Since logic is no longer taught as a required subject in schools, the door is open to all sorts of bizarre reactions to the presence of information.

Here are three favorites:

One: grab the headline or the title of an article, make up your mind about how you "feel," and ignore everything else.

Two: Actually read the article until you find a piece of information that appeals to you for any reason; latch on to it, and run with it in any direction.  In all cases, the direction will have nothing to do with the intent of the article.  

Three: From the moment you begin to read the headline of the article, be in a state of "free association."  Take any word or sentence and connect it to an arbitrary thought or feeling, associate that thought with yet another arbitrary thought...and keep going until you become tired or bored.

You might be surprised at how many people use these three "methods of analysis."

The very idea that the author of the article is making a central point doesn't really register.  And certainly, the notion that the author is providing evidence for the central point and reasoning his way from A to B to C is alien.  

A college liberal education?  These days it could be imparted in a matter of weeks, simply by hammering a small set of values into students' skulls---along with requisite guilt and fear at the prospect of wandering off the reservation.

Logic as a subject is viewed with grave suspicion, as if it might involuntarily take a person down the wrong track and dump him in a politically incorrect ditch---a fate to be avoided at all costs.  

Therefore, the practice of rational debate is on the way out.  Too risky.  Besides, the preferred method of dealing with opponents is screaming at them, shoving them off stage, and whining about "being triggered."

If you think obtaining what's called a liberal college education is vastly overrated (and absurdly expensive), you're right.  Learning logic, instead, would be a good start down a different road.

And an analysis of the principle of "greatest good for the greatest number" would be very, very useful---since it underpins so much of values-centered education these days.

What does greatest good mean, specifically?  How would it be achieved?  Who would implement it?  How would the implementation affect individual freedom?  

Wrestling with these questions would open up whole new territories of insight.

As I've mentioned in past articles, when I taught a few basics of logic to middle-school students, the clutter in their minds receded.  They found the ability to follow a line of thought---for the first time, they recognized there was such a thing as a connected flow of reasoning from A to B to C to D.  The lights went on.

The world may be sinking into deeper levels of know-nothing non-rationality, but that's not a good excuse for trailing along down into the swamp.  It should be a wake-up call to go the other way.

No matter what anyone says, it's not a crime to be smarter than other people.
Use this link to order Jon's Matrix Collections.
Jon Rappoport

Views: 96

Comment

You need to be a member of 12160 Social Network to add comments!

Join 12160 Social Network

Comment by cheeki kea on December 15, 2019 at 7:47am

True and knowing all this on the bright side can be an advantage, particularly upon mild debate in Formal situations. Even acknowledging tiny inconsistency of their "facts" or how they ~"feel"~about it, can cause them to become unhinged and erupt into emotional outburst. ( always to their determent, and in front of others ) That's when a debate is won or meeting closed with successful conclusion.  

Comment by Parrhesia on December 14, 2019 at 11:24am

People don't seem to care about truth anymore, that's why they are able to "identify" as whatever they want and it's okay because "feelings".  

"Destroying the New World Order"

TOP CONTENT THIS WEEK

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE SITE!

mobile page

12160.info/m

12160 Administrators

 

Latest Activity

Doc Vega posted a blog post
28 minutes ago
Doc Vega posted photos
1 hour ago
tjdavis posted a video
11 hours ago
Doc Vega commented on Doc Vega's blog post What is Consciousness and Does it Have to be In a Certain Body?
"FREEDOMROX there are a lot of conversations going on between theologians and scientists about what…"
15 hours ago
Doc Vega commented on Doc Vega's blog post What is Consciousness and Does it Have to be In a Certain Body?
"cheeki kea Yes I believe that there are those who have a sympathetic awareness toward whales and…"
15 hours ago
tjdavis posted photos
16 hours ago
tjdavis favorited Doc Vega's photo
16 hours ago
Doc Vega posted photos
yesterday
FREEDOMROX favorited Doc Vega's blog post What We’ve Learned from the Evils of High Density Populations
yesterday
Doc Vega posted blog posts
Tuesday
honeygirl posted a video

Trump Surrenders! Iran Wins, and Israel Loses Everything

The United States is being driven out of the Middle East — and with it, Israel's entire security architecture. Iran didn't defeat America in a head-to-head w...
Tuesday
FREEDOMROX commented on Doc Vega's blog post What is Consciousness and Does it Have to be In a Certain Body?
"Consciousness is a creation of the brain. When death occurs; it is the spirit animating the body…"
Tuesday
Sandy posted a video

The Car Kill Switch Is Now Law

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
Monday
tjdavis posted a video

Jupiter Med Bed System 2026 Overview and Quick Look! #medbed

🔷 Jupiter Med Bed System 2026 Overview & Quick Look 🔷👉 Learn more or order here: - 6-8 week lead time - Special pricinghttps://healthylifetechnology.com/p...
Sunday
Doc Vega posted blog posts
Saturday
cheeki kea favorited FREEDOMROX's blog post THE END: 2046
Saturday
cheeki kea commented on Doc Vega's blog post What is Consciousness and Does it Have to be In a Certain Body?
"Um err... is it whatever the brain believes it to be, will manifest. You know what, there really…"
Saturday
Sandy posted a video

The future of ai exposed in new ad 😱 *must see* #palantirtechnologies #ai #conspiracy

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
Saturday
Doc Vega posted blog posts
May 22
Doc Vega posted a blog post

Who was the Better Drummer Paul McCartney or Ringo?

 In contrast to the earlier interviews with Paul McCartney before the alleged fatal car accident in…See More
May 20

© 2026   Created by truth.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service

content and site copyright 12160.info 2007-2019 - all rights reserved. unless otherwise noted