Showing posts with label fallacy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fallacy. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Is there an art to thinking clearly?

I've been reading Rolf Dobelli's book, The Art of Thinking Clearly and I have found that there are many cognitive errors that keep us from thinking clearly.

Consider the titles of his chapters:
Don't Accept Free Drinks:  Reciprocity
Leave Your Supermodel Friends at Home:  Contrast Effect
If You have Nothing to Say, Say Nothing:  Twaddle Tendency
Live Each Day as If It Were Your Last--but Only on Sundays:  Hyperbolic Discounting

As I read the book, I found that my thinking began to become more muddled.  Logic was crowded out by fallacy.  I have always prided myself in rational thinking but I can see how emotions can impact decisions.  I was getting worried until I read the Epilogue where the author admits that he does not live an error-free life.  He sums things up in this manner:  "Nature doesn't seem to mind if our decisions are perfect or not, as long as we can maneuver ourselves through life--and as long as we are ready to be rational when it comes to crunch." (p 305)

Well, that sounds good enough for me.  Methinks I overthinketh.