Staying in touch with what is

Often we decide what we think about an idea or claim based on how it makes us feel. And we can mistake our feelings for knowledge about how the world around us works.

Watch how you react to other people's opinions. Maybe someone will say something at work about a current event or policy, and you might feel that you like it or don't like it reflexively.

And just based on this feeling, you'll be tempted to agree or disagree with their statement—the mind even comes up with reason after reason to back up this judgment. This could be making you less happy and less able to think straight, but this is not real reasoning.

It's not about whether we like or dislike how the facts in front of us come together or the conclusions of some arguments. Real reasoning keeps us in touch with what is, no matter how we feel about it.