Emotional Logic
Cheng distinguishes the reality of a feeling from the truth of a claim it suggests. Emotions can generate ideas, reveal what matters to us, and help persuade, while logical analysis tests the resulting arguments.
THE IDEA
WHEN LOGIC NEEDS HELP
EMOTIONS DO NOT LIE. They are never false. If you feel something you are definitely feeling it. If someone tells you that you are not justified in feeling it, that doesn’t help. Nor does it help if they tell you that they feel completely differently. There is still always a reason you are feeling it, and in this sense there is always some sort of logic to emotions. Instead of denying or suppressing emotions we should understand and explain them. I will go one step further and say we should even use them: it is important to remember that emotions can, and probably should, play a role even when we’re being logical. We use them when doing rigorous mathematics, and so we should use them when making logical arguments in life as well. Our access to emotions is an important difference between us and computers. Emotions can help us in all of our logical endeavours, and I would even go as far as to say they are crucial.
First of all, emotions can help us work out what we really believe in, just like they help us guess what is logically correct in mathematics before we start trying to prove it. Then when we do start trying to justify things, emotions help us to arrive at logical justifications, if we closely analyse where our gut feelings are coming from.
Persuading other people also involves emotions. Those emotions should reinforce the logic rather than supersede it.
Sometimes people try to argue that we should only use logic and scientific evidence to reach conclusions. However, if we then meet someone who isn’t convinced by logic and evidence, how are we going to persuade them to be convinced by it? We can’t use logic and evidence because that doesn’t convince them. We are going to have to use emotions.
In a way this means that emotions are much more powerful than logic, and are much more convincing than any other possible method of justification. If you feel something, there is absolutely no way to contradict it. This power should be harnessed in a good way, to back up logic rather than contradict it.
When to use it
When you need to decide quickly and your gut feeling suggests a direction, examine that feeling logically to see if it holds up.
In a debate or negotiation, use emotional appeals to build rapport and then present logical evidence to solidify your point.
When teaching a complex concept, start with an engaging story or emotional example to motivate learners before diving into logical details.
To overcome decision paralysis, check how you feel about each option and use that as a starting point for analysis.
FROM THEORY TO EVERYDAY LIFE
In practice
Using gut feeling in mathematics
When solving a complex math problem, a mathematician may first have an intuitive guess that a certain theorem is true. This emotional 'feeling' guides the logical proof, helping to focus on the right path before rigorous verification.
Persuading a skeptical audience
A climate scientist trying to convince an audience that doubts scientific evidence might share a personal story about witnessing the effects of climate change, using emotion to open the door for logical arguments about the data.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
Put it to work.
Think of a time when you felt strongly about an idea before you could logically justify it. How did that feeling guide your reasoning?
How can you harness emotions to persuade someone who is not moved by logic alone, without manipulating them?
In what situations might relying on emotion undermine logic rather than support it?
Often confused with
CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION
Source texts
- The Art of Logic How to Make Sense in a World that Doesn’t (Eugenia Cheng)