#WB Critical Thinking
Do empirical ideas require direct observation?
Empirical ideas require confirmation in the material world, not necessarily direct observation.
How does spirituality relate to public belief?
When talking about spirituality, remember to accept personal beliefs as is until you are asked to accept a claim as true. When that happens, the ...
How should critical thinkers judge the Republican Party under Trump?
Critical thinkers should judge the Republican Party under Trump by its behavior under pressure: does it protect cardinal virtues and is it bending toward authoritarian ...
How do you prevent yourself from overreacting?
During conflict, shift from justifying your intent to asking what result you actually want.
Will AI change writing prose?
The age of AI is already impacting how we write. Prose is shifting back toward something more human: your lived experience. Let AI handle grammar. ...
What is the difference between Public Truth and Public Belief?
Do not confuse what is widely repeated with what is well tested. Public belief deserves attention, but public truth deserves your higher confidence.
Why is it so difficult to get someone else to understand what seems so obvious to you?
After sharing new information, if someone is still not convinced, let it rest. Belief is often tied to identity and worldview. To their way. Respect ...
Do my people and culture help or harm my critical thinking?
Your people and culture give you a big leg up, a great starting place, but it is not a final place to stand still.
What is confirmation bias, and why does it matter?
Confirmation bias distorts our interpretation of reality by filtering evidence through prior belief.
What is worldview humility?
Most convictions feel universal because they are familiar. Worldview humility begins when we recognize the role of time, place, and culture in shaping what feels ...
Is the Split in the Idea of Ideas the Same as Kant’s?
Kant showed that human experience filters reality; the Idea of Ideas extends that insight by classifying our explanations into empirical, rational, and irrational.
Why do we struggle to recognize the limits of our own thinking?
Recognizing the limits of your own thinking is not weakness. It is self-command. When you know where evidence ends and uncertainty begins, you stop defending ...
Why do people confuse rule-following with moral reasoning?
The rules of life guide us and are important, but moral reasoning requires personal judgment. Never outsource your judgment to authority. Weigh good intent, likely ...
Why do intelligent people defend bad ideas?
Intelligence doesn’t protect us from false beliefs—worldview attachment does the real work.
What’s the difference between intentional change and wishful thinking?
Mistaking intent for causation is a core thinking error that keeps habits, self-stories, and outcomes locked in place.
Why we only remember the good parts of vacations and forget the bad?
Rosy Retrospection, a cognitive bias that filters memory through emotion, preserving highlights. Minds quietly edit experience, shaping memory.
Is Occam’s Razor always right?
In the realm of idea evaluation, Occam’s Razor is a tool that stands out, but it was never meant as a law of truth. It's ...
Was Pythagoras’ thinking flawed?
Yes and no. Pythagoras combined enduring empirical insights with personal beliefs that often overpowered sound reasoning.
Is cause and effect certain?
With the motion of life, cause and effect feel certain. We see stable patterns. But Hume reminds you, correlation does not guarantee causation.
What does the Crinum coal mine teach us about dating methods?
Radiometric dating is scientifically sound, but it's true that scientists need to carefully rule out contaminants. Sound thinking recognizes that a method's validity depends on ...