Althouse seizes the opportunity....................

 

..........to break out the "charming bad logic" tag.

Logic.....................

 

     Logic means, simply, the art and method of correct thinking.  It is the logy or method of every science, of every discipline and every art; and even music harbors it.  It is a science because to a considerable extent the processes of correct thinking can be reduced to rules like physics and geometry, and taught to any normal mind; it is an art because by practice it gives to thought, at last, that unconscious and immediate accuracy which guides the fingers of the pianist over his instrument to effortless harmonies.  Nothing is so dull as logic, and nothing is so important.

-Will Durant, The Story of Philosophy, from the chapter on Aristotle, the world's first logician

soul..........................

 

It's the great self-persuasion paradox:  To believe in yourself, you first have to get yourself to believe in yourself.

Aristotle, the most rational of all rational beings, understood that logic rarely persuades on its own.

Choices complicate things.

Bad news, good news.  Stuff happens.  Your response determines what kind of soul you have, and how much you live up to that soul.

Opportunity requires a decision.

Chaotic moments—a sudden promotion or a piece of bad news—don't determine your future.  Your choices do.

-all excerpts from the latest from Jay Heinrichs, Aristotle's Guide to Self-Persuasion

a processor.............................

 

. . . the human mind is a story processor, not a logic processor.

-Jonathan Haidt

enmeshed...........................

 

We do ourselves a disservice when we think of human beings as exclusively logic—or knowledge—driven,  and fail to pay attention to the role of emotions.  The two systems are enmeshed because that is the way our brain and our organism have been put together by evolution. . . .

Emotions and feelings are not a luxury; they are a means of communicating our states of mind to others.  But they are also a way of guiding our own judgments and decisions.  Emotions bring the body into the loop of reason.

-Antonio R. Damasio, Descartes' Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain

He is pretty focused..................

 

     The central focus of this book is to explore another set of pathogens that are potentially as dangerous to the human condition: parasitic pathogens of the human mind.  These are composed of thought patterns, belief systems, attitudes, and mindsets that parasitize one's ability to think properly and accurately.  Once these mind viruses take hold of one's neuronal circuitry, the afflicted victim loses the ability to use reason, logic, and science to navigate the world.  Instead, one sinks into an abyss of infinite lunacy best defined as a dogged and proud departure from reality, common sense, and truth.

-Gad Saad, The Parasitic Mind:  How Infectious Ideas Are Killing Common Sense

Thank God..............................

 

Deep in the human unconscious is a pervasive need for a logical universe that makes sense. But the real universe is always one step beyond logic.

-Frank Herbert, Dune

a never-ending chain............

      If you've relied on data and logic alone to make sense of the economy, you'd have been confused for a hundred years straight.

     Economist Per Bylund once noted: "The concept of economic value is easy: whatever someone wants has value, regardless of the reason (if any)."

     Not utility, not profits—just whether people want it or not, for any reason.  So much of what happens in the economy is rooted in emotions, which can, at times, be nearly impossible to make sense of. . . .

     The danger, one you see often in investing, is when people become too McNamara-like—so obsessed with data and so confident in their models that they leave no room for error or surprise.  No room for things to be crazy, dumb, unexplainable, and to remain that way for a long time.  Always asking, "Why is this happening?" and expecting there to be a rational answer.  Or worse, always mistaking what happened for what you think should have happened.

     The ones who thrive long term are those who understand the real world is a never-ending chain of absurdity, confusion, messy relationships, and imperfect people.

-Morgan Housel, as excerpted from Same as Ever: A Guide to What Never Changes

The core............................

 The core here is realizing that people are not spreadsheets. They are emotional, hormonal, misinformed, status-seeking, insecure creatures trying their best to make it through the day. So if you have to choose between understanding how the world should work in theory vs. how it actually works in practice, lean towards the latter. It’s like historian Will Durant once said: “Logic is an invention of man and may be ignored by the universe.” That is so smart.

-Morgan Housel, from here

Checking in......................................

 ......................with Morgan Housel:

Historian Will Durant once said, “logic is an invention of man and may be ignored by the universe.” And it often is, which can drive you mad if you expect the world to work in rational ways. A common cause of everything from divisive arguments to bad forecasting is that it can be hard to distinguish what’s happening from what you think should be happening.

-full post here

Moderation in all things.......................

..............................including moderation:

"Logic, like whiskey, loses its beneficial effect when taken in too large quantities."


-Lord Dunsany


Thanks Tom

On logic...............................

 “Logic is dull.”

-Alfred Hitchcock

Interesting sentences...................

"The logic of solidarity in marginality requires oppression, and solidarity in marginality is necessary in order to sustain liberal power."

-as culled from here

Trust your people; what a concept........

“Over the years we learned that if we asked people to rely on logic and common sense instead of on formal policies, most of the time we would get better results, and at a lower cost” 

-as excerpted from here

The Bernie Sanders................................

...................................Save the Children Fund.  Watch today.

courtesy of

The Science Officer weighs in...........................

"It is curious how often you humans manage to obtain that which you do not want."

"I realize that command does have its fascination, even under circumstances such as these, but I neither enjoy the idea of command nor am I frightened of it. It simply exists, and I will do whatever logically needs to be done."

"Insufficient facts always invite danger."

"Change is the essential process of all existence."

"Without followers, evil cannot spread."

"Computers make excellent and efficient servants, but I have no wish to serve under them."

"In critical moments sometimes men see exactly what they wish to see."

"Live long and prosper."