Understanding we are Worthy, Capable, Connected, and Called to Adventure for a more Joyful and Resilient Life
This post is about a fallacy (a thinking error) called false cause. I bet you know more about this fallacy than you think. You’ve probably witnessed it, even if you didn’t realize it. For example, imagine the following scenario: Your friend drinks a brand of orange juice called Florida Smile on Tuesday. And then on… Continue reading How the Fallacy of False Cause Makes It Hard to Solve Problems (Tylenol and Autism)
I want to tell you about an interesting man name Allan Lichtman who has an impressive knack for predicting elections. But first, let me tell you who I am writing this post for. And I will do that by telling you who I am not writing it for. I am not writing this post for… Continue reading Allan Lichtman on How to Predict Presidential Elections
Acting with reason and respect is the best way to live your life. That claim seems sensible enough, doesn’t it? After all, very few people consciously intend to live in a unreasonable and disrespectful manner. Most of us recognize that living according to reason and respect is a wise way to live. Fair enough. But… Continue reading Why Acting with Reason and Respect is Wise and Rare
The title of this post “Hegel was Right: We Need the Dialectic” is probably one of the least click-bait blog post titles anyone has ever written. I’m aware of this. And that is probably why I have hesitated to write this post, despite wanting to do so for over a year now. And perhaps another… Continue reading Hegel Was Right: We Need the Dialectic
Moral disagreements are a common part of life. But there is something very surprising about moral disagreements that we often don’t realize. To illustrate this, allow me to present you with a thought experiment.[1] Please imagine these four people: Person #1: Jill believes X is the moral thing to do. Now, Jill truly cares about… Continue reading A Surprising Thing about Moral Disagreements
This post is about the Either-Or fallacy. A fallacy is a type of common faulty argument. And it’s important to be aware of common logical fallacies because arguments containing such fallacies often sound very convincing. However, they contain poor logic, and so they confuse and muddle our thinking. Regarding the Either-Or Fallacy specifically, when someone… Continue reading How the Either-Or Fallacy Confuses Our Thinking
Here’s a common saying, “You can achieve anything you can dream.” Sentiments like this are common, and the idea behind them seems to be that we have the power to achieve anything we want to achieve. Now, such beliefs can feel inspiring. They give us a sense of power over our life, and they can… Continue reading Can We Achieve Anything We Can Dream?
Would you like to be the smartest person in the world? I think a lot of people would like to be. But perhaps most of us think such a goal is impossible. And, logically, it is in fact impossible for everyone to be the smartest person in the world. But what about being one of… Continue reading How to Be the Smartest Person in the World
Many people equate conspiracy thinking and critical thinking. But they are, in fact, quite different. Now, I am well-acquainted with conspiracy thinking and conspiracy theories. In the late 90s and earlier 2000s, I fell in love with the X-Files, a show which introduced the idea of conspiracy theories to the public on a grand scale.… Continue reading The Difference Between Conspiracy Thinking and Critical Thinking
Illegitimate appeal to emotion is a common fallacy people use in everyday conversation. On the one hand, emotions are a crucial part of our life. They give us important feedback about positive and negative aspects of life. Our emotions can also warn us of danger or of exciting possibilities. On the other hand, emotions can… Continue reading How to Spot Illegitimate Appeal to Emotion