|
Post by minhphuong on Feb 16, 2016 14:48:01 GMT
WHAT SHERLOCK HOLMES TAUGHT US ABOUT THE MINDThe century-old detective stories are being studied by today’s neurologists – but why? As it turns out, not even modern technology can replace their lessons in rational thinking.
Soon after Andrew Lees embarked on his medical career at University College Hospital London, one of his superiors gave him a rather strange reading list. Rather than the usual fusty anatomical volumes, it included The Complete Sherlock Holmes.
What on earth could the fictional detective teach an aspiring neurologist? As it turns out, a good deal, as Lees recently wrote in a paper in Brain journal. Whatever your expertise, the insights provide a welcome lesson in the art of rational thinking.
As Lees points out, Holmes’ creator Arthur Conan Doyle was a physician himself, and there is evidence that he modelled the character of Holmes on one of the leading doctors of the day, Joseph Bell of the Royal Edinburgh Infirmary. “I thought I would try my hand at writing a story where the hero would treat crime as Dr Bell treated disease,” Doyle recalled in a 1927 interview.
Notice the details
But Lees suspects that as his stories developed, Conan Doyle may have also drawn some inspiration from other doctors, such as William Gowers, who wrote the Bible of Neurology. (Conan Doyle himself had specialised in neurodegenerative disease as a doctoral student, and he and Gowers had a mutual friend in the author Rudyard Kipling.)
Gowers often taught his students to begin their diagnosis from the moment a patient walked through the door, as seen in a record of one of his clinical demonstrations, later published as A Clinical Lecture on Silver and Syphilis: “Did you notice him as he came into the room? If you did not then you should have done so. One of the habits to be acquired and never omitted is to observe a patient as he enters the room; to note his aspect and his gait. If you did so, you would have seen that he seemed lame, and you may have been struck by that which must strike you now – an unusual tint of his face.”
It’s remarkably similar to Holmes’ habit of profiling each person he meets based on the scantest of clues, as reimagined in the BBC’s remake of the classic stories:
In particular, it was the importance of the seemingly inconsequential that seems to inspire both men. “It has long been an axiom of mine that the little things are infinitely the most important,” Conan Doyle wrote in A Case of Identity.
Both Gowers and Holmes also warned against letting your preconceptions fog your judgement. For both men, cool, unprejudiced observation was the order of the day. It is for this reason that Holmes chastises Watson in The Scandal of Bohemia: “You see, but you do not observe. The distinction is clear.” Or in the words of Gowers: “The method you should adopt is this: Whenever you find yourself in the presence of a case that is not familiar to you in all its detail forget for a time all your types and all your names. Deal with the case as one that has never been seen before, and work it out as a new problem sui generis, to be investigated as such.”
Occasionally, Gowers’ real-life powers’ of observation appear to have rivalled Holmes’ fictional hero. Consider his study of a man initially misdiagnosed with a psychological disturbance similar to hysteria:
“I looked casually at the bed-card and at once my eye was caught by the record of his occupation ‘Painter’. I looked from the bed-card to his gums, and there I saw written in equally distinct characters the record of the effect of his occupation – in a conspicuous lead-line.” By simply using his eyes to see what others had missed, Gowers correctly inferred that the man was being poisoned by his pigments.
There are many other examples: how both men “reasoned backwards”, for instance, dissecting all the possible paths that may have led to a particular disease (in Gowers’ case) or murder (in Holmes’). This line of approach is perhaps best summarised as Holmes’ most famous aphorism: “When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”
But perhaps the most important lesson to be learned, from both Gowers and Holmes, is the value of recognising your errors. “Gentlemen – It is always pleasant to be right, but it is generally a much more useful thing to be wrong,” wrote Gowers, while Holmes admits: “I confess that I have been blind as a mole, but it is better to learn wisdom late than never to learn it at all.”
This humility is key in beating the ‘curse of expertise’ that afflicts so many talented and intelligent people. Over the last few years, the cognitive neuroscientist Itiel Dror of University College London has documented many instances in which apparent experts in both medicine and forensic science have allowed their own biases to cloud their judgements – sometimes even in life or death situations.
Whatever the exact nature of Gowers’ influence on Conan Doyle, Holmes’ lessons today offer a larger lesson in the power of logical thought. Even the most advanced technology can never replace the powers of simple observation and rational deduction. As Lees says, the hospital “is still a crime scene” – and we still need the finest minds to solve those mysteries. As he found all those years ago, if you want to train your powers of deduction, you could do a lot worse than read (or reread) Sherlock Holmes.
Reference: David Robson (2016, January 7). WHAT SHERLOCK HOLMES TAUGHT US ABOUT THE MIND. BBC, Retrieved from www.bbc.com/
Graphic Illustration:
Graphic Illustration should be clicked in the attachment for larger size view.
Questions for discussion:
1. What do you think about the quote on the article by Doctor Gowers:"It is always pleasant to be right, but it is generally a much more useful thing to be wrong" ?
2. How could you apply rational thinking and logical deduction to your life?
3. Besides the quote in Question 1, what quote in the article do you like the best? Why?
Attachments:
|
|
|
Post by Bùi Phanh on Feb 18, 2016 15:16:21 GMT
1. What do you think about the quote on the article by Doctor Gowers:"It is always pleasant to be right, but it is generally a much more useful thing to be wrong" ? I have a really strong agreement towards this saying and I am amazed by how a few words can tell such a big thing. The knowledge in this world is as grandiose and wide as the oceans and the amount of which we have and understand is just like a drop. It feels great when you are right about something but you cannot always be right. One day, you will get it wrong and what is important is that you can learn from your mistakes and what you can earn from the lessons. The more you are corrected, the more you learn. You need to know how to accept the fact that you are wrong. You need to analyze and deduce the conclusion again. You need to enhance the things that you have learned. That is the reason why I believe it is much more useful to be wrong. If you are right every single time, you will only know what you have already known.
2. How could you apply rational thinking and logical deduction to your life? To be honest, I am pretty sure that I do not know how to think rationally and deduce logically. I usually "see but I do not observe". I tend to notice things but I cannot fathom them into particular thoughts or express them the way I want to. Therefore, I need to learn to pay more attention to little details and be more control over my thinking. Rational thinking and logical deduction may help me to be in a clear state of mind and get used to pondering on things carefully and thoroughly.
3. Besides the quote in Question 1, what quote in the article do you like the best? Why? I am in favor of the line Holmes says to Watson “You see, but you do not observe. The distinction is clear.” We cannot think back, rewind or replay our memories like in movies so we tend to be missing out on a lot of things. When we see, we only look at the things the eyes want to look at. Whereas when we observe, we have to pay very close attention to perceive the things our minds tell us. As I mentioned above, this is my problem. I tend to notice but do not pay enough attention. Maybe my friends are in their rough time but I do not observe. Maybe my parents are sick but I do not observe. I hate that we see but little do we observe. I love the quote itself and I love the distinction between the two words "see" and "observe". The quote not only tells us a problem in our thinking but also has the beauty in its wording.
|
|
Hoang Lan
New Member
When nothing goes right...go left.
Posts: 9
|
Post by Hoang Lan on Feb 19, 2016 9:22:42 GMT
1. What do you think about the quote on the article by Doctor Gowers:"It is always pleasant to be right, but it is generally a much more useful thing to be wrong" ?
Impressive! That was the very first word appeared in my mind when I looked through this quote. In terms of message, it conveys a very profound and far-reaching lesson – don’t be afraid of making mistake since it enhances your knowledge even more than when you are right. This may not be a very transcendent message but Gowers’s word choice and language makes it very enchanting. People have to ponder on it again and again to have an exhaustive grasp of the message.
2. How could you apply rational thinking and logical deduction to your life? In my opinion, utilizing rational and logical deduction are all advantageous to our study and daily life if they are properly utilized. After going through the article, I find these quite interesting and certainly applicable. First, with rational thinking, I learn that when judging somebody or something, it is vital that one “see” by either their eyes or their brain. Disappointingly, in almost every situation, I tend to be a "man of seeing". With this article, I now make a complete change of my notion: The more you observe, the more you improve yourself. Logical deduction is a skill that’s worth being built up if you wish to make progress in subjects that are involved in natural sciences, to me it is math. To master this tough task, one must have the ability to observe and investigate the questions meticulously, combine the most important info, bring out the most sensible solution and finally reach a reasonable and logical conclusion.
However, these two skills are not easy to possess, and not many people know how to apply them properly. Thanks to this precious lesson from Sherlock, I hope that one day (in a far far away future) I will master rational thinking and logical deduction.
3. Besides the quote in Question 1, what quote in the article do you like the best? Why?
"When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.” This quote came to my mind right on the spot! In practice, I first run across this inspirational saying in Detective Conan of which I am a big fan. I still remember the case in which this quote appeared quite clearly. Ran’s old teacher was one of the suspects of murder but Ran always asserted that it was impossible for her teacher to be the culprit. In her mind, that woman was very kind hearted and enthusiastic. However, nightmare really happened when Ran found out that her beloved teacher was the murderer. She became extremely upset and shocked. That was the moment when Shinichi told her "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth". Since that time, this quote has always been one of my top favorite guidelines. To me personally, it is the most precise classic quote that teaches us about rational thinking and logical deduction. Somestimes you must use your brain to judge a situation, not by the random feelings or your own. Reality is not always satisfactorily, one has to learn to accept that harshness of life.
|
|
Vu Duong Nhat Linh
New Member
Đợi em tốt nghiệp rồi kết hôn. Cuộc đời này, ngoài em ra, anh sẽ không lấy ai khác.
Posts: 8
|
Post by Vu Duong Nhat Linh on Feb 19, 2016 11:16:52 GMT
1. What do you think about the quote on the article by Doctor Gowers:"It is always pleasant to be right, but it is generally a much more useful thing to be wrong"?
In my opinion, the quote in the article refers to how to react to errors or the risk of errors since it came from a person who was always alert to the possibility of misdiagnosis. Actually, in a lecture on “Mistaken diagnosis”, Doctor Gowers explained: “Gentlemen, it is always a pleasant to be right, but it is always a much more useful thing to be wrong. If you are right, all that you do, as a rule, is to confirm your previous opinion, your previous habits of reasoning and your previous self-esteem. But if you are wrong, you generally gain in knowledge and gain perception of the way in which your method of diagnosis needs improvement, and the influence of self-esteem is not likely to do you harm” (William Richard Gowers 1845-1915: Exploring the Victorian Brain - Ann Scott, Mervyn Eadie, Andrew Lees). Indeed, this quote is true for all aspects of life. When an error occurs, it is advisable that we figure out elements that lead to that error and come up with feasible solutions to them thus to improve ourselves.
2. How could you apply rational thinking and logical deduction to your life?
From my perspective, it is worth employing rational thinking and logical deduction to my life although it is quite challenging. I think it is advisable to have a detailed, unprejudiced observation when asserting anyone. However, I usually let my preconceptions fog my judgement, it is easy for me to come to a conclusion which is based on very little details and biased thoughts. Therefore, I should refrain from it, pay more attention to the “little things” and keep a conscious mind. I hope that one day I can ace rational thinking and logical deduction.
3. Besides the quote in Question 1, what quote in the article do you like the best? Why?
I am fond of the quote by Conan Doyle in “A Case of Identity”: “It has long been an axiom of mine that the little things are infinitely the most important”. It seems to be obvious that one of the considerable differences between success and failure is the importance placed on little things especially attention towards them. Successful people usually pay careful attention to details because they know that "Many little makes a mickle". Indeed, Pastor Jack Hyde wrote in his book Blue Denim and Lace that “a person who is unwilling to do the little will not have the opportunity to do the big. A person who is not challenged by the little will not be presented the challenge to do the big. A person who has not done well the little is not prepared or qualified to do the big. A person who is not diligent in little tasks will not develop the diligence necessary to do the big tasks. Even if the task is not worthy of you, diligence is; and even if what you do is not big, the way you do it can be big. Someone will see how you do it and realize that you are qualified to do something bigger. Then too, in doing the small task diligently one is preparing with the methods necessary to succeed in a big task”.
|
|
|
Post by stevenlee192 on Feb 19, 2016 13:32:58 GMT
1. Well, actually after reading this citation I was quite confused because I didn't really get its meaning. But after thorough reconsideration, I could somewhat comprehend what it was conveying. It is a kind of lesson that teaches us to appreciate the failure which enhances our strengths and reinforces our knowledge. Likewise, doing something wrong gives us experience, thus, at least it is useful for something, which prevents us from doing something wrong once again, or otherwise can make us do it better than what we have done earlier. Overall, this quote is worth reading as well as applying.
2. I believe rational thinking and logical deduction are beneficial in many aspects of our life. Initially, if applied properly, rational thinking and logical deduction can prevent a person from being too sentimental, or relying too much on the feelings as well as what is apparently seen, this can lead to a more specific series of actions. Rational thinking and logical deduction can be applied in science or in daily life. However, in academic aspect, it is what we have to utilise by all means. But in daily life, it would definitely mire difficult for most of us to attain such rational thinking and logical deduction since we usually react really fast instead of taking thorough consideration into the situation as well as investigating its insights. Also, most people don't actually have the capability of utilising rational thinking and logical deduction; they are not what we can immediately gain but we can obtain them by doing research and reading materials about them. Those methods of thinking are crucial as they can help us improve our brain speed and bring us the best solution to the circumstance occurred. All in all, Mathematics, quarrels, relationships and many other things are the objects to applying rational thinking and logical deduction.
3. I am interested in the quote "I confess that I have been blind as a mole, but it is better to learn wisdom late than never to learn it at all." It reminds me of the renowned saying of Lenin. It is never late to learn. I would rather learn late than never learn it at all. The quote encourages me to thirst for knowledge, and makes me feel more self-confident as sometimes I sense that I'm too old to learn what I should learn earlier.
|
|
|
Post by thuyanhdan on Feb 19, 2016 13:41:43 GMT
Question 1 I could not agree more with Dr. Gowers more about the “value of recognizing your errors”. First of all, the sensation of being sagacious when doing something right can please anyone. Everybody always hopes to make wise choices, have shrewd ideas and do everything in the way that people consider ”right”. However, how could people know one thing is right if there is no wrong in life. I believe that this is the usefulness of “wrong thing” that Dr. Gowers had mentioned. Making mistakes is inevitable. The most important thing is that you need to learn from your mistakes. Otherwise, you will not have the chance to enjoy the pleasure of being right. Dr. Gowers is a successful neurologist. I believe his key of success is that he lived his life in appreciation with both the right and wrong things. The lesion I have learned from his quote is that everyone should have the courage to accept the wrong and learn from it. Question 2 The process if training your brain to think rationally and deducing logically is not a piece of cake. Some people are too emotional while other have the inclination to hold preconceptions. However, we can gradually develop that skill. In my view, we should apply rational thinking and logical deduction to ourselves first. Little things make big things happen. Starting from the smallest things such as planning what to do the next morning with a reasonable timetable or making deductions about the cost of the upcoming camping holiday is worth a try. When the brain has got used to this way of thinking, we could be able to apply it to evaluate things better. In our life we have to make a lot of decisions or judgments so before coming to a conclusion, we need to consider things carefully, have a broad view of every aspect of the circumstance and make predictions based on the information we have acquired. I think that is the way we think rationally and deduce logically. That skill is beneficial for your life if we could apply it when we study, work or simply plan our daily life. For instance, rational thinking and logical deduction help you learn better and quicker since you can draw your own study strategy. At work, making good judgments is the key to success and you can do it if you master that skill. I hope that I could develop that skill and apply it to my life. Question 3:
I am really impressed with Arthur Conan Doyle’s quote: “It has long been an axiom of mine that the little things are infinitely the most important”.
The reason is: It is not only true in his detective novel but also in real life. It is of no denial that little things make big things happen. It is the details that make everything more complicated.
I notice some people in my life who just pay their attention to such things they call “big and worth considering” as money, career, etc… However, there are many small things in life that is important but receive not enough attention. When I came up to the quote, one thing immediately appeared in my mind: there have been many things I considered insignificant but ignoring them caused great troubles to me. Personally, I believe that taking notice of little things can make ourselves more sensitive and really help us with our work as well as improve our relationship with other people. That is why I really like this quote. Moreover, Conan Doyle’s words also inspired me to live in appreciation with any little nice thing in my life.
|
|
|
Post by khanhlinh on Feb 19, 2016 13:54:05 GMT
1. From my perspective, the quote by Dr. Gowers has conveyed a very precise and meaningful message: Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Failure doesn't mean that you can't do anything, but simply that you can learn one more thing. It is an undoubted fact that the quote is really a source of encouragement. Indeed, there is a tendency that the maturer people are, the less they dare to take any risks even when those risks are truly once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. Therefore, the quote can be what people count on when they are sitting on the fence as well as need a motivation to begin or start over.
2. I can say that I am a girl who are quite sensible. For example, although there are paramount of things that I want to do, to have, to be; I tend to choose what is the most suitable for me instead of what is believed to be the best. Also, I believe in actions, behaviors rather than sayings as from my point of view, those are the only two ways emotion can be expressed truthfully. And that is how I apply rational thinking and logical deduction into my life.
3. “It has long been an axiom of mine that the little things are infinitely the most important” should be the answer for this question as it's also my way of living. I don't know whether being a Virgo girl has any impacts on this characteristic or not but I always pay attention to the details. Sometimes, my friends call me a "sensitive" girl (not in the "easy to cry" meaning, for sure...) because I can notice lots of things that are not spoken out loud. It's not that I have any special ability but it's the fact that other people overlook numerous of small but essential signs.
|
|
Tu An
New Member
Impossible only means that you haven't found the solution yet
Posts: 11
|
Post by Tu An on Feb 19, 2016 13:58:00 GMT
1. What do you think about the quote on the article by Doctor Gowers:"It is always pleasant to be right, but it is generally a much more useful thing to be wrong" ?
From my perspective, the quote written by Doctor Gowers shows a significiant truth about how people react to failure. Most people will try to weasel out of the mistake. They will start blaming their faults on surrounding impacts. I myself understand that it is hard to accept the truth but sometime you have to bite the bullet and take your lumps. For instance, you’ve made a promise and failed to keep it, let’s put yourself in the other ’s shoes and see how things look from there. How would you feel? Annoying, dissapointed perhaps. What would your response be if you were them? And what action would satisfy you? For me, a sincere apology is necessary. In shot, admitting the fault puts you one step closer to dealing with it, and can often be the first step towards a successful turn-around.
2. How could you apply rational thinking and logical deduction to your life?
To be honest, I am still struggling on how to apply rational thinking and logical deduction to my life. I definitely do not have a greatest mind like Doctor William Gowers or Sherlock Holmes, as well as a sharp-eyed viewer to quickly find a solution to a problem. It takes me quite a while to consider the incident carefully before reaching the conclusion. Normally, I am under the influnence by feelings during the process. Therefore, I need to complete my decision through reason after having made it through feeling. 3. Besides the quote in Question 1, what quote in the article do you like the best? Why?
Apart from the quote written by Gowers :"It is always pleasant to be right, but it is generally a much more useful thing to be wrong" , another quote that I feel quite true is “When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”, said by Holmes. To me, this is all about logic. With this step, you can concentrate on only one thing without having any distractions. Take a reading test for example, when you have a question that you are not sure about the answer, you can use this kind of elimination. First, start with excluding all the impossibilities, then narrowing down the remaining possibilities and finally the last one is the answer. To put it in a nutshell, if you start with everything you can think of, and then eliminate those that are impossible, you are well on your way to a solution.
|
|
|
Post by quynhnga on Feb 19, 2016 13:59:57 GMT
1. What do you think about the quote on the article by Doctor Gowers:"It is always pleasant to be right, but it is generally a much more useful thing to be wrong" ? The quote, in other words, claims that though being right gives one certain satisfaction, being wrong does much more good and plays the bigger part in building one as a more mature and wiser person. This is the most important lesson of all time. What came to my mind when reading this quote was that most of us avoid thinking about being wrong from time to time for one simple reason: the feelings. People feel dreadful, depressed, embarrassing when they make mistakes and knowing that they do. On the other hand, being right gives us the feeling of in control, safe and proud. These feelings are most pleasant but it takes a wise man to not to let the feelings sink in too deep and cloud his mind with misjudgment. Mr. Holmes made it clear that he has been "blind as a mole" because off his being-right-all-the-time, but later realized his mistakes and confirm that "it is better to learn wisdom late than never to learn it at all.”. Moreover, if every one is right and all stereotyped, then what is the meaning of life? It's more like everyone look from the same window and see the exact same thing. The fact is it is not even close to that, and if it were, life would be utterly boring. With being wrong, we discover, we try to figure things out and gain knowledge, experiences and new respective during the process. This process of trying and figuring life out is the root of our productivity and creativity which makes ourselves and the world a better place. Therefore, it is clear as day that being wrong, is actually right, and it is useful to every individual to be wrong and to learn from what their mistakes.
2. How could you apply rational thinking and logical deduction to your life?
There is no doubt that applying rational thinking and logical deduction to my life is one of the most challenging things to do, not to mention applying with certain method. As a normal human being, I judge people by their appearance and their action, some times their "little things". Base on what I've observe, I built up an impression storage of the person and little by little get to know him/her. This works most of the time but it does leave me confused by different info which leads to my misjudging people every now and then. Reading about rational thinking and logical deduction encourage me to actually pay attention to my way of thinking, observe others/ the situation with care and logic so as to notice the link of information. Instead on just judging by the way things look, make effort to understand and putting all the puzzles together so as to see the whole picture with out letting preconceptions fog my judgment.
3. Besides the quote in Question 1, what quote in the article do you like the best? Why? “You see, but you do not observe. The distinction is clear.” The quote really stroked me as I saw it. The more I think about it, the more I realize that I seen lots but observed little in my life. I don't usually pay attention to the surrounding environment and rather put up my defense by wearing headphones and looking at my phones. This is not the case of Mr. Holmes. He was always observing, always in touch with his environment. His mindfulness was an art. He uses his senses like a tool to connect the dots and figures things out from that. This makes me realize that our senses, including vision, touch, hearing, smell, taste are the most powerful forces. Every moment, with out being well awarded, affect our minds and play a big part in the way we make decisions. The fact is that, as we don’t pay attention, we fail to realize what it is that is guiding us at any given moment. Understanding the way the senses affects one helps me to acknowledge the power of being mindful, being aware. I know now that I need to learn to observe, not merely to see, with the whole of senses and to connect with the environment around me.
|
|
|
Post by ngothuphuong on Feb 19, 2016 14:03:55 GMT
1. What do you think about the quote on the article by Doctor Gowers:"It is always pleasant to be right, but it is generally a much more useful thing to be wrong" ? It is understandable that people feel pleasant when they are right, since at that time they acknowledge that the knowlege or the way of thinking they have remained is applicable, but on the other hand, they only repeat a correct lesson they have learned before but gain no new things. In contrast, when people find themselves wrong, they will defenitely receive a lesson; Moreover, they may also get aware of the field which they lack kowledge 2. How could you apply rational thinking and logical deduction to your life? In my case, I think rational thinking and logical deduction will assist me a lot in understanding the others’ nature through their actions so that I can assess people more easily and find a suitable way to behave towards each person. As is perceived, people are always complicated, and in the normal situation they rarely bare their heart faithfully. Sometimes the person I trusted most was indeed the one that betrayed me, while the one who seemed to be dull turned out a kind-hearted genius.Therefore, I want to study about psychology together with logical thinking to improve my communication with the others and not to be deceived. 3. Besides the quote in Question 1, what quote in the article do you like the best? Why? Sometimes I am not really flexible at solving unexpected business, therefore, I put myself in the dilemma many times. That is why the moment I read the quote “The method you should adopt is this: Whenever you find yourself in the presence of a case that is not familiar to you in all its detail forget for a time all your types and all your names. Deal with the case as one that has never been seen before, and work it out as a new problem sui generis, to be investigated as such.” , I feel as if the writer is humiliating me with me weakest point, yet at the same time pave a way for me to deal with my problem. As a saying goes: “You cannot give an answer to a mathematic problem by using the way you write a poem”, neither can you solve a new problematic occurence with the same old way of thinking.
|
|
|
Post by Minh Chau on Feb 19, 2016 14:09:05 GMT
1. What do you think about the quote on the article by Doctor Gowers:"It is always pleasant to be right, but it is generally a much more useful thing to be wrong" ?
First and foremost, I would like to say that I absolutely agree with Doctor Gower. To have people recognize or praise that your opinion on something is accurate is a very satisfying feeling. But does being right really benefit us? Many psychologist have proven that always being right can also have negative effects on you because it leads up to disillusionment, disappointment, and feelings of hopelessness and resignation.When another person says that you are wrong about a subject and point out where and why you are wrong then this person’s opinion now become a constructive criticism. Through this kind of criticism, you can further improve your knowledge, your life experience and many other things. Not only that being wrong reminds us that no one is perfect and every now and then we are going to be make mistakes. But we can learn from our mistakes and strive for success. So in my perspective being wrong is not that bad.
2. How could you apply rational thinking and logical deduction to your life?
As far as I know, to apply rational thinking and logical deduction to life need an ample knowledge from scientific subjects to real life experiences and these skills is not something that can be managed in a day or two. Even though I don’t have much practical knowledge to evaluate the situation like Sherlock Holmes, but sometimes, I observe the circumstance’s details to offer an action that reasonable for the situation. For example, instead of wasting time and energy, I try to observe my cat’s behavior and his bowl to see whether he was fed or not.
3. Besides the quote in Question 1, what quote in the article do you like the best? Why?
“When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.” by Sherlock Holmes along with the one in question 1 are definitely my favorite quotes from the article above. The plausibility of Holmes’s quote is beyond the shadow of a doubt. In my opinion, this quote is in regard to logical abduction. When you have to solve a problem, listing all the possibilities then extinguish those imposible, the remains would lead you to the answer. Eliminate the things that could not be possible can also reduce the distraction that keep you from learning the truth. For instance, personal biases or subjective assessment could be those improbable things blindfolded you. For some cases, reality may be hard to accept but, logically, “whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”
|
|
|
Post by minhphuong on Feb 19, 2016 14:11:33 GMT
Dear Phuong Anh, You certainly comprehend the article and our questions fully. About the Doctor Gower's quote in question 1, I could not agree more and that is also one of our messages that we want to convey to all of you. There's actually nothing bad to be wrong, but the thing is that you realize your mistakes and learn from those. And in the second question, I think maybe you are over-estimating these terms. Rational thinking and logical deduction are used everyday by us. They are not really how the detectives think to solve a case, but maybe they are just as simple as receiving knowledge and process, elevate and apply them. Next, your favourite quote is also my favorite as well. and we have to admit that English words are really flexible and variable,right? Thank you for joining. 1. What do you think about the quote on the article by Doctor Gowers:"It is always pleasant to be right, but it is generally a much more useful thing to be wrong" ? I have a really strong agreement towards this saying and I am amazed by how a few words can tell such a big thing. The knowledge in this world is as grandiose and wide as the oceans and the amount of which we have and understand is just like a drop. It feels great when you are right about something but you cannot always be right. One day, you will get it wrong and what is important is that you can learn from your mistakes and what you can earn from the lessons. The more you are corrected, the more you learn. You need to know how to accept the fact that you are wrong. You need to analyze and deduce the conclusion again. You need to enhance the things that you have learned. That is the reason why I believe it is much more useful to be wrong. If you are right every single time, you will only know what you have already known.
2. How could you apply rational thinking and logical deduction to your life? To be honest, I am pretty sure that I do not know how to think rationally and deduce logically. I usually "see but I do not observe". I tend to notice things but I cannot fathom them into particular thoughts or express them the way I want to. Therefore, I need to learn to pay more attention to little details and be more control over my thinking. Rational thinking and logical deduction may help me to be in a clear state of mind and get used to pondering on things carefully and thoroughly.
3. Besides the quote in Question 1, what quote in the article do you like the best? Why? I am in favor of the line Holmes says to Watson “You see, but you do not observe. The distinction is clear.” We cannot think back, rewind or replay our memories like in movies so we tend to be missing out on a lot of things. When we see, we only look at the things the eyes want to look at. Whereas when we observe, we have to pay very close attention to perceive the things our minds tell us. As I mentioned above, this is my problem. I tend to notice but do not pay enough attention. Maybe my friends are in their rough time but I do not observe. Maybe my parents are sick but I do not observe. I hate that we see but little do we observe. I love the quote itself and I love the distinction between the two words "see" and "observe". The quote not only tells us a problem in our thinking but also has the beauty in its wording.
|
|
|
Post by minhphuong on Feb 19, 2016 14:21:43 GMT
Dear Lan, Everything in your post is totally undeniable and thank you for sharing the story of Mathematics with us; I bet that a lot of students are sympathizing with you, including me. Rational thinking and logical deduction surely help us to get smarter and make solutions to a problem quicker because we are aware of its nature. And I really love your favorite quote. We can tell that there's a little bit of bittersweet in this quote when you apply it in some situations, like Ran's situation, but it is completely, totally, one hundred percent true. Thank you for joining with us. Hope that all of us will be able to improve our rational thinking and logical deduction to the max 1. What do you think about the quote on the article by Doctor Gowers:"It is always pleasant to be right, but it is generally a much more useful thing to be wrong" ?
Impressive! That was the very first word appeared in my mind when I looked through this quote. In terms of message, it conveys a very profound and far-reaching lesson – don’t be afraid of making mistake since it enhances your knowledge even more than when you are right. This may not be a very transcendent message but Gowers’s word choice and language makes it very enchanting. People have to ponder on it again and again to have an exhaustive grasp of the message.
2. How could you apply rational thinking and logical deduction to your life?In my opinion, utilizing rational and logical deduction are all advantageous to our study and daily life if they are properly utilized. After going through the article, I find these quite interesting and certainly applicable. First, with rational thinking, I learn that when judging somebody or something, it is vital that one “see” by either their eyes or their brain. Disappointingly, in almost every situation, I tend to be a "man of seeing". With this article, I now make a complete change of my notion: The more you observe, the more you improve yourself. Logical deduction is a skill that’s worth being built up if you wish to make progress in subjects that are involved in natural sciences, to me it is math. To master this tough task, one must have the ability to observe and investigate the questions meticulously, combine the most important info, bring out the most sensible solution and finally reach a reasonable and logical conclusion. However, these two skills are not easy to possess, and not many people know how to apply them properly. Thanks to this precious lesson from Sherlock, I hope that one day (in a far far away future) I will master rational thinking and logical deduction. 3. Besides the quote in Question 1, what quote in the article do you like the best? Why?"When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.” This quote came to my mind right on the spot! In practice, I first run across this inspirational saying in Detective Conan of which I am a big fan. I still remember the case in which this quote appeared quite clearly. Ran’s old teacher was one of the suspects of murder but Ran always asserted that it was impossible for her teacher to be the culprit. In her mind, that woman was very kind hearted and enthusiastic. However, nightmare really happened when Ran found out that her beloved teacher was the murderer. She became extremely upset and shocked. That was the moment when Shinichi told her "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth". Since that time, this quote has always been one of my top favorite guidelines. To me personally, it is the most precise classic quote that teaches us about rational thinking and logical deduction. Somestimes you must use your brain to judge a situation, not by the random feelings or your own. Reality is not always satisfactorily, one has to learn to accept that harshness of life.
|
|
|
Post by minhphuong on Feb 19, 2016 14:33:58 GMT
Dear Nhat Linh, Firstly, thank you very much for quoting us the full sentences in Doctor Gowers's lecture. The following sentences definitely explain the quote we asked, right? Secondly, you spoke out what needed to be spoken. I think that almost all of us sometimes let our preconceptions decide it all and ignore the rational thinking. And finally, you showed us your profound knowledge and reading while citing other author's quote to reinforce your reasoning. That was really impressive. Thank you so much for joining and showing us many memorable quotes, Linh. 1. What do you think about the quote on the article by Doctor Gowers:"It is always pleasant to be right, but it is generally a much more useful thing to be wrong"?
In my opinion, the quote in the article refers to how to react to errors or the risk of errors since it came from a person who was always alert to the possibility of misdiagnosis. Actually, in a lecture on “Mistaken diagnosis”, Doctor Gowers explained: “Gentlemen, it is always a pleasant to be right, but it is always a much more useful thing to be wrong. If you are right, all that you do, as a rule, is to confirm your previous opinion, your previous habits of reasoning and your previous self-esteem. But if you are wrong, you generally gain in knowledge and gain perception of the way in which your method of diagnosis needs improvement, and the influence of self-esteem is not likely to do you harm” (William Richard Gowers 1845-1915: Exploring the Victorian Brain - Ann Scott, Mervyn Eadie, Andrew Lees). Indeed, this quote is true for all aspects of life. When an error occurs, it is advisable that we figure out elements that lead to that error and come up with feasible solutions to them thus to improve ourselves.
2. How could you apply rational thinking and logical deduction to your life?
From my perspective, it is worth employing rational thinking and logical deduction to my life although it is quite challenging. I think it is advisable to have a detailed, unprejudiced observation when asserting anyone. However, I usually let my preconceptions fog my judgement, it is easy for me to come to a conclusion which is based on very little details and biased thoughts. Therefore, I should refrain from it, pay more attention to the “little things” and keep a conscious mind. I hope that one day I can ace rational thinking and logical deduction.
3. Besides the quote in Question 1, what quote in the article do you like the best? Why?
I am fond of the quote by Conan Doyle in “A Case of Identity”: “It has long been an axiom of mine that the little things are infinitely the most important”. It seems to be obvious that one of the considerable differences between success and failure is the importance placed on little things especially attention towards them. Successful people usually pay careful attention to details because they know that "Many little makes a mickle". Indeed, Pastor Jack Hyde wrote in his book Blue Denim and Lace that “a person who is unwilling to do the little will not have the opportunity to do the big. A person who is not challenged by the little will not be presented the challenge to do the big. A person who has not done well the little is not prepared or qualified to do the big. A person who is not diligent in little tasks will not develop the diligence necessary to do the big tasks. Even if the task is not worthy of you, diligence is; and even if what you do is not big, the way you do it can be big. Someone will see how you do it and realize that you are qualified to do something bigger. Then too, in doing the small task diligently one is preparing with the methods necessary to succeed in a big task”.
|
|
|
Post by minhphuong on Feb 19, 2016 14:46:05 GMT
Dear Thanh, First of all I totally agree with you in all three answers, especially to the second question. You certainly made these terms more comprehensible and clearer to some extent. And secondly, what a spirit in learning! Your favorite quote is unquestionably true and it should be applied in all stages of life. Thank you for joining with us and I have to say that I am very much surprised that you did it on time. Bravo 1. Well, actually after reading this citation I was quite confused because I didn't really get its meaning. But after thorough reconsideration, I could somewhat comprehend what it was conveying. It is a kind of lesson that teaches us to appreciate the failure which enhances our strengths and reinforces our knowledge. Likewise, doing something wrong gives us experience, thus, at least it is useful for something, which prevents us from doing something wrong once again, or otherwise can make us do it better than what we have done earlier. Overall, this quote is worth reading as well as applying. 2. I believe rational thinking and logical deduction are beneficial in many aspects of our life. Initially, if applied properly, rational thinking and logical deduction can prevent a person from being too sentimental, or relying too much on the feelings as well as what is apparently seen, this can lead to a more specific series of actions. Rational thinking and logical deduction can be applied in science or in daily life. However, in academic aspect, it is what we have to utilise by all means. But in daily life, it would definitely mire difficult for most of us to attain such rational thinking and logical deduction since we usually react really fast instead of taking thorough consideration into the situation as well as investigating its insights. Also, most people don't actually have the capability of utilising rational thinking and logical deduction; they are not what we can immediately gain but we can obtain them by doing research and reading materials about them. Those methods of thinking are crucial as they can help us improve our brain speed and bring us the best solution to the circumstance occurred. All in all, Mathematics, quarrels, relationships and many other things are the objects to applying rational thinking and logical deduction. 3. I am interested in the quote "I confess that I have been blind as a mole, but it is better to learn wisdom late than never to learn it at all." It reminds me of the renowned saying of Lenin. It is never late to learn. I would rather learn late than never learn it at all. The quote encourages me to thirst for knowledge, and makes me feel more self-confident as sometimes I sense that I'm too old to learn what I should learn earlier.
|
|