Thursday, March 26, 2015

5 Logical Fallacies

-Argumentum ad logicam (argument to logic). This is the fallacy of assuming that something is false simply because a proof or argument that someone has offered for it is invalid; this reasoning is fallacious because there may be another proof or argument that successfully supports the proposition.
I imagine this scenario often being used in the court cases against unproved alibies.
-Argumentum ad misericordiam (argument or appeal to pity).
American's often use it to say things along the lines of "Think of all the poor, starving Ethiopian children! How could we be so cruel as not to help them"
-Naturalistic fallacy. This is the fallacy of trying to derive conclusions about what is right or good (that is, about values) from statements of fact alone. This is invalid because no matter how many statements of fact you assemble, any logical inference from them will be another statement of fact, not a statement of value. If you wish to reach conclusions about values, then you must include amongst your assumptions (or axioms, or premises) a statement of value. Once you have an axiomatic statement of value, then you may use it in conjunction with statements of fact to reach value-laden conclusions.
-Dicto simpliciter (spoken simply, i.e., sweeping generalization). This is the fallacy of making a sweeping statement and expecting it to be true of every specific case
This logical fallacy is often used when talking about women being inferior to men.
-Argumentum ad antiquitatem (the argument to antiquity or tradition). This is the familiar argument that some policy, behavior, or practice is right or acceptable because "it's always been done that way."
I think this is probably the most common and most widely used logical fallacy in which everyone can relate to. It can directly relate to every possible social norm worldwide.

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

What Jiro Means To Me



“Studying hard doesn’t guarantee you will become a respectable person. Even if you’re a bad kid, there are people like me who change…Always doing what you are told does not mean you’ll succeed in life.”-Jiro. Jiro is a very successful sushi master and owner of the only Michelin star rated sushi restaurant in the world located in Tokyo, Japan. Jiro left the house at just 9 years old and learned to fend for himself and at a very young age as he pursued his career in mastering the art of sushi as a life-long goal. He has also been awarded from the country of Japan for working at such an old age.

Jiro's story is very inspiring to anyone who watches Jiro Dreams of Sushi because of his raw talent and and expertise of sushi. He's in love with what he doesn't and he never wants to miss a day of work. A shrimp dealer in the documentary states “These days the first thing people want is an easy job. Then, they want lots of free time. And then, they want lots of money. But they aren’t thinking of building their skills. When you work at a place like Jiro’s, you are committing to a trade for life.” Everyone in collaboration with Jiro are the best of the very best in their field of work, whether they specialize in shrimp, rice, or cutting. They all know exactly what they are doing because they have spent their lives perfecting themselves in their careers and bettering their skills. Jiro restaurant is the best Japanese restaurant in the world because he does not settle for anything less than perfection.

The most motivating part about Jiro's story was the fact that he started from the bottom of society, no family to support him, no stable income, nobody to push him into being someone great. Despite his difficulties in life, he strived to learn his trade and expand his abilities in the art. It's not where you come from, it's where you go from there. The most important thing Jiro stresses is to be focused and disciplined on anything you want to devote your life into doing. Once you being that learning process you are then signed up for life in that field. It's extremely motivating to hear that piece of advice from such a successful, skilled, and focused person.