Why develop your logical reasoning?
When you hear the expression logical reasoning, many people turn a blind eye. After all, it's popularly connected to mathematics, which is a much hated subject. What people forget is that logical reasoning is essential to our lives and is present in all situations, even if we don't realize it. So, when they only relate it to exact areas, many don't give it due importance, leaving aside one of the skills of the future, an important hard skill that is even present in various selection processes.
Although it is commonly associated with calculations, the origin of logical mathematical reasoning is actually philosophical. Aristotle was the first person, as far as we know, who began to carry out work in which he used logic to resolve conflicts in human existence. Logic is understood as the correctness of thought. The term refers to the ability to organize data using known valid premises in order to reach a conclusion. Thus, to develop logic is to prepare oneself to deal better with various everyday situations, especially the more complex ones.
Reasoning is a mental activity that involves many cognitive processes, including memory, attention and comprehension. It is important, among other things, for doing well in your studies (not only solving math problems, but also interpreting texts); analyzing data in a report, discussing strategies in project management and business; defending ideas in a meeting and having harmony in relationships (convincing parents, children, friends, bosses and romantic partners). Logical reasoning is directly linked to the power of argumentation and persuasion, other skills that are also very important today.
When we speak or write, we are expressing our thoughts, so we need to use logic in these activities. Even forming a coherent and cohesive sentence requires logical thinking in the brain to order the letters, syllables and words in such a way that they are understood perfectly. We also use logic whenever we need to solve a problem sequentially or construct an argument, as this is also the type of reasoning that involves the lowest error rate. In this way, it is essential to have logical reasoning in order to organize your thoughts and thus obtain good or excellent results in your day-to-day activities.
Of course, unforeseen events always happen, but when the art of logical thinking is a constant in life, people find it easier to resolve situations in the most appropriate and satisfactory way. Considering the current habit of filling our days with too many activities, logical order becomes even more important in order to achieve satisfactory performance and an adequate quality of life. This, however, requires a break from the usual autopilot in order to establish awareness and, consequently, the ability to organize ideas.
The use of logical reasoning is extremely broad, ranging from knowing how to keep track of your personal finances to being able to identify misleading advertising or biased news. Even a simple trip to the supermarket uses logic, as you usually think about what you need to buy and, by knowing the store, you can optimize your route to the specific aisles without having to wander around. In the professional sphere, it's important to be able to develop arguments, draw up action plans and identify market opportunities.
In addition, the development of logic promotes greater criticality and a greater sense of argument, characteristics that improve our ability to create and interpret various situations in our daily lives, influencing positive results. Nowadays this is a great differentiator, after all we are moving towards a world where artificial intelligence is increasingly present and what makes you necessary is your ability to think and make decisions. Regardless of the professional area in which you work (or already work), good logical thinking is an essential skill that sets you apart from the rest of the market.
What's more, as if that weren't enough, its improvement results in various benefits such as: greater agility, less repetition of similar mistakes, improved ability to make well-thought-out decisions more quickly and more assertively, even under pressure, and the ability to assimilate content and knowledge more quickly. And who doesn't want to learn more, do more quickly and make fewer mistakes? Today's tip goes to specific apps for this, of course they're not the only ones, and there are several famous exercise tools such as sudoku, mahjong, crossword puzzles, word searches and many others.
The best way to develop logical thinking, like all things in life, is by practicing. The main ways are to focus on activities that require attention, such as hobbies, puzzles, board games, jigsaw puzzles, and various other options for challenges that require logical connections to be made in order to reach a solution, including chess, the magic cube and sudoku. Books and movies, especially those with dense and intelligent plots, also help, as they force us to look for hypotheses and draw conclusions. Mathematical problems also need to be included in the list, as they present an obstacle in which the individual needs to make some decisions to get around it or solve it.
The important thing is to enjoy the activity in order to maintain motivation. If the challenge is too difficult, you shouldn't get frustrated or give up, but move on to something easier and make progress little by little. Logical reasoning can be stimulated from a young age, so if you have siblings, cousins, godchildren or children, try to encourage them, this is the best stage, as the brain is more favorable to learning and absorbing content. If you're thinking that you're too old, there's nothing like that, any age is a time to develop and improve. A study carried out by the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro showed that elderly people who practiced brain gymnastics had a 9% gain in memory and verbal learning compared to their peers. So it's never too late to exercise your brain, and the benefits last a lifetime.
This is because activities that stimulate logical thinking cause an increase in blood flow and electrical currents in the brain, as well as stimulating the production of neurotransmitters. These effects improve the quantity and quality of connections between nerve cells, which results in better performance. I'm sure that the results obtained will be very beneficial, from preventing diseases such as Alzheimer's to improving emotional health, helping, for example, to avoid depression, as well as improving cognitive functions, helping to solve everyday problems, developing the ability to make better decisions and enabling greater learning.
Investing in brain gymnastics is the best way to prevent everyday tasks from being carried out automatically, without reflection. Small changes in routine can take the brain out of its comfort zone and help develop logical intelligence. Anything new and challenging helps, even if it means changing your watch or taking a bath with the lights off. This is due to the formation of new neural networks, which constitute an important cognitive reserve as aging leads to the shutdown of brain circuits. Those with greater reserves feel less loss of memory and motor coordination, for example:
For me, my focus on this type of development (I say focus because I've always been well stimulated in this respect) was in my third year. In 2015, I had several entrance exams to take, many of which I wanted to pass, and for me, just studying the subjects wasn't enough. Time was my enemy and the faster and more efficient I became, the more I would be able to solve problems, get answers and achieve what I wanted. All said and done, I opened the app store and started searching. For me, the suggested apps came up very easily, as sudoku and crossword puzzles were already downloaded to my account. I tested a few and decided on 4, yes 4, similar but different: Peak, Luminosity, Elevate and Neuronation. In all of them, the games and challenges are based on research from major universities.
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Peak: quite well known (I found out about it later), it is available in Portuguese, but has paid features, and you can play 4 of the 6 daily games for free. They are divided into 7 categories: Language, Memory, Reasoning, Focus, Mental Agility, Emotion and Coordination. There are currently 42 games (and advanced training), but some are exclusively for the pro account. What sets Peak apart is the possibility of setting goals in terms of number, deadline and category and the wide variety of statistics displayed, including progress and comparison with your age group. You can also connect with friends to train together and you can set it up for colorblind people, dyslexics and even change the language if you wish.
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Luminosity: also available in Portuguese and with paid features, you can train 3 games a day for free, other types of training (more personalized) are restricted to premium members. The games are divided into 6 categories: Speed, Memory, Attention, Flexibility, Problem Solving and Mathematics, and there are also subcategories. It currently has 34 games, the good thing is that all of them are released for free, but only 3 per day, which vary. Statistics are scores in each of the 6 areas, history and comparison are restricted to premium members. There are also personal discoveries, which are analyses of your performance and tips on how to improve, but these are also restricted to premium members. As settings, you can change the colors, set training reminders and change the language.
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Elevate: only available in English and Spanish, it also has paid features. For free, you can play 3 of the 5 daily games, other training sessions only on the pro account. The games are divided into 4 categories: Writing, Speaking, Reading and Math. There are currently 39 games and some are exclusive to the pro account. In addition to the games there is a study section, where there are tips on how to improve skills in the 4 areas, for example articulation, reading speed, mathematical operation strategies and mnemonic techniques. The statistics are also by grade in each category and it tells you your level of proficiency, with comparisons to other players. There is also a record of your activities in the app and it has some achievement challenges to encourage you to play. In the settings you can set reminders and define sub-areas as objectives to improve, and for pro members you can also define the duration of daily sessions.
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Neuronation: very different from the other 3 and available in Portuguese. It's meant to be a journey, made up of challenges in a predetermined series, some of which are only available for premium accounts. In addition to the games, there are wellness tips that can be accessed in the app and are shown in the notification bar if enabled, for example stretching in the middle of the day. There are 4 categories that are developed: Speed, Reasoning, Attention and Memory. All of them are evaluated from time to time and the statistics are saved so you can keep track of your progress.
I've never paid for any of them and, for me, it's actually good to have a small daily number, as it allows me to do everyone's daily training and develop different skills. Many of the games are similar, but none are completely the same. In the case of elevate, it also serves as foreign language training. Peak is undoubtedly the one with the most different options and lots of fun games. And Luminosity is my favorite, not only because it gives you access to all the games, but also because it has some very different and challenging ones. All that's left now is for you to choose one that best suits your personality and your routine to further develop your logical thinking.
All the texts and posts so far have encouraged logic, after all its development requires you to stop and analyze and reflect on your current situation, as well as set goals and plans to achieve what you want. What activities in your life can you use logic to improve?