Posted 15 September 2010 by
Chris Farmer
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Advanced management training: The three laws of logic
There are three laws of logic.
If you want to think logically, you should know all three.
Here they are, as a list:
- The law of identity.
- The law of excluded middle.
- The law of non-contradiction.
Let us look at each one and what it means in practice:
The law of identity
The law of identity means:
Things are what they are.
Which does not at first, seem very illuminating!
But wait!
It also implies the following:
It implies:
Things are what they are, whether you like them or not.
Things are what they are whether you know them, or not.
Things are what they are, whether you agree with them or not.
Things are what they are whether you like them or not.
If you don't like the facts as they are, put up with it!
Facts are what they are. Stop complaining.
If it is raining on your golf day: Get used to it. Stop complaining.
Facts are what they are:
And often they are NOT what you want them to be.
If the traffic lights turn red when you approach: Stop complaining.
The law of identity implies you must adapt yourself to the facts, and start working from there.
The law of identity implies the facts don't bend to meet you.
You must first adapt yourself to what is, then get to work changing and improving things.
Be brave: meet reality as it really is, not as you wish it would be.
2. The law of excluded middle
The law of excluded middle means that you should give a straight yes or no answer:
There is no middle ground.
The law of excluded middle means that there is no KINDA YES or KINDA NO.
No "sort of" being married. You either are married or you are not.
You are either pregnant or you are not. You are either a thief or you are not.
You are on time or you are not. You are living in Australia or you're not.
The law of excluded middle is the idea that you should not try to hedge your bets by trying to keep your options indefinitely open, by agreeing with both sides of an argument, sitting on every fence and trying to steer a course down the middle of every road.
The excluded middle implies:
Pick one and commit to it.
Pick one wife and stake your claim 100 % to her.
Pick one idea and go at it 100%.
Decide and commit!
There is great power in the doctrine of "decide and commit".
No half way measures.
No middle ground.
Exclude the middle.
3. The Law of non-contradiction
The laws of non-contradiction says:
Don't contradict yourself.
If you say you will be there; be there!
if you say you will do it; do it!
- Don't say one thing and do the opposite.
- Don't say one thing and then later deny you said it.
- Don't say one thing then later contradict it.
Be consistent in your thoughts and actions.
Someone who is a capitalist in the morning and a socialist in the evening is, inconsistent and confused.
Apply the three laws of logic to others:
Ask for and expect the same constancy from others you work with:
Ask for others to deal with the facts, not fantasies- the law of identity.
Ask others to make up their mind: decide and commit- the law of excluded middle.
Ask others to follow through on the things they said they would do- the law of non-contradiction.
The three laws of logic: Brilliant
Visit the Corporate Coach Group website for more information about our advanced leadership and management training courses