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The Death Of Logical Thinking
Posted by BrandonFertig
Black & White Statements Are A Great Marketing Tool, But Not So Great For Your Progress.
Believing is Easy
Absolute statements, black and white statements, blanket statements – they are all synonymous terms used to explain one side of an argument without providing the other. Human psychology says that we accept statements as truth until we are provided with a conflicting argument. This is most evident in young children. A child’s naivety will allow us to convince them of the existence of Santa Clause, until someone poses a logical argument to disprove this.
Even then, it is still easier for us to accept our preconception of the truth than it is to doubt it. We would like to think of ourselves as logical beings who use logical thought processes, but to assume that is the truth would not be logical.
Question Everything
If we truly want to live up to our preconceived notions of our wisdom as a species, we must question everything. The biggest downfall of our human race is the fact that we are far too gullible. If we hear something that pleases us, it automatically becomes a part of us as we accept it as truth. These truths that we build up are what define our character and also our outward perception of the world as we know it.
For example, if we are told that certain foods are ‘bad’, we may begin to completely avoid those foods, meanwhile this is not necessary. Stop and ask, “What makes this food bad?”. When you are presented with all of the evidence which proves the negative effects of that food, then question those specific pieces of ‘evidence’ too! Does this seem over-exaggerated and too in-depth? Don’t worry, it should. It’s just the beginning, keep on reading and you will understand.
The Lies of the Industry
The fitness industry is FULL of scams. Bullshit is sold left and right in the form of training plans, coaches, diet plans, supplements, and everything in between. You must be able to weed out the bad information.
How? Well, it’s definitely tough, even for some of us who study in the field. The first step is to question everything you hear. Do not simply accept everything you are told to be true. Even when you are given a reason, ask WHY that reason supports the ‘truth’. All too often there are misinformed trainers with misinformed claims and misinformed facts to support those claims.
Examples of Misinformation
If your coach asks you to start cutting out carbohydrates from your diet, ask WHY. If your coach tells you to completely cut carbohydrates out of the diet, I would suggest getting a new coach immediately. First of all, he made an absolute, all-or-nothing suggestion. Second of all, he is throwing simple science right out the window.
Carbohydrates are your body’s preferred energy source, and eliminating them will cause many reactions. One of which will be gluconeogenesis, or the conversion of protein into glucose for energy (which is not the proper function of protein). It is never wise to eliminate any nutrient from your diet, especially a MACRONUTRIENT (of which there are only three: carbohydrates, protein, and fat).
Anytime a trainer or coach uses the words “always, never, don’t” and everything in between, be very weary. Those ‘all-or-nothing’ statements are likely to lead you down the wrong path, eventually. If you are told you MUST do ANYTHING, what you really MUST do is ask WHY. Unfortunately, I can go on forever here. But this isn’t a myth-busting article, this is an article with a purpose of encouraging you to THINK.
What’s the Real Point?
If you are going to be successful in any facet of life, you must keep an open mind. You must allow both sides of an argument to be presented in order to come to a logical conclusion. Therefore, the next time someone at your gym tells you never to do a certain exercise, or your trainer tells you to always eat a certain food before a workout, make sure you question their intended result.
If you don’t feel comfortable with questioning someone because you may be shy, then take what they say and thank them, but do some research on your own to make your own decision. It’s very simple to do some basic research in this day and age, and there should be no reason why people are still believing that food is automatically stored as fat after 8pm. Whether it is ill-conceived information or it is a matter of hidden politics, there is a ton of bad information out there.
So before you decide to commit to a certain diet, you commit to a certain training style, or you buy a new car, make sure you understand the reason behind the action that you are taking. Most importantly, an ‘all or nothing’ approach to just about anything is generally a bad idea.
Be on the lookout for an article I write up in the future about the most common fitness myths. Until then, keep your eyes open and stay on your toes, as there are a bunch of people willing to ‘help’ you by giving you terrible advice. In addition, feel free to email me with a question you may have regarding a piece of information you may feel is questionable and I will answer to the best of my ability.
Posted by BrandonFertig
Black & White Statements Are A Great Marketing Tool, But Not So Great For Your Progress.
Believing is Easy
Absolute statements, black and white statements, blanket statements – they are all synonymous terms used to explain one side of an argument without providing the other. Human psychology says that we accept statements as truth until we are provided with a conflicting argument. This is most evident in young children. A child’s naivety will allow us to convince them of the existence of Santa Clause, until someone poses a logical argument to disprove this.
Even then, it is still easier for us to accept our preconception of the truth than it is to doubt it. We would like to think of ourselves as logical beings who use logical thought processes, but to assume that is the truth would not be logical.
Question Everything
If we truly want to live up to our preconceived notions of our wisdom as a species, we must question everything. The biggest downfall of our human race is the fact that we are far too gullible. If we hear something that pleases us, it automatically becomes a part of us as we accept it as truth. These truths that we build up are what define our character and also our outward perception of the world as we know it.
For example, if we are told that certain foods are ‘bad’, we may begin to completely avoid those foods, meanwhile this is not necessary. Stop and ask, “What makes this food bad?”. When you are presented with all of the evidence which proves the negative effects of that food, then question those specific pieces of ‘evidence’ too! Does this seem over-exaggerated and too in-depth? Don’t worry, it should. It’s just the beginning, keep on reading and you will understand.
The Lies of the Industry
The fitness industry is FULL of scams. Bullshit is sold left and right in the form of training plans, coaches, diet plans, supplements, and everything in between. You must be able to weed out the bad information.
How? Well, it’s definitely tough, even for some of us who study in the field. The first step is to question everything you hear. Do not simply accept everything you are told to be true. Even when you are given a reason, ask WHY that reason supports the ‘truth’. All too often there are misinformed trainers with misinformed claims and misinformed facts to support those claims.
Examples of Misinformation
If your coach asks you to start cutting out carbohydrates from your diet, ask WHY. If your coach tells you to completely cut carbohydrates out of the diet, I would suggest getting a new coach immediately. First of all, he made an absolute, all-or-nothing suggestion. Second of all, he is throwing simple science right out the window.
Carbohydrates are your body’s preferred energy source, and eliminating them will cause many reactions. One of which will be gluconeogenesis, or the conversion of protein into glucose for energy (which is not the proper function of protein). It is never wise to eliminate any nutrient from your diet, especially a MACRONUTRIENT (of which there are only three: carbohydrates, protein, and fat).
Anytime a trainer or coach uses the words “always, never, don’t” and everything in between, be very weary. Those ‘all-or-nothing’ statements are likely to lead you down the wrong path, eventually. If you are told you MUST do ANYTHING, what you really MUST do is ask WHY. Unfortunately, I can go on forever here. But this isn’t a myth-busting article, this is an article with a purpose of encouraging you to THINK.
What’s the Real Point?
If you are going to be successful in any facet of life, you must keep an open mind. You must allow both sides of an argument to be presented in order to come to a logical conclusion. Therefore, the next time someone at your gym tells you never to do a certain exercise, or your trainer tells you to always eat a certain food before a workout, make sure you question their intended result.
If you don’t feel comfortable with questioning someone because you may be shy, then take what they say and thank them, but do some research on your own to make your own decision. It’s very simple to do some basic research in this day and age, and there should be no reason why people are still believing that food is automatically stored as fat after 8pm. Whether it is ill-conceived information or it is a matter of hidden politics, there is a ton of bad information out there.
So before you decide to commit to a certain diet, you commit to a certain training style, or you buy a new car, make sure you understand the reason behind the action that you are taking. Most importantly, an ‘all or nothing’ approach to just about anything is generally a bad idea.
Be on the lookout for an article I write up in the future about the most common fitness myths. Until then, keep your eyes open and stay on your toes, as there are a bunch of people willing to ‘help’ you by giving you terrible advice. In addition, feel free to email me with a question you may have regarding a piece of information you may feel is questionable and I will answer to the best of my ability.
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