Nature of Logic and Perception

Logic allows us to outline a path that results in a successful outcome to our dilemmas. It provides a format that we follow during the critical thinking process eliminating or suppressing any emotions that may arise based on the topic. Due to our biases we tend to overlook certain facts or alter the ones at hand in order to satisfy individual perception on the subject.

     I often involve my personal feelings during the decision making process. Later realizing my judgment is clouded by certain emotions I have on the subject. It leads to making a decision that is not logical but rather a decision that I wanted to make. Our emotions come into play every time we try to figure out any issues or problems and they are usually based on our perceptions of things. There have been situations when I substituted the reality of the situation with my own perception of it. I ran into an issue with buying stocks, as I was beginning to learn the process. I started investing my money into companies, which I thought were “good” companies, no matter what the news and analyst calls were. I lost some money with this strategy but I stayed with it because I firmly believed that those particular companies had a good product line and will soon surprise the Wall Street analysts with earnings. Well, that never happened. Not only did I choose a terrible strategy but I couldn’t convince myself to change it. After a few bad months of investing I started doing more research and found that there are certain rules to follow when investing. Reviewing the news, analyst recommendations, earnings calls, etc. I was able to view all facts and invest my money based on those facts and not my own perceptions. I learned a very tough lesson at that time of my life; however, it made me realize how different a perception can be from reality. Another example of that difference is the current War in Iraq. Our country is currently divided into firm believers in the war and those who are against it. I noticed that many folks formed a perception of the war as well as the reason why it began in the first place. It seems that the media has a lot to do with it. We watch the television and listen to the radio on daily basis and we are constantly reminded of all facts and fictions of the war. Although, we see or hear the information that is available to us we often choose to transform that information to our advantage. People who think that we are in Iraq for the right reasons pick up on things that would help them in that process. On the other hand, folks who gather all the facts and pick up on information that is relevant to the subject form their opinions in a logical matter rather then an emotional one. I sometimes pinpoint to particular messages, which makes it easier for me to digest the information and translate it towards my personal way of thinking. Through this process I formulate perceptions instead of gathering the facts and while mixing in my emotions the results are always skewed. One should not make a statement or an important decision while considering individual emotions. It only leads to misleading the audience and providing opinions that are not supported by any facts.