#WB Critical Thinking
How does the Idea of Ideas handle counterfactuals?
Counterfactuals ask what would be true if something had been different. In the Idea of Ideas, they are just ideas.
How do we know what is true in a fictional world?
Stacie Friend challenges the simple split between fiction and fact. Fiction is not cut off from reality; it uses reality as its background.
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. Your morality is your ...
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 do we only remember the good parts of vacations, forgetting the bad?
The Rosy Retrospection cognitive bias filters memory "positively" through emotion and preserving highlights.
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 overpowered sound reasoning.