Must vs Should

[kcho10]

Hi,
i have a question about LSAT terminology...

I know in some cases 'must' and 'should' are not the same. But is it safe to say that in some cases they can be used interchangeably?

For example,
"We must go to the store" and "We should go to the store"

Are these two the same?

Thank you

[David Boyle]

Hi,
i have a question about LSAT terminology...

I know in some cases 'must' and 'should' are not the same. But is it safe to say that in some cases they can be used interchangeably?

For example,
"We must go to the store" and "We should go to the store"

Are these two the same?

Thank you

Hello kcho10,

One should be wary about using them interchangeably, unless the context somehow forces you to do so. In the example above, there's a big difference between saying you absolutely have to go to the store, and it just being a good idea to do so. (What about, "We should go to the store, but our house is on fire right now"? There, you MUST take care of your house first, and worry about the store later.)
On that note, "must" is often a "necessary" indicator. E.g., "If I'm going to be happy, I must see 'SPECTRE' and "The Peanuts Movie' this weekend." By contrast, "should" tends to be much weaker, and may indicate 1) desire ("I wanna go"), or 2) morality ("It is morally crucial for me to go"), rather than a necessity as with "must".

Hope this helps,
David

[Richardjh]

Difference between must and should is that if compulsorily you have to do something must is used and if there is no problem if you did not do that should can be used. That is must do things should be prioritized to should do things.
Must do is something that can't be avoidable whereas should do is nothing more than a desirable goal.