Saddling Up
Getting back to writing; the limitations of logic
Happy new year everyone!
I fell off the posting bandwagon for a while, not for lack of content but because I entered one of those seasons where life just comes at you thick and fast. There were days when all I could manage was a few minutes to come up for air and then dive right back in. While I no longer wear burning the candle on both ends as a badge of honor, I have made my peace with the fact that different seasons demand different tactics.
It’s the start of a new year and I’m trying to get back to some measure of consistency. During the intermission, I realized that I missed writing a lot. The blank slate to process, to unravel complicated thoughts…the opportunity for catharsis, these were some of the things I had to trade off during my “dry spell”. Anyway, it feels good to be back. I hope the reflections I share here are half as useful to you as they are to me.
Logic is useless when your audience is emotional.
Emotions still register somewhat even when your audience is logical.
This means that there is hardly ever a scenario where cold, hard reason is all you need — except you’re Vulcan.
So, yes, we do need better premises, facts and conclusions, but in today’s world with all of the polarization and the deluge of information, you also need to understand what makes your audience tick and address that.
If you have something worth selling, a case worth making, then it is a vital skill to possess.
