Category: Logic

Who Is Susceptible To Misinformation?

There are very skilled, well-financed groups attempting to spread misinformation across the world. Who is likely to be duped?

It can be very frustrating when someone you disagree with ignores logic and common sense. How can they believe something that is so obviously incorrect? They clearly are being fed a steady diet of misinformation, from politicians, news outlets, social media feeds, and so on. But why can’t they see it?

Of course, it is very likely they, or someone else who disagrees with you, is thinking the exact same thing. How is it possible, they ask, that you don’t see you are being lied to? They believe your social media feed is full of misinformation. The politicians you vote for deliberately tell lie after lie. News sources you follow are biased and don’t tell the whole story.

Surely both sides can’t be right. One side must be telling the truth, and the other is sadly deluded. And, of course, your side is the correct one. Theirs is the one filled with misinformation.

Need proof? Just look at the video clip of someone interviewing them, exposing how ignorant they are. It is sad they don’t see what has happened to them.

But again, those video clips exist on both sides of the political spectrum.

How can you be sure that your side is the correct one? What if it isn’t? What if the people spreading misinformation are not targeting just one side of the political aisle, but instead look to destabilize the entire system, left and right alike?

You probably believe the other side should be more skeptical of the information they are exposed to. But how skeptical are you?

Related questions: What is truth? How do you know who to trust? What beliefs do you have that might be wrong?

How Are Your Body And Mind Intertwined?

We tend to think about our mind as something apart from our body. In truth, the two are linked. Can you think of examples?

It seems natural to separate the mind and the body. If you fall, say, and break your leg, your mind is not overly impacted. You still have your full range of cognitive abilities.

Similarly, as we age, our body and our mind often do so at different rates. A ninety year old who can barely walk might be mentally sharp, while an otherwise healthy older person may be unable to remember the names of people he or she has known for years.

However, this division is arbitrary at best, and actively harmful at worst. The brain is a part of the body. They use the same blood supply. They are impacted by the same hormones. There is every reason to believe that what happens in one has an impact in the other.

This is obvious in certain ways. When the blood sugar drops, for example, it can make it difficult to think cohesive thoughts. Many people know to carry around a candy bar or other source of sugar to ingest in an emergency.

And yet, we may not recognize how the two are linked. Studies have shown that the physical act of making your mouth smile, even if you don’t feel like doing so, can brighten your mood. Changes in diet can be reflected in changes in attitude.

Are there other examples of ways in which you have noticed that your mind and your body are actually two sides of the same coin? How are the two intertwined?

Related questions: Mind or body? What do you do to clear your mind? What does it mean to be healthy? How can you change your attitude?

Logic Or Emotion?

We all use both logic and emotion in our lives every single day. In your opinion, is one more preferable to the other?

Share why if you wish.

Logic Or Emotion?
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What Is Intelligence?

Are you book smart, good at math, or a logic problem pro?  If so, you are likely labeled as intelligent.  We see people with a command of language, numbers, or puzzles as highly valued in society.

But is this definition of intelligence too limiting?  Could there be different ways to measure the capacity of a brain?

Dr. Howard Gardner, professor of education at Harvard University, argues in his theory of multiple intelligences that there are eight different intelligences.  They are:

  • Linguistic intelligence (“word smart”)
  • Logical-mathematical intelligence (“number/reasoning smart”)
  • Spatial intelligence (“picture smart”)
  • Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligence (“body smart”)
  • Musical intelligence (“music smart”)
  • Interpersonal intelligence (“people smart”)
  • Intrapersonal intelligence (“self smart”)
  • Naturalist intelligence (“nature smart”)

What is intelligence?  How could society benefit from a broader view of what it means to be smart?  How would we be different?  On a personal level, how are you smart?  (Traditional intelligences are okay too.)

Related questions: How Do You Learn? How Are You Special?  When Is It Useful To Fail?

Letters Or Numbers?

Which are you more comfortable with, letters or numbers? Which is more important?

Share why if you wish.

Letters Or Numbers?
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