Logical Thinking.

One way to strengthen your ability to think logically is to ask questions about things you typically accept as fact. Regularly asking questions helps you gain a more comprehensive perspective, allowing you to approach problems more logically and creatively. Asking questions can often lead to discoveries about topics you had not considered before, which may encourage you to explore further. You can use this method anywhere, especially at work. Consider a department at your workplace you are not familiar with and create a list of questions that can help you understand its purpose.

When you develop more meaningful relationships with other people, it can help to broaden your views and perspectives. In turn, this can help improve your ability to think logically because alternative points of view make it easier for you to think about a specific topic from more than just your own limited scope. As you become more familiar with someone, learn about their perspective because it can reinforce your efforts to approach situations and problems in a new way.

Learning a new skill can also help you sharpen your logic skills. When you take the opportunity to learn as often as possible, you can apply the same level of thinking to your job. For example, you might decide to start learning a new coding language, a process that requires careful thinking and planning. Not only will practicing every day help to put you in the mindset of thoughtfully approaching problems at work, but it will also develop a new skill that will help you advance your career.

When working to strengthen your logical thinking skills, it is helpful to consider what impact your decisions might have in the future. The more you think about the results of your decisions, the easier the process can become for you to assess the potential outcomes. When you come up with a solution to a problem at work, try to think about what the conclusion may be. Eventually, you might find it easier to think of the immediate and long-term results of your decisions, which is an important aspect of logical thinking.

A primary element of being able to think logically is the ability to reason. Reasoning requires emotional intelligence, which means you possess enough self-awareness of your own feelings that you can place them aside for the betterment of a particular situation or resolution. When it comes to taking a more logical and thoughtful approach to how you think, there are four essential components to consider, including:

1. Deduction.

2. Induction.

3. Casual inference.

4. Analogy.

Deduction, or deductive reasoning, is a component of logical thinking that begins with a general idea and then seeks to reach a specific, more logical conclusion. Deduction makes it easier for someone to gain a simplified understanding and then become more logical in their thought process. If A=B and B=C, then A=C is the most common exemplary statement of this process.

Induction, or inductive reasoning, is another component that allows you to think more logically by relying on blanket generalisations. You usually base these general notions on anecdotal experiences, personal observations and facts you know are either true or false. For example, if your manager holds a group meeting every Tuesday morning and has done so for the past two years, you can logically conclude that they most likely are going to hold another group meeting this upcoming Tuesday morning as well.

Casual inference is a component that helps you think more logically by recognising the reason things evolve and change. This could involve someone taking a particular action and then you making a logical and casual inference as to why they are doing so. For example, if someone is reading an article about critical reading, you can casually infer that they are reading it because they want to change and become a better critical reader.

Analogy or analogical reasoning is a component of logical thinking that seeks to find the commonality between two or more perspectives. When thinking logically, analogy makes it so that what you know about one situation can help you infer new details about another. For example, if you know a colleague at your job is an identical twin, you can analogically reason that their twin, who you have not met, looks just like them.

LOGICAL THINKING WHEN YOU ARE IN A DISAGREEMENT.

If you are in a disagreement with a friend or a colleague at work, use logical thinking to help you come to a common understanding where you are both content with the conclusion. Try to understand their perspective and consider if it makes logical sense. Remain open-minded because it may help you gain a new logical perspective you were previously unaware.

If you have deadlines and a lot of work to complete, logical thinking can help you finish it all on time. Think logically about what work is most important and then prioritise the ones that you need to get done first. Create a schedule for yourself so you can track your progress.

If you have a tough decision to make, think logically about what decision you make is likely to result in the most beneficial outcome. Depending on the situation, sometimes it can be helpful to ask someone else for their opinion. This can help you gain the necessary insight to make the most pragmatic choice.

If you do not know an answer to something, consider what is the most logical way that you can get the answer that you seek. Perhaps there are online resources you can thoroughly search through, or maybe there is someone you can ask. For example, if someone asks you about the data and information within a financial report, you can logically conclude that the person you should seek for the answer is an accountant or finance expert.