reasoning - Brain Fodder

11 errors in reasoning: avoid these if you want to look smarter

Avoiding errors in reasoning, aka logical fallacies is crucial to forming better arguments and avoiding being manipulated by others 2000 years ago, Aristotle proposed that although we share much in common with the animal kingdom, what sets humans apart is our capacity for reason and rationality. Unfortunately however, we all make errors in reasoning – either …

Politeness: the secret weapon to winning an argument?

How does being polite help us overcome everyday disagreements? According to French philosopher Andre Comte-Sponville, “morality starts at the bottom – with politeness. But it has to start somewhere.” The point is that we are not born virtuous, we have learn to be so – and practising politeness is one of the ways to develop a robust code of ethics to guide us …

3 reasons why you’ll never win an argument with a Scientologist

Here are 3 reasons why people cling to their beliefs, even in the face of overwhelming contradictory evidence What is it that causes people to stick to their guns no matter what you say to them or whatever evidence you present? You would like to think that as intelligent beings, humans would gravitate towards common sense, rather than …

The attribution error: why we love to blame other people

The fundamental attribution error causes us to point the finger of blame and ignore situational factors Did you ever wonder why you come across so many idiots when you’re out driving? Or, why your boss is so rude and inconsiderate? Here’s a secret: the problem might not be with the other people at all. It could be …