What kind of logical thinking can help you pay less IQ tax?

What many people call "logical thinking" is a very vague and broad concept. This will not only prevent you from improving your logical thinking, but will also make you pay a lot of IQ tax.

So, before talking about improvement, you must first clarify what your so-called "logical thinking" is? What's not good for your brain to upgrade if it's vague.

I don’t know if you have ever imagined that if you master the judgment logic of logical syllogisms, true propositions, and false propositions such as p and non-p, you will be invincible in terms of analysis and insight capabilities!

Fantasy is certainly beautiful, but reality is very embarrassing. When you dive into the sea of ??logical thinking, you will find that the various concepts of logical thinking alone will make you dizzy. Formal logic, mathematical logic, classical logic, modern logic, naive logic, instrumental logic, symbolic logic, dialectical logic, major logic, minor logic... What are the differences and relationships between these logical concepts? Which hero's logic is the correct logic and which one is the wrong logic? Still useful? There are probably as many related works as there are in Wal-Mart department stores.

Next, various logical thinking methods, induction, deduction, comparison, hypothesis, reverse, divergence... The related work is another Carrefour supermarket.

Then, various logical thinking tools, mind maps, pyramid principles, logic trees, fishbone diagrams, Fermi reasoning, TOC (bottleneck theory)...another chain of red flags.

It’s not over yet. Each industry also has its own unique logic model. For example, the field of economics has its own consumer demand model, production function model, modern economic growth model, and neoclassical economic growth model; In the field of business investment, there are also space matrix; ECIRM strategic model; strategic clock...

If you want to improve your logical thinking, which of the above logic is it? Or does it mean that you want to learn all the above logical thinking?

If you say that life is limited and learning is boundless, of course you can only choose one of them to learn.

Then the problem arises.

If you focus on learning the principles and introduction of logic, I am afraid that in the best case scenario, you can only teach a subject called logic in college. If you straighten it out and memorize it, it will last a lifetime. Then, even though you may not know what it means, you can still scare the students into a daze. However, when faced with real problems, I am still blind. For example, if my wife is angry, why can’t she analyze the reason? Do some investment and financial management, but if you are not careful, you will be fooled by a salesman with a degree far lower than your own? The house prices are so high, should I buy or sell? Facing the future, I am still confused...

The conceptual logic I have learned cannot play any role in problems such as urgency of urination.

If you say that, then I will choose the most practical logical thinking to learn. For example, mind mapping, SWOT analysis, space matrix, just choose some of them to learn.

The problem also arises.

These methods, tools, and models can often only solve one type of problem, just like the same model of clothes is only suitable for people of a certain height, short, fat, and thin, and will look nondescript once worn by other people. Moreover, even if the "size" is right, it often does not solve the underlying problem. Especially in the fields of economics, politics, and finance, experts are very good at analysis, but they often make jokes. There’s a famous joke: The average accuracy of expert predictions is about as accurate as a dart-throwing chimpanzee. The experts here mainly refer to experts in the fields of politics, economics, finance, and sociology.

Tell a story.

After the world financial crisis in 2008, the Queen of England asked a group of economists, since you are experts in economics, why could no one predict the crisis? After the economics community had been holding back for more than a year, the famous Nobel laureate in economics, Lucas, stepped forward to answer the Queen's question. He said Her Majesty: Economics has proven that such events are unpredictable; because if such events could be predicted, people would react accordingly to avoid them - so the prediction becomes Wrong.

Were you shocked by this expert’s answer? Have you ever felt the power of "rigorous" logic?

John Kay, a columnist for the British Financial Times, couldn't bear the answer and made this comment: "This sounds like a reply that an idiot scholar would give." Is this exactly what you want to say?

The purpose of telling this example is to tell you that the practical logical analysis methods, tools, and models that you think sound so awesome and advanced are nothing in the face of reality.

Why are the numerous logical thinking, methods, and technologies mentioned above so pale and powerless in the face of reality?

The reason is simple. These fixed and rigid logical methods, techniques, and models were not originally used to analyze problems, but were used to appease some people and collect their IQ taxes.

Why would anyone need comfort? Because their level of thinking is still at the level of primary school students. Elementary school students don’t know how to judge right from wrong, and don’t know how to choose. The school must give students something called the “Elementary School Student Code” to teach them to give up their seat when they see an old woman, and to say “Hello Teacher” when they meet a teacher, etc. Let them draw a gourd with a gourd as a reference. This way they won't get overwhelmed or mess around. But will this improve their thinking skills? Obviously not! It will only make them more and more stupid. In the end, I don’t know if it’s the people using the tools, or the tools controlling the people.

Why is it said that there is an IQ tax?

If you don’t believe it, go to the stock market and have a look. Those who use various so-called logical models, logical algorithms, and software to trade stocks basically go in standing upright and come out crawling and wailing. Who made the money? People who sell logic models and model software make money.

However, if you look at people like Buffett and Soros who have made a lot of money in the stock market, what fixed logical models and analytical model tools do they use? No, they have the most thorough study of human nature and human hearts.

This is not to say that these logical thinking methods and tools are useless. But if you don't know how to use it, you will be harmed by it.

The logic of this world can be divided into two types. One is physical logic (fixed logic), and the other is personnel logic (changing logic).

The various reasoning models mentioned above, the most common thinking models such as induction and deduction, can be summarized as physical logic. They are basically useful for studying fixed (at least not changing in a short period of time) objects, such as our mathematics, physics, chemistry and other natural physical phenomena. However, you already have this kind of solid logical reasoning thinking. From elementary school to junior high school, to high school, and then to college, you don’t know how many times you have used induction, deduction, comparison, and reverse reasoning. But why don’t they work so well after entering society?

Because, after entering society, the objects you deal with have changed and become human affairs, no longer the dead knowledge from books in the past. People and things are alive and changing. Since it is changing, how can it be possible to respond to changes with only a fixed thinking model? The reason why new thinking and new models of this kind appear now is not because these new things are more advanced and essential than those in the past, but because the objects have changed.

This is a very uncomfortable thing for people who are used to and accustomed to standard formulas and theorems to derive standard answers during their student days. Because there is no absolute standard or fixed procedure for judging right or wrong in anything, and this always conflicts with the conditioned reflex formed by years of training. Do you think of Ellis Bird Red in "The Shawshank Redemption" who was released from prison and worked in a supermarket and couldn't help but report to the store manager when he went to the toilet? Or, do you think of the elephant that has been tied to an invisible rope for a lifetime?

If you are now habitually dependent on various thinking models and thinking tools, just like you rely on meat for eating, then you have probably become the one who is stuck on the shadowless rope. Tethered elephant. Your thinking has lost room for change. If you don't know how to be flexible, even if you are given the most sophisticated thinking analysis tools, it is equivalent to giving you a dragon-slaying knife, and you will only use it as a kitchen knife, which is both stupid and ineffective.

At this time, if you want to improve your logical thinking ability, the first thing to do is not to "improve", but to "give up". Give up reliance on existing logical thinking tools. Only in this way will the improvements discussed later be effective for you.

Regarding the question "How to improve logical thinking", the most important thing you want is not the logical thinking for studying the physics of objects (unless you want to be a scientist, do scientific research, and deal with objects), but a set of logical thinking that can be used to study the physics of objects. A survival skill that can help you see changes clearly, adapt to changes, and deal with changes. This ability cannot be summarized by one method or several models. If I must summarize it, I can barely describe it with words such as deep thinking ability, great wisdom, wisdom, and insight. Specifically, it has several connotations: the ability to foresee and capture future trends and opportunities; the ability to understand the nature of current problems and phenomena; the ability to have multi-dimensional perspectives and high flexibility when solving problems; good risk assessment and risk control capabilities, etc. .

These thinking abilities are difficult to train using the special training methods in textbooks, such as first becoming familiar with the induction method, then the deduction method, and then the reverse method. Just think about it when you learn to drive. When you drive, is the smooth logical chain in your brain that directs the coordination of your hands and feet formed by your individual training of first clutching, then accelerator, and then braking? no. But they are operated together. It is formed by the body's subtle perception of the movement of the car body, constantly and systematically adjusting the order, angle, and intensity of the operations of the hands and feet, and then continuously strengthening and maintaining the optimal coordination perceived by the body.

Thinking training is the same as driving. You can only think about and apply it to real events with real guns, and then constantly adjust your "thinking posture" and "action posture", and constantly create and strengthen scenarios where the actual effect is consistent with the expected effect, thereby forming down-to-earth and rigorous logical thinking. chain.

To this end, here are three small suggestions.

First, use real-life cases as teaching materials, speculate and sell now

If you really want to train in-depth logical thinking, you must decisively give up those tall things that are used to decorate the appearance and show off. Tool logic on.

Whether the logic you learned is correct, whether it can be used, and whether it is true logic is not decided by textbooks and tools, nor by expert authority. Just let the facts before you have the final say.

Do you think Taobao’s business logic is correct? Is WeChat’s business logic correct? Are they smart or clever? Do they comply with XXX business laws? It doesn’t matter what Erma said, nor does it matter what the inventor of XXX Business Law said. Now that they have done it, everyone has seen that it is indeed feasible and the results are extraordinary. Only then can you say that this kind of business thinking is right and brilliant. This is worth learning and pondering.

Of course, it is not yours to learn and understand. You also need to have the courage to do what you say and then reflect upon it if you make a mistake. Take what you learn and put it into practice now. Otherwise, what you learn will still be tricks that can only be used for performance, and you will not be able to seize territory or receive living expenses.

Second, write critical and analytical articles based on reality.

Write articles. Don't write a primary school-style diary, keep a running account, or copy excerpts from books. These are of no use to improving your thinking (if you want to vent your emotions and express your emotions, that's another matter). Instead, write some critical and analytical articles based on the practical issues, phenomena, and cases you care about. The more serious your attitude is, the more you will want to write well; the more you want to write well, the more you will look for different perspectives and different interpretations. Therefore, the more and deeper things you will discover. Then you will think more deeply. This is how the depth and meticulousness of thinking are trained.

Some people say they can’t write comments and analysis articles. Actually, this is really not difficult. One word, copy. When you were a student, you were called a "bad student" if you copied homework. Now that you have entered society, find someone you admire who has excellent homework to copy. If you copy more clumsily, you will leave traces of others, and others will praise you for your insights. Copy without leaving any trace, and others will praise you for your depth. After copying for a long time, your pen will bear flowers, and others will praise you for your thoughtfulness.

If you don’t know who to copy. I can also recommend a few excellent assignments that I think are rare for you to copy. Please see my other article: What are some excellent books that young people may need to read?

Third, use ancient Chinese Taoist classics as the sublimation of ideas.

You will see many successful entrepreneurs who like to study Chinese classical wisdom. For example, China's Laozi, Guiguzi, Sun Tzu's Art of War, etc. It’s not that they are pretending, but these things that have accumulated over time can really bring them some breakthroughs in their thinking bottlenecks.

However, these classics will only open your mind and further upgrade your thinking when you reflect on and correct your mistakes while doing things, and then feed back into what you are doing. If you have never done anything, or if you only rely on instinct and have no habit of reflection and review, these classics can only be used as a source of gossip at best.