Logic Puzzles And Why You Should Have One
A Pastime That is Beneficial as Well as Incredibly Fun
We all enjoy a challenge from time to time.
Now, if it takes the form of a beautiful wooden sculpture, you have to disassemble and put back together, or a complex jigsaw with your favorite work of art as the picture, logic puzzles seem to be even more alluring.
Regardless of your choice of the item itself, we can all agree that logic puzzles are a great pastime and one that has been around for centuries.
Here we talk a bit more about them and why we think every house should have one.
What Is A Logic Puzzle?
Now, let’s first explain what a logic puzzle is, exactly.
Logic puzzles come in all shapes and sizes and can be found anywhere from the pages of the local newspaper to the sleeves of a fancy bookstore.
Crosswords, sudokus, jigsaw puzzles, wooden or metal constructions, and even written instructions with a question at the end — all of these can be characterized as logic puzzles because they all pose a question that has an objective answer.
This is the basic premise, and it’s a pretty simple one.
So, Why Do We Enjoy Them?
For starters, they are a great brain exercise.
Because they involve both logic and creativity, solving one is satisfying on many levels.
Regardless of which type of thinker you are — by trying your best at these practical riddles, you are practicing both of these skills.
Something which doesn’t often happen simultaneously in other, more common situations.
Apart from being useful both for logical and creative thinking, logic puzzles also improve short-term memory.
Why? Well because a part of it is to remember, for example, what worked or when you made a mistake.
This is how you think of a new decision that trains how well you remember things.
Visual-spatial reasoning is another skill that is developed through 3D puzzles.
This is useful for different, viable motor functions (like driving a car) as well as a way to better your imagination and orientation in a non-visible environment or regarding nonexistent objects.
However, what all logic puzzles are best known for and the reason they are so attractive is the “Eureka” moment.
Well, we’ve all had a moment in which we went “A-ha,” and the problem we’ve been trying to figure out suddenly had a solution.
The “Eureka” moment involves the reward system of the brain, a section that is responsible for the pleasurable feelings we get in different situations.
This is why we feel such an incentive to resolve the arbitrary questions logic puzzles pose.
The same way that food or music makes our brains release certain chemicals, like dopamine, solving a riddle has the same effect on our emotions.
The Origin Of Logic Puzzles
Okay, now that we have that down, how did this trend start?
Problem-solving actually goes back to the stone age — just think about the creation of the wheel.
This, when we first started making our own tools or learned how to use fire, can all be seen as different logical puzzles we found the solutions to.
Pretty cool, when you think about it, huh?
As for when it happens in individual development, the answer may surprise you.
Some researchers say that solving puzzles is intuitive.
And the more you think about it, the more you can see it in everyday life.
Kids, for instance, have the innate response to answer questions.
If you ask them pretty much anything, they will try to figure it out, regardless of whether it’s something they will use or not.
So from this perspective, we instinctively like logic puzzles from the moment we can understand some basic rules about the world.
This is because everything that opposes common sense sparks our curiosity.
And well, that can happen from a very early age.
As we grow older, however, things start to be a bit more different and even better.
One of the benefits that come with logic puzzles is that they are both social and a great opportunity for some alone time.
If you’re stuck on a puzzle you can always ask for help, and most people would try to solve it with you.
The way logic puzzles present questions is so captivating it’s often difficult to get away, which is why most of your friends will be just as curious about the item you’re holding as you are.
Conversely, if you want a solo break, trying to solve a logic puzzle is a great pastime.
This is mainly because logic puzzles are a great and wholesome escape from reality.
By presenting a question with a tangible answer, we tend to focus on it and forget about our daily troubles.
This, in turn, is a great stress relief strategy and one which we can practice all on our own.
So you see, solving puzzles is great for all sorts of situations and people of all ages.
Puzzles seem to be great for many things.
They release tension and make your brain work faster and in a more complex way when you are solving them.
They are captivating, beautiful, and work for adults as well as for kids.
With all of this being said, we really don’t know why you wouldn’t have one too!
Ready to solve a mystery?