Once I discovered my cool new hobby about a year and a half ago, I started to realize that observation and deduction were present in a lot of things I had done before, and maybe that's why I found it so interesting. Here are some places you may have seen these topics before.
1. Logic word puzzles. No real observation, but a lot of deduction. An easy sample:
Bob, Rosa, and Kim have three cats between them. One cat is black, one is gray, and one is orange. Neither Bob nor Kim has the orange cat, Kim does not have the gray cat, and Rosa does not have the black cat.
2. Venn diagram puzzles. Also a logic puzzle, only sometimes with pictures, so perhaps somewhat observational. I can't really show an example, but there are plenty on the Internet, which you can probably access if you are reading this blog.
3. Mathematical proofs. These are either the best or the worst part of Geometry classes, depending on whom you ask. These are definitely an example of true deductive reasoning; taking a pre-established idea and proving it. (Many of the deductions I write about are actually inductions, but I use the term deduction because it is more common. Also, induction is a type of stove.)
4. I Spy books, Hidden Pictures, etc. These are not really deduction, but observation. You might have liked these as a young child, looking for all the details in a picture. I was addicted. Great training!
5. Blue's Clues. An American show for preschoolers that aired on Nickolodeon in the 2000's, this program taught viewers a bit about how to solve a basic mystery. (click link for more) Though there were more snacks and visits to the talking mailbox than office/desk observation or graphology, this show taught me to connect clues, talk to people involved in a case, and to keep good notes in my handy-dandy notebook.
6. Learning a second (or third, or fourth) language. Whether you're figuring out the genders of words, making connections between words in a new language and your first one, or even just trying to figure out how to read a short article, you will have to find evidence and make connections.
7. Persuasion. I've mentioned persuasion on this blog a couple of times now, and you may have wondered why. Wonder no longer! Persuading people involves reading their body language, understanding what's important to them, and other things that overlap with deduction. You may even need to deduce things about someone before you can persuade them, or persuade people to give you information for your deductions. Whatever the case, it's another great skill to have.
8. Interviews. Interviewers, which can include a lot of different types of people, will generally pay some attention to your body language and clothing, whether it be conscious or subconscious. If you're in somebody's office, you may be able to deduce things about them to help impress them. And, if you're being more interrogated for any reason (which is probably bad, I must say), police and government officials have actual body language training, so you have to be pretty careful. You probably won't be in that situation, though.
9. Opening presents. If you have ever been given presents, they have probably been wrapped. If you haven't received wrapped presents, you should either congratulate your friends and relatives on their environmentally-friendly giving practices, or tell them to add a bit of wrapping (such as reusable cloth or recycled newspaper) to give you more of a challenge. One fun thing to do is to run your hands around your wrapped gifts, shake them a bit, and look at the shape to guess what they are. Be careful, though, as multi-time gift givers may get a bit annoyed and put multiple gifts of yours in rectangular boxes in an attempt to deter you. (You know who you are.)
10. Health classes and babysitting courses. Back in my health class days, I learned a bit about how to tell if somebody has a heart attack, the specific effects of drugs, and stuff like that. So it wasn't totally useless. In a babysitting course (the American Red Cross one), I learned all about how to tell if a room is safe for a young child, how to tell if toys are safe, how to tell if kids aren't feeling well, etc. Some pretty applicable stuff if you ask me. (Safety Note: If you do have reason to believe that any bad things are happening, solve the problem or get the help that you need.)
Hopefully, you have noticed some examples of deduction in your life and have gotten some new ideas. As always, let me know if you have anything you would like to add to this (or any other) lists!
Signing off,
SM
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