Five Thought Tools.
3 random tidbits in about 5 minutes.
A Five Thought Tools .
We use PCC to guide us on the best ways to use certain technologies like programming languages and development environments. Prestwood Coding Convention has been published in four books. First published in 1994 as an appendix in Paradox 5 for Windows: Developer’s Guide. Last updated 2007.
That Five Thought Tools ,
A Five Thought Tools FAQ.
Yes. Advice should be evaluated on it’s own merit. Arguing that a person’s condition or habits invalidates their argument is known as a red herring fallacy. The goal is to distract from the argument rather than address it. If a personal trainer tells you to eat twinkies all day, that’s still bad advice. And yes, your out of shape fat father telling you to eat fruits and vegetables is still good advice too.
The take-away here is to focus on the validity of the argument and to avoid all types of distractions. It’s natural to question consistency. However, this concern doesn’t address the science behind their claims. This is why red herrings are so effective. And why thinking well is so hard and nearly impossible to do well all the time.
Take the following short debate:
Mike: “We need to reduce carbon emissions to mitigate climate change.”
Fred: “But you still drive a gas-powered car, so why should we listen to you?”
While Fred’s concern about Mike’s personal choices might be valid, his counterargument is not. Mike could still be right or wrong about climate science, but Fred’s argument doesn’t address that. Fred has yet to make a valid counterargument. Logical fallacies are one of the Four Mind Traps covered in the TST Framework.
In this case, hypocrisy might exist, but it’s not relevant to the debate. Think about doctors who advise patients to quit smoking while they themselves smoke. Their hypocrisy isn’t on trial—smoking’s harmful effects are.
That Five Thought Tools FAQ,
A Five Thought Tools Story.
Before microscopes, before laboratories, before equations filled blackboards, there were only minds asking bold questions. Democritus lived in a world where atoms could not be seen, measured, or tested. His idea began as rational speculation — a daring attempt to explain the material world without appealing to myth. Centuries later, empirical science would catch up.
Democritus, known as the “Laughing Philosopher” for his emphasis on cheerfulness, lived from around 460 BCE to 370 BCE. Hailing from Abdera in Thrace, he was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher and a central figure in the development of atomic theory. Democritus proposed that everything in the universe is composed of tiny, indivisible particles called atoms, moving through the void. His materialist philosophy challenged the prevailing views of his time, offering a mechanistic explanation of the natural world. Despite his significant contributions, much of his work survives only through the writings of later philosophers, yet his ideas laid the groundwork for modern science.
In TST terms, Democritus reminds us of something powerful: today’s empirical truths often begin as yesterday’s rational risks. Not every bold idea survives testing — but without bold ideas, nothing new ever becomes testable.
Image Note: No known image of Democratus exists.
That Five Thought Tools Story,
