The Role of Logic

Logic, often associated with reason and rationality, involves the use of evidence, critical thinking, and rational analysis to make sense of the world. In psychology, logical thinking is essential for problem-solving, decision-making, and cognitive processing. It enables individuals to evaluate information, weigh options, and draw conclusions based on empirical evidence and sound reasoning. We need language to sort through the complexities. Our words and deeper meanings organize data to achieve great feats.

Tim Harford wrote: “Rational people think—not always consciously—about the future as well as the present as they try to anticipate likely consequences of their actions in an uncertain world” (Harford, 2008). However, logic works best in certainty. When the data provides indisputable evidence, logic can mathematically analyze, coming to the exact right conclusion.

Of course, life is usually not so predictable. We operate in various realms of uncertainty.

Leonard Mlodinow, an American theoretical physicist, and mathematician wrote:

“The mechanisms by which people analyze situations involving chance are an intricate product of evolutionary factors, brain structure, personal experience, knowledge, and emotion. In fact, the human response to uncertainty is so complex that sometimes different structures within the brain come to different conclusions and apparently fight it out to determine which one will dominate” (Mlodinow, 2008).

The Influence of Emotion

Emotions, on the other hand, are the product of complex biological and cognitive processes that give rise to feelings such as joy, fear, anger, and sadness. Emotions play a significant role in shaping our perceptions, motivations, and social interactions. They can influence our decision-making processes, memory formation, and overall psychological well-being.

Daniel Siegel suggests that emotion plays a primary role in relationships.

Siegel wrote:

“Personal relationships may become strained as communication becomes dominated by context-independent details and logical, linguistically based talk, rather than also including emotional messages between two relatives or friends” (Siegel, 2020).

Emotions play a primary role in decision making. Because so many decisions must be made in uncertainty, we rely on underlying emotions to sway us one way or the other. However, as Antonio Damasio warns that some emotions are “terrible advisors” and we should consider how we can “either suppress them or reduce the consequences of their advice” (Damasio, 2003). Accordingly, we shouldn’t blindly follow logic or emotion.

The Vulnerability of Emotion

The ambiguousness of emotions creates vulnerability. When awash in emotion, we feel fragile, at the mercy of an unexplainable power. The answer, for some, is to seek immunity, blocking feelings to create a measure of security; but the security comes at a great cost. In vulnerability, we find strength.

​The emotions are building blocks of connection—connection with self, others and experience. When we inhibit felt experience, denying emotional interaction with the world, we become rigid. The rigidity of action is born from emotional disconnection. The unfelt life cripples experience, diminishing immeasurable values, relationships are superficial, and connection to the unknown destroyed.

Emotionally driven lives also have notable flaws. Too much sensitivity creates chaos. Emotional flooding derails long-term goals—we say hurtful things, we damage important relationships, and chase unattainable dreams. The emotionally driven soul, full of unbridled passions, rushes into unknown thickets, risking security while chasing imaginary prey.

See Emotional Detachment and Emotional Flooding for more information on these topics

The Interplay

The interplay between logic and emotion is multifaceted. While logic provides a framework for reasoning and analysis, emotions can color our perceptions and influence the significance we attribute to different information. Emotional responses can impact our cognitive processes, leading to biases, motivated reasoning, and subjective judgment.

We create narratives as a tool for integration of logic and emotion.

Siegel wrote:

“The narrative process in this way attempts to make sense of the world and of one’s own mind and its various states” (Siegel, 2020).

We can easily manipulate narrative to incorporate beliefs and biases. Some narratives are helpful in our integration of emotions and logic, while other narratives enable gross irrationality to continue.

Daniel Kahneman, a psychologist and economist, explains:

“When people believe a conclusion is true, they are also very likely to believe arguments that appear to support it, even when these arguments are unsound” (Kahneman, 2013).

See Integrating Emotion and Thinking Errors for more on this topic

Emotional Influences on Decision-Making

Research in psychology has demonstrated that emotions can exert a powerful influence on decision-making. Emotions can shape our preferences, alter risk perceptions, and impact our willingness to take action. For instance, a decision that may seem logical from a purely rational standpoint may be influenced or even overridden by the presence of strong emotional responses.

Emotional Intelligence

On the other hand, individuals with high emotional intelligence can effectively integrate logic and emotion. Emotional intelligence involves the ability to recognize, understand, and manage one’s own emotions, as well as to perceive and influence the emotions of others. This skill enables individuals to make decisions that are informed by both logic and an awareness of emotional factors.

Emotional intelligence is basically the skill to integrate the benefits of both logic and emotion. A flourishing life integrates the awe of emotions with the rationality of thought. Neither emotions nor logic is better than the other. We need both and must blend them for optimal experience. Each (emotion and logic) offering different qualities to experience. We can’t blindly default to one or the other; but purposely should shift focus back and forth, examining the role of each. In dialectic therapy, they refer to this integration of logic and emotion as acting from the wise mind.

See Emotional Intelligence and Wise Mind for more on this topic

Confabulation

A common approach to logic and emotions, in a less adaptive way, is to react emotionally then to logically justify the unruly behavior, never scrutinizing the emotionally driven actions for constructiveness. We often react to extreme emotion in irrational ways. Yet, our logical minds work to make the illogical behaviors logical. In psychology, we refer to this post fact creating of a fictional narrative as confabulation.

Confabulation is a psychological phenomenon where a person creates false or distorted memories without the intention to deceive. These fabricated memories can seem very real to the individual experiencing them, and they may fill in gaps in their memory with fictional details.

See Confabulation for more on this topic

Defense Mechanisms

Ego-protecting defenses (often a function of language) interfere with healthy futures. We explain away foolishness to protect our delicate image. Intelligence doesn’t prevent destructive action. Often intelligence creatively articulates complex justifications, difficult for others (and the self) to discredit. No matter how well articulated, some behaviors destroy futures, weaken relationships, and leave us lonely and sad.

Dr. Lawrence Heller suggests that early trauma may lead to one of two seemingly different coping styles. He explains that to manage “the pain of early trauma, some individuals disconnect from their bodies and live in their minds. They value thinking and logic over feelings and emotions.” In contrast, others manage their disconnection by “spiritualizing their experience.” These individuals tend “to live in the energetic field, in more ethereal realms” (Heller, 2012).

Failed integration of logic and emotion suggests early trauma. However, integration is linear. We can integrate at more or less adaptive ways. Defense mechanisms perform a comforting reconciling of conflicting logic and emotions. Some defense serve adaptive function while others blind the individual and inhibit growth.

See Defense Mechanisms for more information on this topic

Associated Concepts

• Cognitive-Experiential Self-Theory (CEST): This is a dual-process theory of cognition that proposes humans operate with two interacting information-processing systems: a rational system (conscious, analytical, and logical) and an experiential system (unconscious, intuitive, and emotional).
• Appraisal Theory of Emotion: This theory suggests that our emotional experiences are shaped by the way we interpret not only different situations or stimuli but also the feeling affects triggered by those situations and stimuli.
• Feature Integration Theory: This theory posits that we first recognize features and then, through attention, integrate them into the whole.
• Somatic Intelligence: This refers to a person’s ability to understand and utilize information from their own body and physical sensations. It involves being aware of bodily sensations, interpreting them, and appropriately responding to them.
• Two-Factor Theory of Emotion: This theory, proposed by Schachter and Singer, states emotions result from physiological arousal and cognitive interpretation. Physiological arousal alone is not emotion. Cognitive labeling is key.
• Cognitive Heuristics: These are mental shortcuts or rules of thumb that the human mind uses to simplify complex decision-making processes. These heuristics allow individuals to make quick judgments and decisions based on limited information and cognitive resources. Cognitive heuristics can be helpful. However, they can also lead to biases and errors in judgment.
• Affective Realism: This concept suggests that our emotions deeply influence our perceptions, shaping our judgments and altering the content of our perception. This psychological phenomenon is closely linked to various cognitive processes and can lead to biases in our thinking and decision-making, impacting our interactions and understanding of reality.

A Few Words by Psychology Fanatic

In psychology, the interplay between logic and emotion underscores the complexity of human cognition and behavior. By recognizing the intricate relationship between these two facets, psychologists can gain deeper insights into decision-making processes, cognitive biases, and emotional regulation. Understanding this interplay has implications for various fields, including therapy, education, and organizational behavior.

Smooth integration of experience is an art that few master. But even with slight improvements, we derive great benefits. We must awkwardly stumble through new experiences while consciously working to integrate, alternating attention, examining emotions, checking logical explanations, and then re-examining the whole again.

As we become more practiced, we notice less rigidity—or chaos. We can stand tall to the defining moments where important decisions are made; not destroyed by a reactionary huff, but carefully guided by logic and emotion to a mindfully felt and organized approach. In balancing our logical and emotional lives, we find joy in the moment, and guiding wisdom for the future.

The dynamic interplay between logic and emotion continues to be a rich area of research, offering valuable perspectives on the multifaceted nature of human psychology.