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for Improving Your Critical Thinking - Stories off Email Postings to Test Your
Critical Thinking
Logic
Content:
Logic is based on how one assesses the situation and makes decisions based on
the assessment. You have heard the saying: "Be careful for what you ask
for!" "You might get it!" This often times is the case when our
logic is faulty. We think we really will be better off if we get... or when we
get older and we are able to do... or if only if we could have... and then our
lives would be perfect, wholesome, healthy, and exemplary. Hmm. Check out the
results of such thinking based on faulty logic in the following examples.
What a Gift!
Dear
Diary... For my fiftieth birthday this year, my husband (the dear) purchased a
week of personal training at the local health club for me. Although I am still
in great shape since playing on my high school softball team, I decided it would
be a good idea to go ahead and give it a try. I called the club and made my
reservations with a personal trainer I'll call Bruce, who identified himself as
a 26-year-old aerobics instructor and model for athletic clothing and swim wear.
My husband seemed pleased with my enthusiasm to get started. The club encouraged
me to keep a diary to chart my progress.
Monday:
Started my day at 6:00 am. Tough to get out of bed, but found it was well worth
it when I arrived at the health club to find Bruce waiting for me. He is
something – with blond hair, dancing eyes and a dazzling white smile. Woo Hoo!!
Bruce gave me a tour and showed me the machines. He took my pulse after five
minutes on the treadmill. He was alarmed that my pulse was so fast, but I
attribute it to standing next to him in his Lycra aerobic outfit. I enjoyed
watching the skillful way in which he conducted his aerobics class after my
workout today. Very inspiring. Bruce was encouraging as I did my sit-ups,
although my gut was already aching from holding it in the whole time he was
around. This is going to be a FANTASTIC week!!
Tuesday:
I drank a whole pot of coffee, but I finally made it out the door. Bruce made me
lie on the floor and push a heavy iron bar into the air - then he put weights on
it! My legs were a little wobbly on the treadmill, but I made the full mile.
Bruce's rewarding smile made it all worthwhile. I feel GREAT!! It's a whole new
life for me.
Wednesday:
The only way I can brush my teeth is by lying on the toothbrush on the counter
and moving my mouth back and forth over it. I believe I have a hernia in both
pectorals. Driving was OK as long as I didn't try to steer or stop. I parked on
top of a GEO in the club parking lot. Bruce was impatient with me, insisting
that my screams bothered other club members. His voice is a little too perky for
early in the morning and when he scolds, he gets this nasally whine that is VERY
annoying. My chest hurt when I got on the treadmill, so Bruce put me on the
stair monster. Why the heck would anyone invent a machine to simulate an
activity rendered obsolete by elevators! Bruce told me it would help me get in
shape and enjoy life. He said some other crap too.
Thursday:
Bruce was waiting for me with his vampire-like teeth exposed as his thin, cruel
lips were pulled back in a full snarl. I couldn't help being a half an hour
late; it took me that long to tie my shoes. Bruce took me to work out with
dumbbells. When he was not looking, I ran and hid in the men's room. He sent
Lars to find me, then, as punishment, put me on the rowing machine - which I
sank.
Friday:
I hate that Bruce more than any human being has ever hated any other human being
in the history of the world. He is a stupid, skinny, anemic little cheerleader
wanna-be jerk. If there were a part of my body I could move without unbearable
pain, I would beat him with it. Bruce wanted me to work on my triceps. I don't
have any triceps! And if you don't want dents in the floor, don't hand me the
stupid barbells or anything that weighs more than a sandwich. (Which I am sure
you learned in the sadist school you attended and graduated magna cum laude
from, you Nazi Sadist!) The treadmill flung me off and I landed on a health and
nutrition teacher. Why couldn't it have been someone softer, like the drama
coach or the choir director?
Saturday:
Bruce left a message on my answering machine in his grating, shrilly voice
wondering why I did not show up today. Just hearing him made me want to smash
the machine with my planner. However, I lacked the strength to even use the TV
remote and ended up watching eleven straight hours of the Weather Channel.
Sunday:
I'm having the Church van pick me up for services today so I can go and thank
GOD that this week is over. I will also pray that next year my husband (the
ingrate) will choose a gift for me that is fun - like a root canal or a
hysterectomy.
Senior Logic
At a nursing home in Miami, Florida, a group of Senior Citizens were
sitting around talking about their ailments:
"My arms are so weak I can hardly lift this cup of coffee," said
one. "Yes, I know. My cataracts are so bad I can't even see my
coffee," replied another. "I can't turn my head because of the
arthritis in my neck," said a third, to which several nodded weakly
in agreement. "My blood pressure pills make me dizzy,"....
another went on. "I guess that's the price we pay for getting old,"
winced an old man as he slowly shook his head. Then! there was a short moment of
silence..........
"Well, it's not that bad," said one woman cheerfully.
"Thank God we can all still drive!"
Often
times, when dealing with problems or conflicts people want to see research data
to validate positions taken on issues. Over dependency on "facts and
figures" can sometimes stymie, paralyze, or sabotage the critical thinking
process. What can happen is "Paralysis by Analysis." However, there
are other times when numbers do count, especially when you are "feeling
sorry for yourself," believing that your life is a "waste", or
"why does everybody else have it better than me?" To help you think
critically when you get yourself into a self-pitying position use these next
items to set you straight.
Listen
Up!
-
Near
to the door
-
he
paused to stand
-
as
he took his class ring
-
off
her hand
-
all
who were watching
-
did
not speak
-
as
a silent tear
-
ran
down his cheek
-
and
through his mind
-
the
memories ran
-
of
the moments they walked
-
and
ran in the sand (hand and hand)
-
but
now her eyes were so terribly cold
-
for
he would never again
-
have
her to hold
-
they
watched in silence
-
as
he bent near
-
and
whispered the words...
-
"I
LOVE YOU" in her ear
-
he
touched her face and started to cry
-
as
he put on his ring and wanted to die
-
and
just then the wind began to blow
-
as
they lowered her casket
-
into
the snow...
-
this
is what happens
-
to
man alive...
-
when
friends let friends...
-
drink
and drive.
I
received this message from a former student who wrote: "My best friend died
my senior year in a car crash, she had been drinking." Even though people
know the numbers of death each year which result from drinking and driving, they
still take the risk to do so, thinking those numbers will never catch up with
them...
These
Numbers Add Up
If
earth's population was shrunk into a village of just 100 people with all the
human ratios existing in the world still remaining what would this tiny, diverse
village look like?
That's exactly what Phillip M. Harter, a medical doctor at the Stanford
University School of Medicine, attempted to figure out. This is what he
found.:
57 would be Asian
21 would be European
14 would be from the Western Hemisphere
8 would be African
52 would be female;
48 would be male
70 would be nonwhite;
30 would be white
70 would be non-Christian;
30 would be Christian
89 would be heterosexual;
11 would be homosexual
6 people would possess 59 percent of the entire world's wealth, and all
6 would be from the United States.
80 would live in substandard housing
70 would be unable to read
50 would suffer from malnutrition
1 would be near death
1 would be pregnant
1 would have a college education
1 would own a computer
When one considers our world from such a compressed perspective, the need
for acceptance, understanding and education becomes glaringly apparent.
The following is also something to ponder...
If you woke up this morning with more health than illness... you are more
blessed than the million who will not survive this week.
If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of
imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation ...you are ahead
of 500 million people in the world.
If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest,
torture, or death...you are more blessed than three billion people in the world.
If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead
and a place to sleep...you are richer than 75% of this world. If you have money
in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace ... you are
among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.
If your parents are still alive and still married ... you are very
rare, even in the United States and Canada.
If you can read this message you are more blessed than over two billion
people in the world that cannot read at all.
Do
not Ignore the Obvious in Using Your Logical Reasoning
It
is important to be analytical and use good rational logic in solving problems,
making decisions, and resolving conflicts, but do not leave out the obvious
evidence present to your senses. It is imperative that you use all of your
senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste) when assessing the problems,
situations or issues which confront you. Do not ignore the obvious signs which
bombard your senses when using your critical thinking skills. The following
examples the first-an eloquent metaphor and the second-a logic problem help bring this message across to all of
us.
Learning to Listen
The man whispered, "God, speak to me." And a meadowlark sang. But the
man did not hear.
So the man yelled "God, speak to me." And, the thunder rolled across
the sky. But, the man did not listen. The man looked around and said, "God
let me see you." And a star shined brightly. But the man did not notice.
And, the man shouted, "God show me a miracle." And, a life was born.
But, the man did not know.
So, the man cried out in despair, "Touch me God, and let me know you are
here." Whereupon, God reached down and touched the man. But, the man
brushed the butterfly away and walked on.
How simply God does speak to us every day....
Makes Sense?
Four guys are driving cross-country
together
- one from Idaho,
- one from Iowa,
- one from Florida,
- and the last one is from New York.
A bit down the road the man from Idaho starts to pulling
potatoes from his bag and throws them out the window.
The man from Iowa turns to him and asks, "What are you doing?" The man
from Idaho says, "Man, we have so many of these things in Idaho they're
laying around on the ground-I'm sick of looking at them!"
A few miles down the road, the man from Iowa begins pulling husks of corn from
his bag and throwing them out the window.
The man from Florida asks "What are you doing that for?" The man from
Iowa replies, "Man, we have so many of these things in Iowa I'm sick of
looking at them!"
Inspired by the others, the man from Florida opens the car door..... and
pushes the New Yorker out.
The
Eyes Have
It
Don't cheat! Try to figure it out before you scroll down after the last
question.
- You're driving a bus that is leaving from Pennsylvania and ending in New
York.
- To start off with, there were 32 passengers on the bus.
- At the next bus stop,11 people get off and 9 people get on.
- At the next bus stop, 2 people got off and 2 people got on.
- At the next bus stop, 12 people got on and 16 people got off.
- At the next bus stop, 5 people got on and 3 people got off.
- What color are the bus driver's eyes?
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
The key to understanding the problem is focusing on the right information. If
we assume it is critical to keep track of the number of people getting on and
off the bus, we focus on information that turns out to be unessential. It
distracts us from the important information. The answer to the problem is found
in the first sentence. YOU are driving the bus so the color is of course the
color of YOUR eyes.
Two Nuns
Two nuns went out of the convent to sell cookies. One of them is known as:
Sister Mathematical (SM) and the other one is known as Sister Logical (SL). It
is getting dark and they are still far away from the
convent.
SL: Have you noticed that a man has been following us for the past
half-hour?
SM: Yes, I wonder what he wants.
SL: It's logical. He wants to rape us.
SM: Oh, no! At this rate he will reach us in 15 minutes at the
most. What can we do?
SL: The only logical thing to do of course is that we have to start
walking faster.
SM: It is not working.
SL: Of course it is not working. The man did the only obvious thing
to do.
...........He started to walk faster too.
SM: So, what shall we do? At this rate he will reach us in one
minute.
SL: The only logical thing we can do is split. You go that way and I'll
go this way. He cannot follow both of us.
............So the man decided to go after Sister Logical.
Sister Mathematical arrives at the convent and is worried because Sister Logical
has not yet arrived.
Finally, Sister Logical arrives.
SM: Sister Logical! Thank God you are here! Tell us what
happened!
SL: The only logical thing happened. The man could not follow both
of us, so he followed me.
SM: So, what happened? Please tell us.
SL: The only logical thing to happen. I started to run as fast as I
could.
SM: So what happened?
SL: The only logical thing to happen. The man also started to run
as fast as he could.
SM: And what else?
SL: The only logical thing to happen. He reached me.
SM: Oh, no! What did you do then?
SL: The only logical thing to do. I lifted my dress up.
SM: Oh, Sister. What did the man do?
SL: The only logical thing to do. He pulled down his pants.
SM: Oh, no! What happened then?
SL: Isn't it logical, Sister? .............
A nun with her dress up can run faster than a man with his pants down.
(And you thought it would be dirty! Say two Hail Mary's... : )
Chocolate
Math Have
you ever mixed chocolate and math? Here is a simple logic problem to give you
that experience...
1. First of all, pick the number of times a week that you would like to have
chocolate. (try for more than 1 time but less than 10 times)
2. Multiply this number by 2.
3. Add 5.
4. Multiply it by 50...we'll wait while you get the calculator.........
5. If you have already had your birthday this year add 1751....If you
haven't, add 1750 ..........
6. Now subtract the four digit year that you were born.
You should have a three digit number .....
The first digit of this number was your original number (i.e., how many times
you want to have chocolate each week).
The next two numbers are your age.
The year 2001 is the only year in which this will work so be sure to spread
it around before it loses its taste, we mean value.
Be
Sure Your Arguments are Valid as well as Reality Based!
In your solving problems, resolving conflicts, and decision
making be sure that your arguments which you are using to support your positions
on the matter are logical, valid and based in reality. To do this be sure that
you are using structures for your arguments which are valid.
Arguments can have two valid and two
invalid structures:
| Structure of Argument |
Antecedent |
Consequent |
| valid |
Affirming (modus poens) |
Denying (modus tellens) |
| invalid |
Denying |
Affirming |
Remember, however that you could have a valid structure for your
argument but that it does not necessarily follow that your conclusions are like
wise based in reality.
For example:
Antecedent: You must have the proper materials
with you to accomplish a task.
Consequent: The task could be accomplished if you
have the proper materials
Valid structure, but not necessarily defensible
conclusions: You have the proper materials therefore you could have
accomplished the task. or You have the proper materials so you must have
accomplished the task.
Confused? Let's see if this example off the emails helps you
understand this issue better:
A Fish Story
A couple went on vacation to a fishing resort up north. The
husband liked to fish at the crack of dawn. The wife liked to read.
One morning the husband returned after several hours of fishing
and decided to take a short nap. Although she wasn't familiar with the lake, the
wife decided to take the boat. She rowed out a short distance, anchored, and
returned to reading her book.
Along came the sheriff in his boat. He pulled up alongside her
and said, "Good morning, Ma'am. What are you doing?"
"Reading my book," she replied...as she thought to
herself, "duh -- isn't it obvious?"
"You're in a restricted fishing area," he informed
her.
"But officer, I'm not fishing. Can't you see that?"
"Yes, but you have all the equipment. I'll have to take you
in and write you up."
"If you do that, I'll have to charge you with rape,"
snapped the irate woman.
"But, I haven't even touched you," groused the
sheriff. "Yes, that's true, she replied, "but you do have all the
equipment."
To
assist you to navigate these Stories to Improve Your Critical Thinking
just click onto the next topic you want to go to:
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