Together, the Three Truth Hammers offer a structured way to gather, test, and communicate ideas. The Five Thought Tools help you frame and evaluate information well. The Four Mind Traps help you avoid common failures in judgment. The Three Truth Hammers help you stress-test claims against the larger systems we rely on to sort truth from error. The goal is not perfect certainty, but better thinking in everyday life.
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TST Framework: Critical Thinking
THINKING PATH: A critical thinking toolkit.
Thu 26 Mar 2026
Published 2 months ago.
Updated 1 week ago.
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TST Framework: Critical Thinking
By Michael Alan Prestwood
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Philosophy
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5-4-3: TST Framework Overview
Critical Thinking
The TST Framework is a critical thinking framework with three key components: Thought Tools, Mind Traps, and Truth Hammers. Together, these elements provide a structured approach to understanding and evaluating information. The Five Thought Tools help you gather, frame, and communicate accurate information, the Four Mind Traps help you avoid potholes, and the Three Truth Hammers help you short circuit the gathering of accurate information.
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Critical Thinking
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5 Thought Tools: Viewpoint, Ideas, Reasoning, Constructs, and Reflection
Acquiring Knowledge
Thought tools shape how we see reality, evaluate claims, and communicate with others. A basic, top-down understanding of all five tools is enough for everyday life, better decisions, and clearer conversations. Great thinking isn’t about knowing everything; it’s about knowing how to think.
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Critical Thinking
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4 Mind Traps: Fallacies, Biases, Heuristics, and Stereotypes
Cognitive Obstacles
You don’t have to defeat every mind trap to think better: you just have to see them. Awareness alone goes a long way. The moment you recognize a fallacy, bias, heuristic, or stereotype at work, its power weakens.
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Philosophy
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3 Truth Hammers: Science, Journalism, and Law
- MSM: The Mainstream Media!
- It's not hard to learn how to filter it.
Epistemology and Philosophy of Mind
Truth Hammers are review-based public truth systems that help societies test claims against shared reality. Based on current evidence, they represent the best estimate of truth by authorities. When you understand how to watch science, the law, and journalism, they allow you to gather more accurate information quickly, saving you much time and energy.
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Philosophy
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2 Layers: The Material World Split
Beyond Words: Laozi and the Limits of Understanding
Our ideas about the material world are only a reflection of reality. They cannot fully describe all angles. This split between the material world and our empirical ideas about it are key to understanding our valid rational ideas and what are invalid irrational ideas.
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1 Goal: Flourish (TST Ethics)
TST Ethics
Flourishing requires calibration. TST Ethics integrates intent, consequence, proportionality, and systemic impact within a two-layer reality. It respects law, reduces harm, and refines responsibility as awareness grows. Personal morality and group ethics are not separate domains — they are scaled expressions of fairness lived within real constraints.