In the science of right thinking - logic - there are two kinds of inferences. This is induction and deduction. In this article we will talk about how to develop deduction.
What is deduction
The term "deduction" was formed from the Latin word deductio, meaning "derivation." Deduction is a method of thinking in which, as a result of a chain of inferences, in a logical way, a particular is derived from any general position. How to develop deduction, or learn to think and reason from the general to the particular?
Sherlock Holmes - Master of the deductive method
Not so long ago, this term was known only to a narrow circle of scientific experts. However, thanks to Sherlock Holmes, the hero of the series of detective novels Arthur Conan Doyle, deduction became known about the whole world. This character was called the master of the deductive method. How to develop deduction like Sherlock Holmes? Is it possible?
Based on the full picture of the crime with all the suspects, Sherlock Holmes examined each possible participant: he studied the possibilities, behavior, motives. That is, it went from general to particular. Thus, by logical reasoning, he determined which of the suspects was a criminal, and presented conclusive evidence of his guilt.
How to use the deductive method in practice
Having watched Sherlock Holmes unravel one crime after another using deduction, you might wonder how to develop logic and deduction. This method can be adopted not only by law enforcement officials, investigators and lawyers. Deduction can come in handy in everyday life.
Mastery of the deduction method is useful in every field of activity. So, students will be able to more easily and quickly understand and remember material for offset, doctors and managers - quickly make the right decision and more.
Is there such an area of human life where the method of deduction would be useless? Using it, you can draw conclusions about people around you, which is extremely important for building relationships with them. It develops logical thinking, observation, memory and simply makes you think that does not allow the brain to grow old prematurely. Our brain needs regular training no less than muscles. How to develop and learn deduction? Everything is quite simple.
How to develop deduction
Sherlock Holmes constantly used deduction - slow thinking, the basis of which is the formation of conclusions and assessments. Often people evaluate any people or events occurring in their life. But at the same time, they use fast thinking, which instantly reacts to what is happening, forcing a person to commit wrong actions and make erroneous decisions.
How to develop deduction? Through regular exercise. For example, read books that develop deduction.
Solve problems
In the process of any intellectual activity, training of slow thinking takes place. Solve problems in the exact sciences: physics, mathematics, chemistry. True, for this it will be necessary to restore the forgotten knowledge of the school level.
What if, from school, you have been burning with hatred of the general sciences? There is an exit! You can purchase several problem books in which there are games that develop deduction, puzzles, puzzles, and solve one problem, for example, at lunchtime or before bedtime. Other ways of developing logic are possible.
Chess and poker also contribute to the development of logic.
Broaden your horizons
Only a fully developed personality is able to draw its conclusions based on a knowledge base and experience. Otherwise, it will be only speculation. Broaden your horizons. In-depth knowledge in many areas can be a support in making the right decisions and constructing logical judgments.
An invaluable service will be provided by dictionaries, encyclopedias, reference books, films, books and travels.
Be Meticulous
If you undertake the study of a fact or subject, it should be done as thoroughly and comprehensively as possible. The object of research should arouse your interest and emotional response, because only in this case you can hope for a good result.
For example, when reading a book or watching a movie, pay attention to various details of the behavior and appearance of the hero. Try to predict the future course of events. Such experiments are most useful to conduct with films and books of the detective genre.
Develop mindset
Try to solve problems and tasks in several ways: look for the second and third solution, look at them from a different angle, look for a different point of view. This will be useful in choosing the best solution. It is worth listening to the opinions of other people, because their version is a different vision of the situation. In this case, your knowledge and experience will be added to the knowledge and experience of others, which means increasing the likelihood of making the right decision.
Be observant
How to develop a method of deduction? When communicating with other people, not only listen, but also watch. It is useful to note the facial expressions and gestures of the interlocutor, the timbre of his voice and the intonation with which he speaks of a particular event. Thus, one can reveal a person’s intentions, find out how sincere, truthful and friendly he is.
To develop observability, it is useful to consider strangers: passers-by on the street, shoppers in a store, and others. Try to guess in your mind where the man is standing in the line for milk, where the long-haired girl with the big bag is going, what character the guy is standing at the bus stop, and so on. Observe the person’s face, hands, shoes, dress, bag ... Try to guess his preferences and habits, what he does without asking him about it. Of course, try to do it as inconspicuously as possible - no one likes it when they carefully examine it.
Develop voluntary and involuntary attention
The development of all types of attention is necessary in order not to miss important details, to interpret them correctly, without being distracted by extraneous irritants.
It is necessary to develop all possible types of attention: both voluntary and involuntary.
Arbitrary attention refers to the subject's ability to focus on one subject and not be distracted by anything else. It is believed that a person is able to keep his attention on the object for a maximum of 20 minutes. For example, deduction master Sherlock Holmes, in order to concentrate, played the violin, smoked a pipe or was alone.
Refuse multitasking: the more factors affect the organs of perception, the more difficult it is to focus on one thing. Being engaged in several problems at once, you will make more mistakes, skip a large amount of important information.
Involuntary attention is considered a kind of peripheral vision. For its development, you need to regularly monitor familiar objects in unusual conditions. For example, with a different sound background or lighting.
For training involuntary attention, you can create unusual conditions for perception, after which you can consciously observe and “catch” what attracted the subject in the “borderline” spectrum, when fixation is still noted, but it is already clear that it is slipping away.
So, you can monitor familiar objects in low light; experiment with the power characteristics of stimuli: quiet music - medium-volume music - loud music, rich juicy colors - pastel colors; consciously fix your attention when moving between objects: pay attention to what attracted attention when moving from one object to another or when moving to another type of activity; you can “listen” to the work of involuntary attention when changing the acoustic perception: sharp sounds - the sound of pleasant music.
Combine Deduction and Induction
Using both types of logical thinking, you can draw more accurate conclusions about the environment and fully develop. In addition, it is worthwhile to critically approach all emerging situations and look for an optimal way out of the situation.
Remember that in order to successfully use the methods of deduction and induction, you must have a lot of experience and knowledge.
