.

Verbal and logical thinking

This type uses speech structures and language means. Verbal or verbal-logical thinking involves the ability to speak competently with the skillful use of the thought process. These are public appearances, arguments, and other situations where thoughts are expressed verbally.

Features of the development of logical thinking

Any person has the ability to process information. That is, literally everyone thinks, considering this natural function brain Basic and secondary forms of logical thinking make it possible to plan and regulate behavior. And also draw the right conclusions from the circumstances and organize the adoption of measures. We conclude that it is necessary to have the ability to think logically, which can be developed or trained.

This intellectual characteristic includes a number of skills:

  • theoretical foundations;
  • ability to perform operations: generalize, compare, specify;
  • correct expression of thoughts;
  • ability to avoid misconceptions;
  • identifying errors;
  • finding the required arguments.

How to develop logical thinking

The skill is developed in several ways, and having studied such an art, a person will analyze information more correctly and quickly resolve problems that arise. Also, a culture of logical thinking helps to build a long-term perspective for your actions. This is facilitated by the ability to process available information.

How to develop logical thinking, providing yourself with a comfortable response to various situations? It is necessary to learn to calculate the available aspects, eliminating unsuitable solutions, moving towards finding the correct conclusion - a conclusion. People with outstanding minds are constantly looking for new answers to the question of how to improve logical and other types of thinking. Politicians and business coaches are developing methods to help people improve.

How to develop logical thinking, moving from theory to practice? The most effective are:

  • puzzles that require quick wits and logic;
  • exercises for the development of logical thinking;
  • getting to know literature, reading books;

Let's take a closer look at how to develop logical thinking. To do this, it is proposed to use the following methods.

Reading

In books, many find not only a source of wisdom, but also an opportunity to diversify themselves. If we talk about purely logical thinking, we should use scientific and fiction. There is much more knowledge regarding practical skills there than in reference books. And also all the main forms of implementation of these abilities are applied. How to develop logical thinking through books? You need to read at least 10 sheets daily. Each line and chapter is subject to analysis, whereby the information received will remain in the head, gradually accumulating. And also predictions are made: what the end will be, what will happen to the characters.

Games

An ancient example is that chess develops thinking. Since childhood, many have been familiar with simpler checkers. Opponents learn to plan their actions for several moves, which leads one of them to victory. Training logical thinking will require dedicating up to 3 hours a day to this activity. Nowadays there are many games on computer and mobile devices. A kind of simulator available at any time of the day or night.

Special exercises

Can serve as an example math problems school and university programs. Logical forms thinking in psychology provides for separate types of developing them. This is how children should learn to explain conclusions and come to the right decisions.

Introduction to foreign languages

This gives new information, activating the abilities and activity of the brain to a very high level. A person makes associations between phrases, words, sounds from his own and foreign speech. How can you improve your logical thinking in this way? There are online courses available on the Internet. As well as lessons that can be downloaded. You should study every day; it is recommended to enroll in a language school.

Brain fitness secrets

You can learn about the specifics and results of developing thinking abilities at special trainings. Brain fitness includes programs and exercises similar to physical training. Parameters and performance of the intellect are improved: super-memory or speed reading. Almost any such courses require logic and develop it. You just need to choose your field correctly, be it science, improving a child’s abilities, or something else.

Exercises to develop logical thinking

You can find a lot of educational games and riddles on the Internet. These are crosswords, puzzles, reversi, sudoku, which are liked by both adults and children. For example, the game "Scrabble" helps increase vocabulary, speed up logic. You should download the gaming application to your computer, and then use it free time. The brain can be trained at home, on the way by transport, in moments of waiting, while spending time profitably. To achieve maximum results, regularity is important.

They offer a variety of exercises. For example, by ordering words on one topic. A chain of concepts is built from the specific to the general: shepherd - name of the breed - dog - animal. You need to try to pick up as many words included in the chain as possible. The training is carried out twice a day, spending a quarter of an hour.

Courses, books for development and training of thinking

An example of a book about practical application logic is "Sherlock Holmes" by A. Conan Doyle. You can familiarize yourself with the “Textbook of Logic” by G. I. Chelpanov. There is similar literature for schools, universities and specialized educational institutions. Additionally, development training will be effective:

  • memory and attention;
  • creative thinking, writing skills;
  • speed reading, mental arithmetic;
  • psychology.

Thinking is the highest function of human consciousness. It reflects the world, is able to replenish its stock of knowledge, and make new judgments. It is necessary to develop its logic with childhood. Then the skill to find the right solutions will appear in time.

  • Have fun with benefits
  • Educate yourself

Logic is not an innate quality of the human personality - we learn it throughout life. This tool for understanding the world is more alien than close to us, so people diligently evade logical conclusions, trying to think in a way that is more profitable and convenient for them. Moreover, without it, humanity would not be able to survive, because the basis for creating most of the laws of life is still logic. Paradox? Yes, there are many of them in this multifaceted science.

Today we will talk about logic as a science and as a system of thinking, about why it is needed and how to develop the ability to think logically, about the facets of good and evil hidden in the intricate labyrinths of inferences.

How did logic originate? The root of logical laws is empirical, that is, experimental knowledge of the world: a person created or witnessed an event, and then saw its consequences. After several repeated cause-and-effect situations, he memorized them and made a definite conclusion. Thus, it turns out that the laws of logic, like other sciences, were derived through experiment.

There are logical axioms that each of us must know. Deviation from following them is considered a sign mental disorders. But at the same time, there are many laws of logic that can be twisted the way a person wants - and the whole point is that in this science, like in any other, there are errors and exceptions.

To begin with, let us consider what bases of capricious science are summed up under human life. So, the logical axioms that are the basis of our worldview:

1. Vector direction of time from the past to the future, its linearity and irreversibility. Man with early childhood studies the concepts of “yesterday”, “today”, “tomorrow”, begins to understand what the past, present and future are, to accept the reality of what happened as something that cannot be changed.

2. Cause-and-effect relationships and their one-way direction.

3. Logic includes the concepts of lesser and greater, as well as the ability to fit one into the other (and not only in the literal, but also in the abstract sense); contiguity and interchangeability of concepts and vice versa, their incompatibility and impossibility of coexistence in the same time period.

For example, a woman cannot be pregnant and conceive a second child at the same time, a person cannot be dead and alive at the same time, a sick person cannot feel healthy, and water does not freeze at above-zero temperatures.

4. Induction and deduction. The inductive method of inference leads from the particular to the general and is based on similar characteristics of various objects. The deductive method, on the contrary, leads from the general to the particular and is based on the logical law.

Deduction: When it's raining, the grass becomes wet.

Induction: The grass outside is wet, the asphalt is also wet, the house and its roof are wet - therefore, it is raining.

In the method of deduction, the truthfulness of the premise is always the key to the truthfulness of the conclusion, but if the result does not correspond to the premise, then there is a dividing factor between them.

It's raining, but the grass is dry. The grass is under the canopy.

Simply put, the deduction method gives a 100% true answer. But in the induction method, an inference based on correct premises has 90% truth, it has an error. Let's remember the example about rain - if the grass, asphalt and house are wet, we can say with 90% confidence that it has rained. But it could be dew, or a broken watering machine that splashed water all around.

Induction refers to the generalization of the results of repeated events. For example, if you throw a ball up, it will fall down. If you do this a second time, it will fall again. After the third fall, you will come to the conclusion that all objects thrown up fall down - and this is the basis of the law of attraction. But don't forget that we are now in the field of logic, and inductive reasoning has a margin of error. Who knows, maybe you throw the ball up a hundred times and it will fall, and the hundred and first time it will get stuck on a tree or end up on a cabinet? What if you are in zero gravity? Of course he won't fall down.

Therefore, deduction is a more accurate method, and induction allows only guessing with a high degree of probability.

5. Sequence of actions. If you perform a series of actions in in a certain order, we will get the expected result. But if you violate this order, the result may turn out to be completely different or may not exist at all. At the same time, there are many situations when the result does not depend on the order in which we perform necessary actions. In a word, this is called an algorithm.

Logic has a strong connection with other sciences. The above rules are based on the laws of mathematics, physics, biology, chemistry, but it is the understanding of relationships that is the main pillar of logical thinking.

Everything that is around us has two sides - positive and negative. There is not a single phenomenon that has only one side. The same applies to logic - despite all the apparent benefits of it, you should not get too carried away with this science: if used incorrectly, it can cause a lot of harm.

Logic can be a tool of evil

Why does no one love or approve of a person who lives exclusively by logic?

Cold calculation and logic leave no room for mercy, love and self-sacrifice, on which our world still rests. Logical conclusions allow you to see several steps ahead, but, as they say, the ways of God are inscrutable - somewhere an error can creep in, and a clear logical system will crumble like a house of cards. Thus, logic and medicine are defeated by cancer patients who managed to be cured in an incomprehensible way, or by women who gave birth to healthy children, despite doctors’ prohibitions.

What would a world based solely on logic look like? Most likely, it would be prosperous and cruel - there would be no weak and sick, poor and unemployed; all people who are not useful would simply be destroyed. But that’s why we are who we are: when emotions and feelings enter the battlefield, logic fails. Because of this, there is a lot of trouble in the world, but there is also a lot of good - people help each other, forgive the shortcomings of their loved ones and save those who, it would seem, cannot be saved.

Logical conclusions can sometimes run counter to ethics, morality, and even the criminal code. It’s not for nothing that maniacs and murderers think that they act quite logically.

People are extremely illogical creatures

How do we manage to make incorrect logical conclusions? How do two people with the same premises come to different conclusions?

As already mentioned, logic is a science, and like any science it is not perfect, therefore it is inferior real life in truth. There is an exception to every rule, and in such cases logic is powerless. In addition, our psyche has a tendency to dodge and be cunning if the conclusion is not in its favor.

For example: The guy behaves aloof, doesn’t call, doesn’t pay attention to me at all. He probably doesn't care about me.

This is what a girl who relies solely on logical thinking would say, and everything would be simple - she will try to forget about her cold prince, and he will never know that he was the object of her admiration. But that was not the case! Emotions and the 10% error of the inductive method come into play.

Alienation, indifference and lack of attention in 90% of cases indicate disinterest in the relationship. But is it possible that he is too shy or proud, or maybe he has gotten it into his head that sympathy needs to be demonstrated in this way? Do people have enough “cockroaches in their heads”?

In such cases, logic becomes a tool of emotions, and many stupid actions are committed under the banner of erroneous conclusions. To prevent this from happening, you need to distinguish the fine line between true logical conclusions and false ones. This is why logical thinking develops.

To a certain extent, each of us has developed it - this is required by society and its way of life. But for a better understanding of the laws of reality and the ability to operate with them, it is necessary to have the ability to think logically at a higher level than ordinary earthlings.

Well-developed logical thinking helps to achieve more success in your work, make fewer mistakes in everyday situations.

How to learn this? The brain, like muscles, needs to be constantly trained. There is a false myth that all people are born with pre-programmed mental abilities and will not be able to become smarter or dumber than given by nature. This is not true - by regularly training thinking and memory, a person constantly improves his performance, he can develop until the end of his days. That's why regular mental exercise And development intellectual abilities - one of the most important assistants on the path to self-improvement.

Have fun with benefits

1. Start with logical problems ek for children and adults - puzzles, “find 10 differences” exercises, attention riddles and search for logical errors. They can be easily found on the Internet.

For example, solve a couple of puzzles:

“How is it that someone I know shaves his beard ten times a day, but still remains bearded?”

“Your friends use it more often than you, even though it’s yours. What is this?"

2. Play attention and logic games with friends. So what if you are thirty and you are managers and entrepreneurs? Believe me, it’s much more pleasant on a Friday night not to mindlessly cruise around bars, but to play crocodile or association in someone’s kitchen. There are a lot of such games on the Internet, you just need to search - and then your holidays and weekends will be filled with new meaning.

3. Take IQ tests. It’s difficult to say how truthful Internet tests of this genre are, but you’ll have to rack your brains thoroughly. In addition to IQ testing, there are many other tests for thinking and logic. If you have nothing to do, put aside solitaire and strain your brains.

4. Develop logical thinking and The Vikium project will help you become smarter.

Educate yourself

1. Take up the study of some science that is close to you, but one that you have never gotten around to before. It could be chemistry, physics or history - by studying them, you simultaneously develop the ability to think logically. Why did Napoleon attack Russia? Why did the Roman Empire collapse? Why does this happen when two chemical components are combined? chemical reaction, and not another? By answering these questions, you learn to connect events with logical chains - this is what you need.

2. Study deduction and induction, as well as their formulas. When a situation happening to you seems confusing, turn it into a problem and solve it.

3. Learn to argue reasonedly. Next time you feel like shouting, “Because I said so!” or “Oh, that’s it!” - try instead to convey your position to your opponent without unnecessary emotions using arguments. The method of leading the interlocutor to the necessary conclusion with the help of indirect questions, with answers to which he agrees.

You know that a woman is a mirror of her husband’s success?
- Well, yes.
- That is, successful man must be a gorgeous wife.
- Agree.
- Can a chic wife wear an old down jacket?
- I understand where you’re going... Okay, we’ll buy you a fur coat.

4. Read good detective stories. They help train the brain with their intricate plot and entertain at the same time. The best representatives of this genre can be called Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle and Boris Akunin.

5. Play chess. This is where there is room for development logical abilities. By trying to calculate all possible moves of the enemy, a person develops the ability to see cause-and-effect relationships. Don't like chess? Play backgammon or preference.

And one last thing. Learn to trust your intuition. Strange, right? But in reality intuition is the result of subconscious inferences, when a person, without realizing it, draws conclusions from the information provided by the outside world. It usually goes something like this: “Whenever I feel like this, it ends badly.” If you dig deeper, this is just the memory of past experiences when situations were framed in a similar way. The trembling voice of the interlocutor, his shifting eyes and attempts to distract the opponent’s attention from main idea conversation - we have long forgotten how the scammer behaved before deceiving, but the subconscious mind remembers everything perfectly.

***
The ability to think logically, analyze information and make correct conclusions is an integral part of the work of any successful person- his well-being literally depends on this. Therefore, by developing the mind, we make a direct investment in our future, filled with achievements. But don't forget that logic can be insidious - be prudent and merciful.

P.S.: Have you solved the puzzles given in the article? Here are the correct answers. The bearded acquaintance is a barber who shaves other people every day. And our property, which friends use more often than we do, is our name, because we ourselves rarely pronounce it.

If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.


The development of logical thinking helps improve a person’s ability to reason and think consistently and consistently. Read further about the development of logical thinking.

Logical thinking and logic

Logic is the science of the forms, methods and rules of mental cognitive activity.

People need logic in almost all life situations: from a simple conversation with an opponent, choosing goods in a store, to solving complex technical or information problems.

Thinking helps to find a rationale for certain phenomena. Logic helps you evaluate meaningfully the world around us and competently construct speech and judgments.

5 Features of Logical Thinking


The science of logic studies methods of achieving truth that exclude sensory experience, and are based on the process of studying and cognition of surrounding things on the knowledge that was previously obtained.

There are interesting distinctive features and features of the development of logical thinking:

Empirical knowledge

The basis for logical laws is empirical knowledge. A specific person formed the situation, witnessed the incident, saw its consequences and made his own conclusions and conclusions. The laws of logic are formed experimentally.

Acquired, not congenital

Logic and logical thinking is an acquired, not an innate quality of people. A person studies and develops them throughout his entire life.

Striving for comfort

People sometimes unconsciously do not want to develop their thinking and make competent logical conclusions, trying to think in a way that is more comfortable and simpler.

Cynical calculation

Logical inference and thinking can become a tool for committing inhumane acts.

The world that surrounds people has two opposite sides: good and evil, positive and negative.

Therefore, logic, despite all the benefits it brings to a person, can bring a lot of harm.

Cynical calculation and logic put such concepts as “self-sacrifice” and “love for one’s neighbor” in the background.

Scientificity

Science has some axioms. Deviation from them is a sign of mental disorder.

6 main axioms of logic


The development and improvement of logical thinking is impossible without knowledge of logical axioms, which are the basis of a person’s worldview:

Irreversibility of time

From childhood, people become familiar with the concepts of “yesterday,” “tomorrow,” and “today.” That is, they begin to realize the difference between the past and the future.

Investigative connections, their sequence

The impossibility of the existence of the same facts in a certain period of time: with a positive temperature conditions water cannot freeze, and a woman expecting a child cannot become pregnant.

Deduction

The deductive method of thinking is based on logical laws and leads from the general to the specific: there was a heavy downpour, the trees became wet. The deduction method gives a 99.99% true answer.

Induction

This method of inference leads from the general to the specific and is based on similar properties various items and objects: trees, road and cars are wet - it’s raining. The inductive method has 90% accuracy, since trees and other objects can become wet not only because of rain.

Sequence of actions

If a person performs several sequential actions in stages, then he receives the expected and satisfactory result.

Man is an illogical creature

Conclusions very often run counter to morality and ethics, and in some cases, to the law.

After all, maniacs and people with mental disorders believe that by killing and carrying out violent acts, they act logically.

Unnatural formation of logical thinking from childhood in conditions of military operations and extreme situations subsequently provoke people to commit terrible acts from a humanitarian point of view.

Science is not perfect, so in real life logic may be inferior to truth. A striking example there is a situation when a woman makes a logical, in her opinion, conclusion: the man doesn’t call, behaves aloof, which means he doesn’t like me.

As practice shows, in 85% of cases, indifference on the part of the opposite sex is a sign of interest in the formation and development of relationships. And the errors of the inductive method are to blame for the woman’s conclusion.

Functions of logical thinking

The main task of science is to obtain true knowledge about the subject of reflection, based on reasoning and analysis of various aspects of the phenomenon and situation under consideration.

Logic is the basic tool used in every science known today.

  1. examine statements and draw other conclusions from them;
  2. learn to think intelligently, which will help in self-realization and achieving goals.

How to develop logical thinking

People striving for inner harmony, success and well-being in the main areas of life are set in a completely natural and current issue: how to develop logical thinking?

Every person has it to a certain extent. But for the optimal and best understanding of reality and gaining the ability to use it in certain situations, you must be able to think quickly and competently logically. How can you learn this?

Brain training

It is necessary to regularly train your brain, without being lazy or procrastinating.

Many people mistakenly assume that people are born with a preliminary specific mental potential, and therefore cannot become smarter, wiser or stupider than what is inherent in genes and nature.

This statement is incorrect, since any person, by regularly training his thinking, develops until the end of his life.

An effective method of self-improvement is constant mental exercise.

  • It is recommended in your free time to solve any logic problems created for both children and adults. It is necessary to solve puzzles. Don't neglect simple riddles"find the differences" type.
  • It is necessary to take IQ tests regularly. The result is not very important, the main thing is the process during which the development of thinking and mental abilities occurs.
  • Should be played logic games with friends or acquaintances: chess, backgammon and other types.
  • It is recommended to engage in self-education and study of science.
  • You need to learn to argue based on facts and justify your conclusions.
  • You need to get into the habit of reading good detective stories.
  • Experts say that intuition plays a big role in the development of logic. As paradoxical as it sounds, a person needs to learn to trust her. After all, intuition is the result of inferences made at a subconscious level, when people unconsciously draw conclusions from information that was once received by the brain.

3 exercises to develop logical thinking

Collective exercises for logical thinking are very effective:

Coding of famous phrases, song verses and proverbs

A group of people is divided into two companies. Each of them invites their rivals to solve a semantic riddle that betrays the content of the text.

Example: The church minister owned living creature. Despite great feelings and affection for him, the man committed violent acts against biological species, which led to the death of the latter. The reason for this behavior was that a living creature consumed a piece of animal product that was not intended for it. The algorithm of such actions is endless.

Answer: “The priest had a dog...”

Arguments and reasons

One person from the team begins to look for the reasons for a particular action of someone, then the reasons for the reasons, and so on until the arguments for the behavior are clarified.

Remove unnecessary things

It is very useful to perform exercises where you need to remove unnecessary things from a set of words, numbers or pictures, based on logical thinking.

Example: chair, wardrobe, stool, pouf.

Answer: closet.

You can train your thinking with this exercise yourself, resorting to thematic games in social networks, or in a team, where each team independently comes up with tasks for opponents.

Exercises for the development of logical thinking will help any person in personal growth, self-affirmation and resolving controversial life issues.

To think logically means to separate the important from the unimportant, to find connections and draw conclusions, to provide evidence and refutations, to be convincing and not to be gullible. And although everyone uses this ability more than once throughout their lives, most people think in stereotyped ways because they do not strive to develop logical thinking. They do not stimulate him, rarely resorting to logic, but it needs to be trained and this can be done almost from the cradle. You just need to know how to properly develop logical thinking, and first, understand how it works.

Each age has its own laws and types of logical thinking.

It is not yet common for young children to think about something abstractly, in their minds. The very first stages of the formation of logical thinking in children are visual-effective and visual-figurative. To comprehend, you need to see and touch.

Then verbal-logical thinking appears, when the child no longer necessarily has in front of him what he is talking and thinking about. In adults, such logical thinking is transformed into the ability to study a given task and set goals, develop a plan and ways to achieve it. Aerobatics mental activity - the ability to think creatively, not to use ready-made knowledge, but to create new ones, invent and invent.

Logic in life

It is obvious that the latest the listed techniques Logical thinking is extremely useful for successfully overcoming any difficulties. But many retreat before them, confident that they will not cope. What a misconception! Even if the task is difficult, you can always approach it creatively. And for those who can’t do it, numerous tools and exercises for developing logical thinking will help: training, exercises, puzzles, games.

But first, the basic laws of logical thinking:

  1. Firstly, it is never too early or too late to develop it. There is no need to wait until the child grows up and learns to reason “in his head,” just as adults do not need to give up classes because of their age.
  2. Secondly, each level of mental activity has its own exercises for logical thinking, even if they seem too simple and primitive. Children's visual thinking is a step towards logical thinking, and it cannot be ignored by immediately demanding abstract mental operations from the child.
  3. Thirdly, logic and imagination do not exclude or replace each other. Fantasy and imagination help, and do not hinder, the development of thinking abilities. Therefore, in addition to standard logical tasks, there are also those that simultaneously stimulate the intellect, logic and imagination.

Developing means playing

Children don't think about how to develop their logical thinking, they just play. So let them receive both benefit and pleasure from an easy and fun activity.

First of all, riddles. Any, for example, wonderful riddles-poems by Timofey Belozerov. The main thing is to let the children think for themselves or think with them, but do not tell them!

Another example of an exercise for developing logical thinking: through images and pictures - take any child’s picture and cut it into several parts. How younger child, the less details needed.

For older children - logical games with words. This includes searching for the superfluous, combining words into general groups based on certain characteristics, and guessing the intended objects through questions and answers. At the same time, the skills of generalization and classification, determining the properties of an object, and constructing logical connections are trained.

Exercises of a more complex level - analysis of sayings and proverbs, search general meaning in them, searching for patterns in number series.

But it doesn't have to be complicated. Psychology teaches that logical thinking, like any skill, can be easily trained in an unobtrusive game form. Therefore, even adults should not neglect games. And quite a few of them have been invented: chess, reversi (a game where you need to surround and appropriate your opponent’s pieces), scrabble (compiling words as long as possible) and the like. These entertainments stimulate strategic and tactical thinking, the ability to foresee the opponent’s plan and the consequences of one’s actions. So developing logical thinking is not only useful, but also interesting.

Logic is not an innate quality of the human personality - we learn it throughout life. This tool for understanding the world is more alien than close to us, so people diligently evade logical conclusions, trying to think in a way that is more profitable and convenient for them. Moreover, without it, humanity would not be able to survive, because the basis for creating most of the laws of life is still logic. Paradox? Yes, there are many of them in this multifaceted science.

Today we'll talk about logic as a science and as a system of thinking, why it is needed and how to develop the ability to think logically, about the facets of good and evil hidden in the intricate labyrinths of conclusions.

How did logic originate? The root of logical laws is empirical, that is, experimental knowledge of the world: a person created or witnessed an event, and then saw its consequences. After several repeated cause-and-effect situations, he memorized them and made a definite conclusion. Thus, it turns out that the laws of logic, like other sciences, were derived through experiment.

There are logical axioms that each of us must know. Deviation from following them is considered a sign of mental disorder. But at the same time, there are many laws of logic that can be twisted the way a person wants - and the whole point is that in this science, like in any other, there are errors and exceptions.

To begin with, let us consider what bases of capricious science are applied to human life. So, logical axioms that are the basis of our worldview:

1.The vector direction of time from the past to the future, its linearity and irreversibility. From early childhood, a person studies the concepts of “yesterday”, “today”, “tomorrow”, begins to understand what the past, present and future are, to accept the reality of what happened as something that cannot be changed.

2. Cause-and-effect relationships and their one-way direction.

3. Logic includes the concepts of lesser and greater, as well as the ability to fit one into the other (and not only in the literal, but also in the abstract sense); contiguity and interchangeability of concepts and vice versa, their incompatibility and impossibility of coexistence in the same time period.

For example, a woman cannot be pregnant and conceive a second child at the same time, a person cannot be dead and alive at the same time, a sick person cannot feel healthy, and water does not freeze at above-zero temperatures.

4. Induction and deduction. The inductive method of inference leads from the particular to the general and is based on similar characteristics of various objects. The deductive method, on the contrary, leads from the general to the particular and is based on the logical law.

Deduction: When it rains, the grass gets wet.

Induction: The grass outside is wet, the asphalt is also wet, the house and its roof are wet - therefore, it is raining.

In the method of deduction, the truthfulness of the premise is always the key to the truthfulness of the conclusion, but if the result does not correspond to the premise, then there is a dividing factor between them.

It's raining, but the grass is dry. The grass is under the canopy.

Simply put, the deduction method gives a 100% true answer. But in the induction method, an inference based on correct premises has 90% truth, it has an error. Let's remember the example about rain - if the grass, asphalt and house are wet, we can say with 90% confidence that it has rained. But it could be dew, or a broken watering machine that splashed water all around.

Induction refers to the generalization of the results of repeated events. For example, if you throw a ball up, it will fall down. If you do this a second time, it will fall again. After the third fall, you will come to the conclusion that all objects thrown up fall down - and this is the basis of the law of attraction. But don't forget that we are now in the field of logic, and inductive reasoning has a margin of error. Who knows, maybe you throw the ball up a hundred times and it will fall, and the hundred and first time it will get stuck on a tree or end up on a cabinet? What if you are in zero gravity? Of course he won't fall down.

Therefore, deduction is a more accurate method, and induction allows only guessing with a high degree of probability.

5. Sequence of actions. If we perform a series of actions in a certain order, we will get the expected result. But if you violate this order, the result may turn out to be completely different or may not exist at all. At the same time, there are many situations when the result does not depend on the order in which we perform the necessary actions. In a word, this is called an algorithm.

Logic has a strong connection with other sciences. The above rules are based on the laws of mathematics, physics, biology, chemistry, but it is the understanding of relationships that is the main pillar of logical thinking. Everything that is around us has two sides - positive and negative. There is not a single phenomenon that has only one side. The same applies to logic - despite all the apparent benefits of it, you should not get too carried away with this science: if used incorrectly, it can cause a lot of harm.

Logic can be a tool of evil

Why does no one love or approve of a person who lives exclusively by logic?

Cold calculation and logic leave no room for mercy, love and self-sacrifice, on which our world still rests. Logical conclusions allow you to see several steps ahead, but, as they say, the ways of God are inscrutable - somewhere an error can creep in, and a clear logical system will crumble like a house of cards. Thus, logic and medicine are defeated by cancer patients who managed to be cured in an incomprehensible way, or by women who gave birth to healthy children, despite doctors’ prohibitions.

What would a world based solely on logic look like? Most likely, it would be prosperous and cruel - there would be no weak and sick, poor and unemployed; all people who are not useful would simply be destroyed. But that’s why we are who we are: when emotions and feelings enter the battlefield, logic fails. Because of this, there is a lot of trouble in the world, but there is also a lot of good - people help each other, forgive the shortcomings of their loved ones and save those who, it would seem, cannot be saved.

Logical conclusions can sometimes run counter to ethics, morality, and even the criminal code. It’s not for nothing that maniacs and murderers think that they act quite logically.
People are extremely illogical creatures

How do we manage to make incorrect logical conclusions? How do two people with the same premises come to different conclusions?

As already mentioned, logic is a science, and like any science it is not perfect, therefore it is inferior to real life in truth. There is an exception to every rule, and in such cases logic is powerless. In addition, our psyche has a tendency to dodge and be cunning if the conclusion is not in its favor.

For example: The guy behaves aloof, doesn’t call, doesn’t pay attention to me at all. He probably doesn't care about me.

This is what a girl who relies solely on logical thinking would say, and everything would be simple - she will try to forget about her cold prince, and he will never know that he was the object of her admiration. But that was not the case! Emotions and the 10% error of the inductive method come into play.

Alienation, indifference and lack of attention in 90% of cases they indicate disinterest in the relationship. But is it possible that he is too shy or proud, or maybe he has gotten it into his head that sympathy needs to be demonstrated in this way? Do people have enough “cockroaches in their heads”?

In such cases, logic becomes a tool of emotions, and many stupid actions are committed under the banner of erroneous conclusions. To prevent this from happening, you need to distinguish the fine line between true logical conclusions and false ones. This is why logical thinking develops.

How to develop logical thinking?

To a certain extent, each of us has developed it - this is required by society and its way of life. But for a better understanding of the laws of reality and the ability to operate with them, it is necessary to have the ability to think logically at a higher level than ordinary earthlings.

Well-developed logical thinking helps you achieve greater success in your work and make fewer mistakes in everyday situations.

How to learn this? The brain, like muscles, needs to be constantly trained. There is a false myth that all people are born with mental abilities pre-programmed into them and will not be able to become smarter or dumber than given by nature. This is not true - by regularly training thinking and memory, a person constantly improves his performance, he can develop until the end of his days. Therefore, regular exercise for the mind and development of intellectual abilities is one of the most important helpers on the path to self-improvement.

Have fun with benefits

1. Start with logic puzzles for children and adults- puzzles, “find 10 differences” exercises, attention riddles and search for logical errors. They can be easily found on the Internet.

For example, solve a couple of puzzles:

“How is it that someone I know shaves his beard ten times a day, but still remains bearded?”

“Your friends use it more often than you, even though it’s yours. What is this?"

2. Play attention and logic games with your friends. So what if you are thirty and you are managers and entrepreneurs? Believe me, it’s much more pleasant on a Friday night not to mindlessly cruise around bars, but to play crocodile or association in someone’s kitchen. There are a lot of such games on the Internet, you just need to search - and then your holidays and weekends will be filled with new meaning.

3. Take IQ tests. It’s difficult to say how truthful Internet tests of this genre are, but you’ll have to rack your brains thoroughly. In addition to IQ testing, there are many other tests for thinking and logic. If you have nothing to do, put aside solitaire and strain your brains.

Educate yourself

1. Take up some science, close to you, but one that you have never gotten around to before. It could be chemistry, physics or history - by studying them, you simultaneously develop the ability to think logically. Why did Napoleon attack Russia? Why did the Roman Empire collapse? Why does this particular chemical reaction occur when two chemical components are combined and not another? By answering these questions, you learn to connect events with logical chains - this is what you need.

2. Learn deduction and induction, as well as formulas for them. When a situation happening to you seems confusing, turn it into a problem and solve it.

3.Learn to argue reasonedly. Next time you feel like shouting, “Because I said so!” or “Oh, that’s it!” - try instead to convey your position to your opponent without unnecessary emotions using arguments. The method of leading the interlocutor to the necessary conclusion using indirect questions with the answers to which he agrees is especially good.

- You know that a woman is a mirror of her husband’s success?

- Well, yes.

— That is, a successful man must have a gorgeous wife.

- Agree.

— Can a chic wife wear an old down jacket?

- I understand where you’re going... Okay, we’ll buy you a fur coat.

4. Read good detective stories. They help train the brain with their intricate plot and entertain at the same time. The best representatives of this genre can be called Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle and Boris Akunin.

5. Play chess. This is where there is scope for the development of logical abilities. By trying to calculate all possible moves of the enemy, a person develops the ability to see cause-and-effect relationships. Don't like chess? Play backgammon or preference.

And one last thing. Learn to trust your intuition. Strange, right? But in reality, intuition is the result of subconscious inferences, when a person, without realizing it, draws conclusions from the information provided by the world around him. It usually goes something like this: “Whenever I feel like this, it ends badly.” If you dig deeper, this is just the memory of past experiences when situations were framed in a similar way. The trembling voice of the interlocutor, his shifting eyes and attempts to distract the opponent’s attention from the main idea of ​​​​the conversation - we have long forgotten how the scammer behaved before deceiving, but the subconscious mind remembers everything perfectly.

The ability to think logically, analyze information and make correct conclusions is an integral part of the work of any successful person - his well-being literally depends on this. Therefore, by developing the mind, we make a direct investment in our future, filled with achievements. But Don't forget that logic can be insidious - be prudent and merciful.

P.S.: Have you solved the puzzles given in the article? Here are the correct answers:

A bearded friend is barber who shaves other people every day. And our property, which friends use more often than we do, is Name, because we ourselves rarely pronounce it.

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