You may not even realize it, but every day you make decisions and solve problems using your reasoning skills. For example, you might decide which brand of yogurt to buy at the supermarket, or which task to cross off your to-do list first.
For these and even bigger dilemmas, logical thinking can help you come to the best decisions, instead of relying solely on your emotions.
In this post, we’ll show you what exactly logical thinking is, with examples of how you can practice it at work and in other areas of your life.
What Is the Importance of Logical Thinking?
Like critical thinking, logical thinking is important because it can help you think through important decisions based on facts and reason, without letting emotions cloud your judgment.
It requires an ability to make observations, and then draw conclusions based on that input. When you think and act logically, you’ll be able to back up your strategies, actions, and decisions with concrete facts.
Logical thinking also involves thinking through the possible causes of a problem, feasible solutions, and the potential consequences of implementing those solutions.
Of course, not all decisions can be made based on logic alone, nor should you discount your emotions in every situation. In fact, reasoning requires emotional intelligence; but the goal is to be aware of your emotions, and not make rash decisions solely based on those feelings.
By learning to think more logically, you’ll be better able to solve problems, generate more creative ideas, and set ambitious but realistic goals.
How to Strengthen Your Logical Thinking Skills
Here are five ways you can practice using logical thinking skills.
1. Consider different perspectives.
A huge part of thinking logically is being able to put your personal feelings aside and consider an issue from different perspectives.
When you feel very strongly about something, you might assume that everyone else must feel the same way you do—but there’s a good chance you’re missing some important considerations, simply because you haven’t thought about the problem from a different point of view.
This is especially important if you’re part of a team, or if you regularly make decisions that impact others (like customers or employees in other departments).
This leads us to our next tip…
2. Ask questions.
In order to consider different perspectives, one of the best things you can do is ask questions and be curious.
Rather than just making your own assumptions or jumping to conclusions, question the things you typically accept as fact.
By asking why, how, and what if, you can discover things you never considered before and address problems more creatively, instead of relying on old strategies because “that’s the way we’ve always done it.”
You can practice this at work by spending time with someone from a different department and asking them questions about their current projects and processes.
For example, if you work in the marketing department but want to learn more about sales, talking to a colleague in sales can help you think more critically about how your roles are related and how you can improve your own systems for better results.
3. Practice evaluating evidence.
When you’re trying to make a logical decision, you should consider all the evidence—but not all evidence is equal.
Consider the different sources and types of evidence you’re looking at. Depending on the situation, you may need to weigh some pieces of evidence more heavily than others, so you shouldn’t automatically choose the option with the most “plusses.’
For example, you might be comparing two different cars. One is cheaper, slightly newer, and even painted your favorite color. The other costs more and is two years older, but it’s a hybrid. The first car has more under its “pros” column, but don’t forget, you have a long commute and really care about saving on gas.
After thinking about it carefully, you decide that for you, the one pro under the second car’s column outweighs the three pros for the other car.
Evaluating evidence also applies to sources of information. Are your sources trustworthy, and do you feel like they’re telling you everything you need to know to make a decision? If not, search for more information.
4. Try to anticipate possible outcomes.
Logical thinkers don’t just think about the short-term consequences of their choices. Instead, they think about the long-term impact not only for themselves, but also those around them.
The objective is not to reach the perfect decision, but to go into the decision as aware as you can be of the effects it can have today, next month, and possibly farther in the future.
You can get better at anticipating outcomes by taking the time to analyze the results of your decisions after you make them.
5. Challenge yourself with games or books.
Thinking logically doesn’t have to be boring! A game of cards or chess pushes you to focus and think analytically. There are also plenty of brain-training games that can help you build your logical thinking skills.
Another great brain exercise? Mystery novels! Putting together the pieces of these exciting narratives helps you practice thinking logically. Even if you don’t guess correctly, it’s still a fun and entertaining workout.
Examples of Logical Thinking
Below are three examples of how you can use logical thinking to resolve conflicts, find solutions, and make decisions.
At Work
One example of logical thinking at work is the use of exit interviews when an employee leaves the company.
By getting the departing employee’s honest feedback, managers can improve their organizations, which can help reduce turnover in the future.
Instead of hastily disregarding the employee’s reasons for leaving or even responding defensively, leading team members can get valuable insights from someone else’s perspective about what works and what doesn’t within the company.
Over time, leaders may identify emerging patterns—another important part of logical thinking—and can adjust their systems accordingly.
When Making Decisions
When you need to make an important decision, relying on logic, rather than your emotions, can help you identify the right choice.
For example, let’s say you’re choosing between two homes to buy. It’s a very important decision, and one that can easily be swayed by emotion. To apply logical thinking to your decision-making, use the facts that are available to you to develop arguments, draw conclusions, and weigh pros and cons.
You can make a T-chart to weigh the benefits and drawbacks of each, and compare important factors like the price, size, location, and projected monthly payments for both.
This will help you make the best overall choice, because you’ll consider all the relevant information and potential consequences of each decision. (This is opposed to emotional decision-making, which might be jumping at the first option just because it’s five minutes closer to your best friend’s house.)
In Disagreements
Using the basic principles of logical thinking can also help you resolve interpersonal conflicts.
It’s in these types of disagreements that you’re most likely to act on your emotions, make rash decisions, or say something you’ll regret later.
But if you can slow down and try to see things from the other person’s perspective, you may find underlying issues that you never considered. You might discover that your disagreement isn’t personal at all, and actually due to a simple misunderstanding.
Make Logic Your Friend
Logical thinking can help you make better, more careful decisions in all areas of life, from work to your interpersonal relationships.
While logical thinking teaches you to avoid acting on just your emotions, what works for most of us in practice is probably more of a middle ground.
In many cases, you may want to also listen to your intuition and what your feelings tell you. The important thing is that you’re able to maintain a balance and think through the potential consequences of your decisions.
Did you find this post helpful? Let us know in the comments below!
If you enjoyed this post, then you might also like:
- Critical Thinking Skills: Definitions, Examples, and How to Improve Them
- 11 Brain Training Games to Try Right Now
- What is Logos? Definition, Examples, and Techniques
- How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis: 6 Steps and an Outline for Your Next Essay
As a blog writer for TCK Publishing, Kaelyn loves crafting fun and helpful content for writers, readers, and creative minds alike. She has a degree in International Affairs with a minor in Italian Studies, but her true passion has always been writing. Working remotely allows her to do even more of the things she loves, like traveling, cooking, and spending time with her family.
