Reason is futile

Why do some people who seem normal and intelligent turn out to be absent of valid logic, or perhaps possess some out-of-this-world-type logic?

Valid logic says: “If A, then B; and if B, then C; therefore, if A, then C.”

For those without logic, their minds instead say, “Therefore, if A, then Q, and I will not hear otherwise!”

Try as you might, you can patiently explain the first sequence, what it means to have an if-then statement. Their answer will be, “But you’re wrong, because P and X!”

They may pepper these exclamations with a variety of personal insults, perhaps thinking this will break down the person and, therefore, the logic. Interacting with such people is fine and feasible—until, that is, you come to a point of disagreement.

When this happens, as it most surely will, especially if the person is a member of a circle such as family or work, knowledge and acceptance can be tools to keeping your sanity during the disagreement. Knowing ahead of time that the person has no valid sense of logic and accepting this lack as that person’s endearing quality can save you a lot of time and exasperation.

The problem is when you are suddenly forced to interact with an illogical person you don’t know, such as your mother’s new husband, or your new husband’s ex-wife. Given the choice, you would never have opted to have these people in your life, but because someone you love, for whatever reason, chose to make these people a part of his/her life, you are linked to them until your mother’s divorce, or until your stepchildren turn 18.

If you find yourself in this predicament, do not despair. Since you possess an understanding of logic, after a few frustrating instances of trying to reason with a “Brick Wall,” you will see that it is of no use. You will learn to expect alien thinking; perhaps it can even be a source of amusement to guess what exactly the “Brick Wall’s” sorry excuse for reasoning will be.

Maybe it will spur you into a study of psychosis and mental deficiencies. Maybe you can see it as cheap entertainment. If there is another way, perhaps an alien code that I haven’t learned to translate, please, someone, teach it to me!