Critical Thinking.
10 random takeaways.
1.
Academic paper summary:
Live your life in a way that fully understands your own beliefs. Personal belief forms through public belief, tribal influence, and your own worldview. We do not begin as blank choosers, nor are we merely passive products of society. We are born into a family language, religion, and philosophy.
2.
Quote:
- David Hume.
- 1748.
From History:
To live well requires living in reality. A clear thinker does not believe harder just because an idea feels meaningful, familiar, or comforting. Some mysteries deserve wonder, but belief should still be proportional to evidence, logic, testing, and trustworthy guidance. Thinking well means letting confidence grow only when support earns it.
3.
From History: Storytelling for the people.
Modern journalism started in the early 1700s.
A healthy society, and your healthy thinking, needs more than opinions. Use journalism as part of your consumption of information. Learn to determine good journalism from bad. Start by look at bylines and good authorities. The bylines must say reporter, journalist, or anchor — host or entertainer is not valid. Good authorities do not lie regularly. Verify your sources are not lying to you.
4.
A slippery slope sounds persuasive because it turns uncertainty into certainty. It skips the hard work of showing how one step actually causes the next, and instead leans on anxiety and exaggeration. When evidence is missing between links in the chain, the argument isn’t predictive—it’s persuasive theater.
5.
Quote:
- Socrates.
- 399 BCE.
The essence of the phrase “I know that I know nothing” originates from Plato’s Apology, where Socrates reflects on his reputation for wisdom. While not a direct quote, Plato attributes to Socrates the idea that true wisdom comes from recognizing one’s own ignorance. I think Socrates wants you to uncover the truth, no matter what it is, reconcile it with your beliefs, and make sense of it in a way that is consistent with common knowledge.
6.
From History: 1000 CE
Good writing usually follows grammar, and good journalism depends on that discipline. But the real test is whether the reader understands the message clearly. Rules help. Communication is the point. Think well by treating grammar as a powerful guide, while keeping the needs of the reader ahead of perfection for its own sake.
7.
Association is information, not a verdict. While the people we surround ourselves with can influence us—and shape how others perceive us—character is revealed through actions, not proximity. Good judgment means resisting snap conclusions, asking better questions, and evaluating individuals on what they actually do.
8.
Quote:
- Michael Alan Prestwood.
From History:
Be open to new ideas, but anchor yourself in reality. Examine your framework. Refine it. Test it. The goal is not to defend your lens, but to align it more closely with what is. Intellectual humility begins with recognizing the split between interpretation and the world itself.
9.
From History: 42,200 BCE
44,200 to 43,000 years old according to 24 radiocarbon tests
Public truth needs more than stories; it needs reporting. Develop trusted good authorities within journalism. Identify your reporters, journalists, and anchors. Trust them but only so long as they are trustworthy.
10.
A false cause fallacy assumes that one event directly causes another without proof. It links two events improperly, ignoring other factors, often leading to flawed conclusions based on coincidence, not causality.
The End. Refresh for another set.