Deductive Reasoning 101 - Part 1

For as long as I can remember I’ve been doing deductive reasoning. (just like Sherlock Holmes or The Mentalist). You look at the things and people around you and draw a conclusion from them. I don’t know any other way of doing things. Add to that my many years of studying peoples’ behaviour and patterns, and it’s come to a point where I am quite good at it.

I remember about 20 years ago, my Mom’s brother (my Uncle) had come over to visit my mother and I. The three of us had been conversing for some time when suddenly my mother turned to me and said, “Oh, Laura-Lee. Could you go and get the , the uh, you know, the uh, …”. She snapped her fingers a couple of times and said, “help me. you know. the uh, …”

I responded, “The mop.”

“Right! That’s it.” She answered.

Just then my Uncle piped up and, looking at me asked, “How in the h*** did you know she was going to ask for that?! Out of all the things in the world your Mom could have asked for , how did you know she meant to say ‘Mop’?”

Just deductive reasoning: I knew my mother. I knew my uncle. I had been listening to the conversation.

Mom had said something about the mop a while back and also that she wanted to show it to her brother next time he was visiting us. Then when he said a specific thing, I figured out that it had reminded her of the mop. Presto!