THIS IS THE FIRST PART OF THE POST. REFER TO COMMENT SECTION FOR REMAINING PARTS.
4) Understand that logic is a tool that will help you achieve anything.
Simultaneously, while I was reflecting on how logic has brought about all modern luxuries and provides for all my safety, I let my goals come to mind and projected myself into the future to have a peak at how the outcomes would differ if I had logic as my core value rather than comfort. Seeing that the outcome always would turn out better with logic as my core value helped me increase my trust for logic.'
Rationally, it is easy to wrap your head around that logic is what gives you the highest probability of achieving any desired outcome. After all, reality is governed by mathematical patterns – human rationality enables us to conceptualise these patterns – and hence they can be leveraged to our advantage when navigating the world. For instance, it was reasoning that made it possible for us to invent things such as clothes, hunting weapons, and houses; harness the power of fire; and build complex networks of collaboration: all things that all increased our quality of life and odds of survival.
Furthermore, and as we concluded in the third point, it is no secret that all great advancements were only made possible thanks to logic. Take, for example, the exploration of space, the invention of the Internet, or the development of computers; would any of these be possible without understanding the mathematical patterns that govern reality and using logic as a tool to make use of those patterns? Of course, the answer is no.
To exemplify additionally, we can turn to poker. On the surface, poker may seem a game of chance. You draw a set of cards, can discard your cards for randomly picked new ones, and then, whoever has the best hand wins. But some players, win significantly more frequently than others. Why is that? Is it because they have ‘luck’ on their side? Those who are familiar with poker are inclined to believe otherwise. Professional or high-winning poker players are very strategic with their every move, and try to base their plays on probabilities. Their win-rate is thus determined by how accurately they’re able to estimate the probabilities of specific actions leading to certain outcomes. In other words, the difference between a successful poker play and a less successful one, is that the one more successful has a better understanding of probabilities: of logic.
Likewise, this is present in economics and the stock market. Successful stock trades are merely better at calculating the probability of their investments turning into profit, than unsuccessful ones. The same applies in all other areas of life. The better you are at finding what is most likely to lead you to your desired outcome, the more successful you will be in that area.
The above text can help us warp our heads around how logic gives us the highest chances of success on a rational level, but how do we accomplish the same on an emotional one?
The process that I went through is rather straight forward. Simply, I compared and visualised how the outcome of small tasks, key work activities, and lofty goals would turn out if I had logic versus comfort as my core value. During this process I realised two different things. Firstly, and quite immediately, I understood that logic is far superior to comfort when it comes to getting things done and achieving whatever you set out to achieve. (This became obvious as I could see my actions and what outcomes they lead in my visualisations.) Secondly, I came to the realisation that by clinging on to comfort I was shooting myself and hindering myself from achieving my goals.
The result of this activity: an emotional understanding that logic would indeed help me achieve anything.
Summary of Process:
i) Decide on a situation in which you will compare your current core value to logic. ii) Visualise how the situation plays out with your current core value. (How do you act? What outcome do your actions lead to? How do you feel throughout?) iii) Visualise how the situations plays out with logic as your core value. (How do you act? What outcome do your actions lead to? How do you feel throughout?) iv) Comment on your findings and link appropriate emotions to your current core value and to logic.
Pro Tip 1: You can continually work on step 1 by always being of observant of the things that you take for granted, understand how it is due to logic that they exist, and thus connect the positive feeling that you have for them, to logic.
Pro Tip 2: Regularly ask yourself ‘How would this activity/situation feel, and what outcome could I expect, if I had logic as my core value rather than my current one?’ Seeing the activity play out from the perspectives of both core values is key, as it will make you notice the qualitative and quantitative differences between the two.
5) Personify logic
Once I had developed an initial trust for logic, I went on to personifying it in order to strengthen my faith. In other words, I visualised logic as an ‘individual’ and/or a ‘something’ that I could trust unconditionally. Specifically, I began by personifying logic as dear friend, paladin and wise teacher.
He looked something like this: * http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/diablo/images/b/b5/Crusader-portrait1.png/revision/latest?cb=20140625090007 * http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/f49c9916b4427f77d4fa759cc30eed76.jpg
By personifying logic as a paladin figure, I had constructed a mental object that I could easily recall, and hence use as a link to logic. Aside from helping me smoothly connect to logic, the visual construct enabled me to look upon logic as something that I could trust to always be there for me. I felt as if I could always turn to my friend (logic), had I any questions or concerns. I felt as if I would never be alone, always supported, and always have logic to lean back on. It is hard to describe this feeling through mere words, but it was like being in a plain of total darkness, with unwavering faith and trust and warmth in my heart, that I would never be alone. This lead to a monumental intensification of my trust for logic.
However, I did not settle for personifying logic as one thing. I felt like playing with the strategy of personification, and thus also personified logic as a gorgeously looking girl, that I could connect feelings of love and attraction to, as well as a God or a light that would always watch over me.
Warcraft Art to Illustrate the Light Art From Rapunzel to Illustrate the Light
Later on, while I was working on step 3, I would come to return to this strategy of personification and personify logic as a miniature of the universe, a ring, and an ethereal arcane power that would merge with the body of my inner child, make it drop the truthfully malicious and sinister teddy bear of comfort, and grant it the power to transform into a mighty dragon that would infuse my mind with wisdom and strength, and orbit the face of the Earth to purge it of illogic. By vividly letting this play out in my mind I managed to make the leap of faith [let go of my old core value and taking up logic] to logic. I will explain the leap of faith in more detail later on in step 3.
Note: After clicking, I still leverage my personifications to stay connected with logic.
Note: It’s critically important to experience the emotional states throughout this process, and it’s not enough to merely think about them. Visualisation and recalling positive memories related to your personification (e.g. a friend) can help you feel these emotions.
Points to Ponder: * Logic – the mathematical patterns that govern reality – is your creator, your God. Don’t read the bible, read reality. * Logic will take care of you like a friend that's always there by your side. * Logic will take care of you like a friend that's always there by your side. * The reason for asking a question tells you a lot more than answer to the question itself.
