#13 - Editorialist: Some people argue that ramps and other

[voodoochild]

Many Thanks Steve. It's clear now. However, I have noticed that I get grooved into Conditional logic every time I see markers such as when, once, if, only etc. Can you please give me some tips on how I can prevent from "conditionalizing" the statements? Any book(s)?

Any thoughts from your experience would be really helpful...

Thanks
Voodoo

[Dave Killoran]

Hi Voodoo,

Let me jump in here with a comment or two. I'm really glad you picked up on this issue, because I know that both Steve and I have mentioned that you have to think about what you are reading, not just react to conditional indicators.

Is there a book to stop this? No, nothing like that exists But you don't need one--you already have the power to stop doing this. Basically, what is happening is that you've picked up a new concept, and it is one that works so well at times that it is incredibly tempting to start viewing the entire world through this lens (we see this same effect with Identifying the Templates/Possibilities in Logic Games). That obviously leads to problems because, as we have seen in other posts, the English language is rather imprecise at times, and confusing.

You have to remember what all these indicators are: they are just tools. Right now you are over-relying on one tool. Remember, though, that underneath all of the tools that the main thing you are striving for is understanding. You have to go back to thinking about what is actually being said, and the implications of those statements, and not think of every indicator as the single most important thing in the stimulus. That will take some time, but the more examples you see of questions where conditionality played a minor or nonexistent role in the question, the more it will help you realize that you simply have to readjust your mental outlook. You already know the problem, and that's most of the battle. From here on out, really focus on the relationship of the premises to the conclusion, argument integrity, etc. That will help you think more about meaning, and less about the many indicators you will see. You will still see questions where the indicators play a prominent role, but over time you will arrive at the ability to discern when it will be important and when it won't.

Thanks and good luck!