Have you ever doubted a decision because you heard a thought-provoking whisper? Or are you worried that you won't make the wrong decision? Maybe it's because your intuition or heart is talking. Everyone is equipped with the same abilities, namely the ability to understand things in a certain way, for example by considering past experiences, desires and needs that arise from the subconscious, or current living conditions. While it can be useful input, intuition cannot replace the normal decision-making process. Mind and heart, logic and intuition, these two will work well together if you put a little effort and practice into it.
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Part 1 of 3: Evaluating the Mind
Step 1. Begin by understanding the meaning of the mind
People tend to think of logical thinking as a good thing. Logical thinking is a function or process that directs our actions based on logic without involving emotions or subjective judgments. Thoughts help us to acquire good and beneficial things. For this reason, many philosophers have argued that the mind is better than intuition.
- What is meant by mind? This question has a deep philosophical meaning, it's not just about the brain. The mind has a broader meaning than the brain and one of them is the dwelling place of consciousness, namely the "I" that is you.
- The mind is responsible for wise thinking by involving feelings, thought patterns, judgments, and memories. The mind also enables you to weigh good and bad as a basis for making logical decisions.
Step 2. Know what logical thinking means
Logical thinking is the ability to consider various variables and access, process, and analyze information to make the right conclusions. In everyday life, you have to think logically when preparing a financial budget, considering the positives and negatives before changing jobs, or debating political issues with friends.
Logical thinking is a very human thing. In fact, it is this ability that distinguishes humans from animals so that we are able to use tools, build cities, develop technology, and sustain the survival of our species. So, logical thinking is a valuable skill that is very useful
Step 3. Learn the positive and negative aspects of the mind
As we know, logical thinking is an important reason that we are still here today. However, more is not always better. Star Trek fans know that Mr. Spock or Data are superlogical beings, but neither of them are real humans because they have no emotions. We are not machines.
- In some ways, logical thinking is very useful so that we can overcome the negative emotions that tend to control us when making decisions. For example, if our decisions are driven solely by emotions, would people want to leave their homes to study abroad? Maybe many do not want to because the emotional bond and the sense of losing the closest person will be very strong, even though their logical mind says that studying outside the city will bring them good.
- Logical thinking enables you to go further. We tend to feel helpless if we make decisions using only logic. All choices, big and small, involve so many variables that we can't decide without considering feelings. For example, what should you choose as a breakfast menu? What is the healthiest menu, the cheapest price, or the fastest serving? You will have a hard time deciding without involving feelings.
Part 2 of 3: Evaluating Feelings
Step 1. Learn how to distinguish between feelings and logical thoughts
People often talk about "feelings" or "hearts" that are hard to define. The term can be interpreted as an understanding that is formed after considering various things outside of normal logical thinking. Feelings are formed from several aspects, for example things that happened in the past (experiences), personal needs (wants), and current conditions (people around, choices, etc.). different if you decide to use only logic.
- Recognize the difference between things that come from the heart, for example thoughts that just come out of nowhere. Logic relies heavily on analysis thought out step by step. For example: "If I don't do X, there will be Y. So I have to do X." Our hearts work in different patterns.
- What is meant by “feeling”? Sometimes, intuition appears in the form of feelings that are vague and difficult to explain because we ourselves do not understand what we are feeling. For example, you are still hesitant to change jobs without knowing exactly what the real reason is. What's more, it's a very promising job, but you're still bothered by the feeling that something is wrong. This is called intuition.
Step 2. Listen to your heart
Your inner voice carries a message for you, even if it can be difficult to understand at times. Start learning to listen to your inner voice by temporarily ignoring your logical thoughts and focusing on your inner voice in the following ways:
- Journal writing. Writing what you think is one way to open the subconscious mind. Write down every thought that comes up spontaneously. Start by writing, “I feel…” or “My heart tells me that…” according to an emotional response, not a logical one.
- Ignore your self-critical inner voice. Beware of the habit of logical thinking because you need to make an effort to listen to your inner voice. In addition, we tend to think about feelings using logic. Give yourself a chance to keep writing or thinking. Don't let your inner voice that says, "ridiculous story" put you off.
- Find a quiet place. The best way to open your heart is to contemplate, for example by meditating or taking a walk alone in a park or a quiet environment. Find the most appropriate place where you can express your thoughts and emotions freely.
Step 3. Don't rely too much on your conscience
Although it can provide insight, intuition is not necessarily better than logical thinking. Intuition is also not the best reason to make a decision. Listen to your inner voice, but don't believe it because it can be wrong.
- For example, as a judge, you must try a defendant who is defending himself very persuasively and try to convince you that he is innocent. However, all physical evidence indicates that he was the perpetrator of the crime. Will you follow logical thinking or intuition? In this case, your intuition may be wrong.
- Also think about the possible consequences if you rely solely on your feelings. Are you willing to risk your life based solely on your conscience? Financial advisors recommend that you invest by buying safe securities, but you are very confident in the rising performance of ABC company. It's better to follow the logical advice of an expert than to trust your own gut.
Part 3 of 3: Uniting Mind and Heart
Step 1. Determine the value of your beliefs
The mind and heart should not run separately. So you need to find a way for the two to work together. Start by determining your core values. Our hearts store unknown beliefs when we think logically. The union of mind and heart starts from here. Know the values of your beliefs that will later direct the logical thinking process.
- Review the value of your beliefs if you've never done this before. How were you raised from childhood? Ask yourself, what value beliefs do your parents stress about wealth, education, status, appearance? Have you ever received an award for achieving high performance in school?
- How is your life right now? Try to see how your values and beliefs shape your life. Do you live in the city, in the suburbs, or in the village? Why do you live here? What do you do? A teacher and a banker will value money in different ways. On the other hand, a banker may value education in a different way than a teacher.
- What do you spend money on? The answer to this question can pinpoint the value of the beliefs that have been driving your behavior. Did you use money to buy a car? Finance the trip? Buying clothes? Or, to fund artistic and charitable activities?
Step 2. Think about your decision in terms of belief values
The purpose of associating mindsets with values is not to ignore logical thoughts, but to take advantage of them. Since the value of belief is ingrained in your heart, you must know it well and involve it in logical thinking. What kind of person deserves to be your life partner? Where do you want to work? You must weigh these things logically, but these considerations must be in harmony with the values you most believe in.
- Gather as much information as possible that relates to your decision. What good will you get from the decisions you will make? Did it have consequences that you will later regret? In the decision-making process, logic and heart sometimes conflict. This could be a hint that you should find out all the possibilities that will happen in as much detail as possible and do an evaluation.
- Identify the problem by thinking about the possible bad consequences. For example, you want to get married and have children, but your boyfriend says he doesn't want to start a family. Even if your logical mind tells you that you love him, listen to your heart and realize that you both have incompatible beliefs when it comes to family life.
- Explore several options considering what is best for you. Sometimes, the first intuition is the right answer. However, you also have to strike a balance between your heart and your logical mind in order to make the most appropriate decisions.
Step 3. Consider the value of your beliefs before deciding
One way to make the right decision is to associate each option with a belief value and see if they are compatible. Make a list of priority values and rank them from the most important to the least important.
Continuing the above example of making the decision to get married, if having a family is an important issue for you, marrying someone who doesn't want to have children can be a big problem, even if you love them. However, if you're more concerned with bonding with your partner than wanting to have children, you might still want to consider planning to marry him
Step 4. Make decisions based on logical thinking on the intuition that arises when considering the value of your beliefs
Thinking logically about the heart may seem strange. Remember that mind and heart should not contradict each other. You just have to listen to your heart and find out what it's based on. Think carefully and let the value of beliefs play an important role in your decision, but still think logically. Make decisions that align with your values and prioritize what you think is most important.
