TST Trainer
WWB Story Mode
MODE:
~
8 minute
audio walk.
Critical Thinking:
Process and clarify.
Story mode.
Eight key ideas and takeaways.
1. Our first story.
From History: born 354.
Subject: Situational Ethics.
- Saint Augustine.
Lived from 354 to 430 CE, aged about 76.
Life is full of hard choices. In situational ethics, clear-cut right and wrong tend to give way to reducing harm or choosing the lesser of two evils.
Seen another way.
Situational ethics reminds us that even in war, moral limits still matter. When avoiding harm is not possible, the moral task becomes causing less harm. Although war is often immoral, Just War Theory exists to limit violence and discourage war crimes. That includes principles like proportional force, avoiding unnecessary civilian harm, and treating prisoners humanely.
That Critical Thinking Story,
was first published on TST 4 years ago.
2. Now for our second story.
From History: The force of public opinion..
Subject: Journalism.
The fourth emerged in the 18th & 19th centuries.
You need a fully free press because public truth needs watchdogs, not just officials and institutions.
The central point is this.
Journalism is called the Fourth Estate because it helps society watch the powerful. At its best, you can rely on it because it does not merely pass along official claims. It investigates, verifies, and exposes. Think well, follow journalism bringing hidden actions into the light.
That Critical Thinking Story,
was first published on TST 2 years ago.
3. Tidbit number three, a quote.
Subject: Empiricism.
- Michael Alan Prestwood.
- 2024.
We build knowledge from impressions, not certainty. Reality meets us through experience, and each impression becomes another step toward understanding.
The central point is this.
We never meet reality directly — we meet our impressions of it. But those impressions are enough to build understanding, truth-seeking, and meaning. Instead of chasing certainty, we work with what we perceive, refining our picture as we go. Knowledge grows from experience, not perfection.
That Critical Thinking Quote,
was first published on TST 4 months ago.
4. Tidbit number four, another quote.
Subject: Allegorical Interpretation.
- Philo of Alexandria.
- circa 20 CE.
Allegories allow for deeper understanding of the wisdom embedded in the text of stories including literature, art, and movies.
Now, to be clear.
An allegory is a literary technique in which the writing represents deeper meanings than the words might initially imply. Allegorical interpretation is the process of understanding the symbolic meaning behind a text or story. It allows for a deeper understanding embedded in literature, art, and movies.
That Critical Thinking Quote,
was first published on TST 1 year ago.
Finally, 4 frequently asked “questions.”
5. Now it is time a question.
Subject: Acquiring Knowledge.
Thought Tools are the core skills that turn raw information into understanding and wisdom.
Now, to be clear.
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.
That Critical Thinking Article,
was first published on TST 3 years ago.
6. Tidbit FAQ number six.
Subject: Epistemology.
Knowledge frameworks turn raw information into wisdom by organizing ideas into sets of schemas. A book on a subject is a knowledge framework. The specific vocabulary it uses are schemas.
At its core.
Your mind categorizes topics into frameworks. It also cross references the common schemas of them. Things like sin, honor, and discipline apply to many topics. Your personal frameworks and schemas make up your worldview. They turn scattered information into usable understanding. Good frameworks help you sort truth from belief, weak ideas from strong ones, and confidence from confusion. A wise mind is not just full of facts. It is organized well enough to compare, question, and rank what it knows.
That Critical Thinking FAQ,
was first published on TST 2 years ago.
7. Here is another tidbit FAQ.
Subject: Copernicus.
Intelligence doesn’t protect us from false beliefs—worldview attachment does the real work.
At its core.
People rarely cling to ideas because they’re stupid or uninformed. They cling because beliefs become tied to identity, belonging, and stability. Once that happens, evidence isn’t evaluated neutrally—it’s filtered. History shows this clearly: even strong minds resist facts when accepting them would mean losing a trusted picture of reality.
That Critical Thinking FAQ,
was first published on TST 3 months ago.
8. Moving onto our last tidbit FAQ.
Subject: Ad Hominem Attack.
Guilt by association, a type of ad hominem, mistakes correlation for causation. In this case, it mistakes appearance for evidence.
Now, to be clear.
Most people understand that a colleague’s ideas do not depend on how they dress. But why? Because clothing may be a distraction, a kind of red herring, but ideas should stand or fall on their own merit. Avoid all forms of guilt by association.
That Critical Thinking FAQ,
was first published on TST 2 years ago.
“Done.”
In this project, claims are never just asserted—they are attached to evidence, context, and traceable sources.
TouchstoneTruth is an experiment in whether ideas can remain alive without losing accountability.
Refresh for another set.
TST Trainer
(c) 2025-2026 TouchstoneTruth.
Writing and coding by Michael Alan Prestwood.
(c) 2025-2026 TouchstoneTruth.
Writing and coding by Michael Alan Prestwood.
