Logic Will Never Change Emotion Or Perception

Edward De Bono Quote

Logic Will Never Change Emotion Or Perception; Logic influences but emotion is the real deal maker or breaker with perception as its visualisation manager

We all use logic every day, it is how we evaluate things in our minds, logic is a good influencer of the mind but it is not the big decision maker we like to think it is.

Emotion is how we decide what to do and what not to do, it is the risk assessment area of the brain we rely upon to keep us both safe and happy.

Many people have phobias about things ranging from ghosts or darkness to acrophobia the fear of heights or claustrophobia the fear of enclosed spaces. These phobias can be explained rationally yet some people cannot get past that mental block in their minds to be able to deal with these issues.

You could walk many times without fear across a small ledge if it was 1 metre off the ground but if you put the exact same ledge at 50m above ground level you will feel a completely different perception about performing the exact same task you successfully completed many times nearer ground level.

Logic is calculative, it is the language of the conscious mind whereas emotion is based on perception and stimulus, emotion is a subconscious feeling within us that has been crafted by experience.

A logical argument based on facts will not succeed if it cannot appeal to emotions, people will only be moved to action if it is appealing to their emotion, once the emotional battle is won for hearts and minds then the logical side of your argument will be used by the person to justify their actions.

Perception cannot be changed by logic as perception is the way the mind sees things through experience. Perception is a sensory detector, collector and processor of your environmental circumstances, if you are convinced there is a problem then no amount of logic will convince you otherwise.

Edward De Bono first termed the phrase 'Lateral Thinking' which has morphed into the business speak saying 'Thinking Outside The Box'.

Only with this type of thinking whereby you try to approach an issue from a different angle can you start to change your own perceptions on how to view anything differently. It is about training your mind to question everything from as many perspectives as you can conceivably imagine.

Article By: Michael Joseph Farrelly