Beyond Brilliance: Redefining Smartness through Rationality and Logical Reasoning

Exploring the core components of intelligence and practical steps to enhance critical thinking and decision-making skills.

“Intelligence is the foundation, while smartness is the application. Without intelligence, smartness lacks substance.” — Steven Magee

Arguably the most prominent aspect of an individual’s personality is their level of “smartness”. A quality that is overtly exposed to the world by words and/or actions. You are constantly judged by the world for it (although smartness is second fiddle to your physical appearance based on the scale of societal expectations). Even if you choose to disregard societal judgment, you inevitably become aware of your own intellectual prowess, and there are valid reasons for it — it helps you with career progression, fosters meaningful relationships and deals with the unprecedented nature of life. It’s tough to not feel disconcerted when such important aspects of life are contingent upon our intelligence.

For me, being smart is a bewildering concept. I have never been the brightest student but have always been curious enough to get by. I’ve been rescued from complicated situations, less by my intelligence and more by my wittiness. A few years ago I revisited a very fundamental concept — breaking the complex stuff down into minute, simpler pieces. Although this concept wasn’t novel to my ears, when I heard Luke Coutinho, India’s leading fitness and well-being coach talk about it, I found a fresh perspective to examine it.

“I keep things as simple as I can. Shrug off anything that seems like a burden or a complication. If it is important to learn the complications try making that stuff simple with your previous knowledge.”

His outlook made me rethink my notions about being smart. I asked myself, “How could I break it down into smaller pieces that make sense?”. Obviously, I did not find the answer right away (I’m not smart, remember?).

After consuming lots of what other people have already mastered about productivity, career, relationships and life in general — through books, podcasts and speeches — I noted two crucial aspects of intelligence. Remember how we talked about breaking the complex stuff into small pieces? Turns out that there are two fundamental components to being smart — Rationality and Logical Reasoning.

Simple right?

Let’s understand each term with a simple example. We will also talk about ways to develop these two qualities in our lives.

Rationality:

Rationality is the bridge between knowledge and wisdom; it helps us discern truth from illusion.” — Socrates

Rational thinking refers to the ability to make decisions and form beliefs based on logical reasoning and evidence rather than emotions, biases, or unfounded beliefs. It involves carefully evaluating information, considering different perspectives, and drawing conclusions that are supported by reason.

Illustrated by an example:

Imagine you’re planning a vacation and trying to decide between two destinations. One option is a popular tourist spot that you’ve heard a lot about, while the other is a lesser-known location recommended by a friend. Rational thinking would involve researching both destinations and considering factors such as cost, safety, attractions, and personal preferences. Instead of solely relying on hearsay or popular opinion, you analyze the available information objectively to make a rational decision.

By using rational thinking in this scenario, you can avoid falling into the trap of making impulsive choices based on hype or societal pressure. You weigh the pros and cons, consider your personal preferences and priorities, and make a decision that aligns with your interests and goals.

Logical Reasoning:

“Logic is the anatomy of thought.” — John Locke

Logical reasoning is a cognitive process that involves thinking in a structured and systematic way to reach valid conclusions. It is about using logical principles and rules to make sense of information and identify patterns. Logical reasoning helps us make informed decisions and solve problems by applying logical principles and avoiding fallacies or errors in our thinking.

Illustrated by an example:

Suppose you come across a news article claiming that eating a specific fruit will make you instantly lose weight. Without logical reasoning, you might be tempted to believe the claim based solely on the sensational headline or anecdotal evidence. However, by applying logical reasoning, you would critically evaluate the information. You might consider factors such as the credibility of the source, scientific evidence supporting the claim, and whether there is a logical mechanism explaining how the fruit could cause instant weight loss. If you find that the evidence is lacking or the claim contradicts established scientific knowledge, you would use logical reasoning to conclude that the claim is likely unfounded.

Being logical is important because it helps us avoid making hasty judgments or falling for misinformation. It enables us to assess arguments, evaluate evidence, and make rational decisions based on sound reasoning.

How are they different?:

Being rational and being logical are related concepts but have slightly different meanings. In simple terms, being rational means making decisions and forming beliefs based on sound reasoning and evidence, while being logical refers to thinking and reasoning in a structured and consistent manner.

Assuming you have understood the basis of the human intellect, I will highlight actionable steps you can take in order to become more rational and logical in your cognitive processes.

1. Ask more questions:

Comprehending a situation or a problem is the first step in the process to derive idyllic opinions and solutions. Without knowing the particulars about the situation or problem we cannot (and should not) try to deduce the ideal way out. Keeping the principle of “more is good but less is not”, asking the right questions brings clarity and helps you develop an intuition of things over time. On a high level, the type of questions to be asked are:

Q.1) What is the problem? Q. 2) What information can we derive regarding the nature of the subjects involved in the problem? Q. 3) What were the specific trigger points? Q. 4) Can we identify the trigger by dialling back to a previous situation similar to this? Q. 5) What could have been potential ways to mitigate the visible consequences?

These questions are not limited to being asked to others but also to yourself. Life can be very simple if you understand your thoughts and are able to interpret them. Self-introspection is quintessential to growth.

Consequently, these kinds of questions will help you foster rationality. Making a habit of asking questions, no matter how silly and no matter the situation would make you more rational and a more refined thinker and decision maker.

Dn NOT be content easily, especially when making an important inference. Keen evaluating.

Trust me, this step will help you train your smartness muscles, hardcore.

2. Imbibe Mental Models:

Simply put, mental models are frameworks that can be applied to any problem in order to build intuition and get closer to plausible conclusions/solutions. It helps you get a birds-eye view to interpret the world around you. Unknowingly we may already be using mental models but they may only get applied to our respective discipline.

For example, if you are a writer reviewing a research paper on A.I., you would only focus on the characteristics such as language, grammar, vocabulary and the overall feel of the paper. Whereas if you are an engineer practising in the field of AI, you would stress more upon the technical aspects of the paper, more on the substance rather than style. Both sides are crucial but none of them would be able to constructively critique the paper on a holistic level. The technicality of the paper is as important as the style of writing because you could write an amazing paper but if your peers cannot understand it, that’s a blind spot. Also if you have a fantastic grasp of language but the substance is utter bull crap (just like my final year project paper) we have another blind spot.

There are certain mental models which should be imbibed by every individual, irrespective of their discipline, to become a better, more logical thinker. Some of my favourite ones are:

Occam’s Razor: Instead of wasting your time trying to disprove complex scenarios, you can make decisions more confidently by basing them on the explanation that has the fewest moving parts.

Inverse Thinking: While thinking about how to do anything efficiently, try thinking about how can this be done inefficiently. Have a clear idea not about how can you do the best but rather the worst and just avoid those things. It’s better to avoid stupidity rather than chasing brilliance.

Multiplying by Zero: In some systems, a failure in one area can negate great effort in all other areas. As simple multiplication would show, fixing the “zero” often has a much greater effect than trying to enlarge the other areas. In some systems, a failure in one area can negate great effort in all other areas.

I am, by no means, a master of mental models. I got introduced to these only recently. Understanding these models is easy but applying them to the real world — not so much. It is easy to get lost in the world of Mental Models. It can leave you dazed and confused. Focus more on getting the fundamentals right instead of everything.

I would highly urge everyone to read a fantastic blog on Mental Models by Farnam Street to get started. It is a game-changer!

3. Seek diverse viewpoints:

A step that can exponentially fastrack your decision-making. Surround yourself with diverse sources of information and engage in discussions with people who hold different opinions. Actively listen and try to understand their reasoning. This exposure to different perspectives can broaden your thinking and help you make more rational judgments.

When should you ask for feedback?: 1. When you feel you have reached a bottleneck in your thought process 2. When you are confident of your solution

Reaching out to people when you’re stuck seems natural. Turns out, reaching out to experts where you are confident of your solution is even more important. When you know exactly what to do, start doubting yourself. It’s the best way to expand your understanding of your own mind.

Finally, I will walk you through a real-world example which will demonstrate how exactly these 3 steps can be applied to develop a rational and logically inclined intuition about the world around you:

A little role-play:

Imagine you’re a manager in a company facing a critical business challenge. The company is experiencing declining sales, and you need to make a decision on whether to launch a new marketing campaign. To approach this situation with rational thinking, you can follow these steps:

1. Ask more questions:

Start by asking questions to gain a deeper understanding of the problem. What are the reasons behind the declining sales? Is the target market changing? Are there external factors affecting the industry? What are the potential benefits and risks of launching a new marketing campaign? By seeking answers to these questions, you can gather relevant information and identify key factors influencing the decision.

For example, you might ask:

Q1: What is the current market trend and the competitive landscape? Q2: Have there been any changes in customer preferences or behaviour? Q3: What marketing strategies have been employed in the past, and what were the results? Q4: What is the estimated cost of the new marketing campaign, and how does it align with the available budget? Q5: Are there any alternative solutions or approaches to address the declining sales?

Asking these questions helps you gather critical insights, consider different perspectives, and make a more informed decision.

2. Imbibe a Mental Model:

Apply mental models to evaluate the potential outcomes and implications of launching a new marketing campaign. One useful mental model in this context is Cost-Benefit Analysis. Assess the potential benefits the campaign could bring in terms of increased sales, brand visibility, and customer engagement. Consider the associated costs, such as campaign expenses and resource allocation.

For example, you might analyze the potential return on investment (ROI) by estimating the revenue increase that could result from the campaign and comparing it with the costs involved. This helps you objectively evaluate the value and effectiveness of the marketing initiative.

3. Seek diverse viewpoints:

Engage with key stakeholders and seek their perspectives on the decision to launch the marketing campaign. Collaborate with the marketing team, finance department, and other relevant individuals. Encourage open discussions to explore different viewpoints and potential concerns. This allows you to gain valuable insights, identify blind spots, and make a more balanced and rational decision.

For instance, you might organize a cross-functional meeting where team members can share their opinions, suggestions, and potential risks associated with the campaign. This way, you increase the likelihood of making a well-rounded decision that takes into account various factors and perspectives.

Conclusion:

This article is obviously not a “final chapter” in your quest for improvement via tools of intelligence. As I said, rationality and logical reasoning are the building blocks of any man’s intelligence. I encourage you to take this article as a starting point, put the above-mentioned steps in play and notice the changes in your psyche.

Rational thinking involves making informed choices based on logical reasoning and evidence, while logical reasoning enables structured and systematic thinking to reach valid conclusions.

To develop these qualities, it is crucial to ask more questions, both externally and internally, to gain a deeper understanding of situations and problems. By seeking diverse viewpoints and feedback, we can broaden our perspectives and enhance our decision-making process. Additionally, incorporating mental models can provide frameworks for interpreting the world and making more effective judgments.

The goal of this article is to help you develop a framework that will enhance your personality by embracing the two key components of a holistic thought process. I wish you multiple fulfilling careers. I wish you have more meaningful relationships, both with others and yourself. All the best :)

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Inspiration and references for this article:

The Psychology of Human Misjudgement — Speech by Charlie Munger Mental Models — Farnam Street