Emotions seldom drive logical reasoning. Logic does not depend on feelings. It depends on how well one is able to rationalize and reason out the given proposition to justify the conclusion. For instance, in a question on the validity of an argument, such as
All monkeys are elephants
No elephants are animals
∴ No monkeys are animals
The answer will depend on how you rationalize your reasoning.
Using rationalization, through Venn diagrams, you can easily conclude that it is a valid argument.
Reasoning Vs Rationalizing
A reason is a statement that explains, supports or justifies a conclusion. It is linked with the process of thinking. Rationalizing refers to having a reason and analysing that reason to see if the answer derived from that reasoning justifies the given proposition logically.
Logic and rationalizing
Logical thinking requires you to rationalize the choices that you have made. In an exam with multiple options, for instance, if you are not able to logically explain the basis of choosing one option, and more importantly, leaving out other options which may appear equally plausible, then, you are guessing to a large extent. In an exam, such as, MBA, where the stakes are high for the candidate, he/she cannot rely on a ‘guess’. He/she needs to be able to deconstruct the choices and look for the most appropriate answer.
Develop rationale
The focus should not only be on thinking of a reason to defend your choice, but also to analyse that reason. In order to think logically, you need to develop the ability to rationalize. This will help you tackle all kinds of logical reasoning questions that may appear in the exam, series completion, cause and effect questions, theme detection, to name a few.
Rationalization as a process
The ability to rationalize comes gradually. It is based on several factors. Experiences, Opinions, People, Facts and Data, all contribute in enabling rational thinking and consequently, deriving a sound or the most appropriate conclusion. This conclusion, however, may or may not be the ‘correct’ or the ‘right’ one. Within the sphere of the logical question given in the exam, out of several options, the skill to weed out the less plausible answers, and opt for the best answer after due reasoning is what the process of rationalization will enable you to achieve.
Emotion and Rationalizing
You may buy a product due to your liking for its brand ambassador, even though there are better alternatives available in the market. In this case, you are being driven by emotions. You can very well justify and rationalize, even the reason for buying this product because of your trust on the celebrity endorsing it. But, this rationale will be borne out of emotions. Rationalizing in the MBA exam requires calm assessment of the question and the alternatives available. It requires you to look at the reason for dismissing or choosing options very carefully.
Thus, in an MBA entrance exam, the ability to rationalize the reasons for your answer will help make logical choices.
Complete Module on Logical Reasoning
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