I've been called "illogical" many times throughout my life. It is usually meant as an insult, but knowing what I do about logic, I have come to see it as an unintentional compliment. This is because I have come to understand the severe limits of logical thinking.
To begin with, the efficacy of logic depends entirely upon knowledge. The more you know, the more you can logically deduce. The problem is, of course, that there is an infinite amount of knowledge out there, and we as humans cannot possibly grasp all of it. So there will always be variables that by definition are left out of the equation, and without them, our paltry attempts at logical thought will always fall woefully short of what is needed to chart out a successful course through life. As the old saying goes: "The best laid plans of mice and men". Logic may be a nifty mental exercise that one can explore from the comfort of one's own living room, but in a life-or-death situation out there in the real world, when carefully built plans immediately unravel and one must zig instead of zag, it can and will lead a person to their own demise.
Moreover, working closely with beings that are 100% logical has exposed the flaws of logic to me in a way that no other experiences could. What beings am I referring to? Well, computers of course. The Turing Machine is the most advanced computer constructed to date. It thinks perfectly logically. And that, as it turns out, is a major flaw that places it hopelessly behind the human mind. There are currently an infinite number of things a human can do that a Turing Machine cannot, all of which are derived from the "Halting Problem": a paradox that prevents computers from creating, analyzing, and debugging their own algorithmic codes. A Turing Machine that is stuck in an infinite loop can never know it has crashed, nor can another Turing Machine know that it has crashed without itself crashing.
We stand on the cusp of revolutionary advancements that could potentially shatter that computational glass ceiling and allow computers to truly rival human beings. But they all rely on one fundamental strategy: making computers LESS logical, and thus MORE intelligent. Because, contrary to Western philosophy, logic and intelligence do not go hand in hand in the realm of computer science. Where there is logic, there is no creativity, no imagination, and hence no innovation.
So, when someone calls you "illogical", wear it as I have: as a badge of honor. If they truly are a completely logical being themselves, then they will not even understand that they have complimented you. Just be sure not to try to explain your reasoning to them. After all, you wouldn't want their computational mind to crash and need a cold boot!
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