Darkness and light.
Something and nothing.
Heat and Cold.
Happiness and sadness.
Love and Hate.
Which of the above are actually existing things and which are conceptual constructs?
Hint: This is a trick question. But, go ahead and answer anyway. Then we shall continue.
(tick tock tick tock tick tock tick tock tick tick tock tock tick tick tick tock tock tock etc.)
Ding!
Okay. If you understand rational thinking you were able to distinguish the elements of basic procedure in identifying concepts.
We label things. We can find those "things" (existing or imaginary) by use of labels.
But, distinguishing things and labeling correctly is the result of clear thinking. How does this occur?
1.For anything to exist it must be something. To be something requires identity.
Giving things identity means separating one element from another. We separate clouds from sky, black letters on a page from the white background, men from women, trees from animals, etc.
This is the act of differentiating. (We take a bite and chew it, taste it, identify what it is.)
When we label something we are identifying that thing through the method of distinguishing it from everything else.
The cloud is somehow different from the rest of the sky.
We label the something which is different from everything else by identifying WHAT EXACTLY is the most essential attribute. This essential attribute becomes the difference (differentia) or identity.
What makes the cloud DIFFERENT from the background sky?
Is it just the color (white, grey)?. Is it just the shape (fluffy and round, narrow and jagged, etc)??
By asking this question we are adding data to the definition and discovering the identity of CLOUD-ness. (Excuse the awkward word.)
(An example of a mistake here would be saying what makes you different from all other people on the Earth is just your name. (i.e. the label) rather than your individual mind.)
Our first attempt at defining cloud-ness might give us this:
Clouds are fluffy objects in the sky.
However, a flying formation ducks would pretty much fit that description as well! (Ducks are clouds). ?!?
(What is the difference between a cloud and fog? The distance above ground!)
So, you see, we need narrower definitions more specific and precise to pinpoint our identification.
Clouds are water vapor formed by evaporation which float some distance above the earth.
This definition fine-tuning would automatically eliminate a formation of ducks from being identified as clouds!
This is CONCEPT formation and the definitions give identity. (Genus/differentia)
How rational we are is a function of how accurate we are in identifying the contents of our mind with corresponding reality outside of our head. (Confusing our imaginary constructs with real ones leads to delusion, superstition and mere belief based on faith.)
Thinking is the process of identifying, separating important elements and labeling these "bites" with as much precise data (description/definition) as possible.
If you are delusional you cannot distinguish between actual things (reality) and mere abstractions (qualities rather than objects.)
Here is a test:
Is love a really existing thing? More exactly, is love real in the way a cloud is real? If you have trouble answering this your rational thinking is being impaired by failure to distinguish a concept from a defintion.
Concepts are labels. Definitions allow us to know how real or abstract the concept really is!
A Cloud is water vapor and water is made of Hydrogen and Oxygen which are actually existing elements which form the basic building blocks of our world.
Love is a powerful emotion involuntarily experienced as a result of corresponding values perceived (in the object of that emotion). The more value we place in an object; the greater our involuntary reaction to the object. So, love is not an actual object. Love is the result of other signals connected with valuation. (Sex, companionship, beauty, friendship, etc.)
Failure to really understand the differences is the failure to THINK ACCURATELY and use your mind in making choices, decisions, judgements.
Go back to the top of this box and answer the question again and see if your answers have changed. Then ask "in what way" your answer has changed.
For example: SOMETHING and NOTHING. Something is a category of actually existing thing. Something does not have "existence" as a thing, but, is a label for things which do have existence. Hold out your hand with "something" in it and you'll either have an identifiable thing or you'll see an empty hand.
Nothing is a category and not an existing thing. Nothing is a place holder. Nothing allows us a space in which to place an actually existing thing or quantity. (Note: historically, it was not until the invention of the "empty" category called ZERO that mathematics became truly useful.)
Heat is movement of the smallest particles of our elements (atoms). The more motion; the more the activity becomes energetic (heated). The absence of movement of these tiny particles is identified through the negative connotation: cold. You can postulate cold from heat, but; you cannot postulate the existence of heat from cold. Why? Can you answer that?
Happiness and sadness are labels we put on the experience of involuntary emotions which stem from values attached to situation, objects and things. Once again, it is the valuation which triggers the reaction. Happiness and sadness per se are not actually existants. They are labels.
One of the most lethal ways of disabling a rational mind is to confuse that mind as to IDENTITY. Lies remove reality. Ignorance is the absence of true information. Inattention allows default values to be placed inside our subconscious (lies, rumors, innuendo, myths, folklore, old wive's tales, mere opinion, superstition, cultural norms parading as fact, etc.)
It takes a conscious decision to focus our attention on what goes into our mind in the labeling process for us to be aware of reality. The default position is fake reality.
Accepting the truth of the labeling in our mind without proof is the signal we are being hacked.
Have you ever said, "I can't explain "why" I believe it, but, I just do"? You have been hacked (like a virus on your hardrive.)
Sanity is rational thinking. Rational thinking is correctly identifying the definitions which correspond to our concepts. Concepts are created by one of two ways: conscious selection and differentiation of one thing from another....or by default: mere acceptance of what we hear or are told without skeptical analysis.
Our values are calibrated from one of those two sources.
Basic thinking can be irrational and out of our control or consciously selected labeling accurately chosen by correspondence with fact.
Which we choose is up to us.
Now, go back and take that test again and compare your first answers with your current mindset.