Rethinking Our Beliefs Podcast generated by NotebookLM

Close Pop-up All Episodes This is the source material used to create this podcast. Posts where this video is embedded Attitudes A tendency to think, or feel about someone or something in a certain way Avoid Anonymity Anonymity kills the conversation Avoiding Modern-day Colonialism Colonialism: the dominance, control, and exploitation by one group over another Belief Systems Our beliefs … Continue reading Rethinking Our Beliefs Podcast generated by NotebookLM

How We Construct Our Unfounded Beliefs And false narratives

Gurteen Knowledge Blog   June 30, 2023, 10:15. I sometimes have conversations with people who don’t know much about a topic I’ve studied in depth. However, they still hold strong opinions about it and have a clear narrative to support their viewpoint. We are all susceptible to this phenomenon, but what is its underlying mechanism? We often encounter … Continue reading How We Construct Our Unfounded Beliefs And false narratives

Peter Boghossian American philosopher

Peter Boghossian is an American philosopher and an assistant professor of philosophy at Portland State University. WebsitePeter BoghossianWikipediaPeter BoghossianTwitter@peterboghossianYouTubePeter BoghossianGooglePeter Boghossian Twitter Tweets by Peter Boghossian Posts: Peter BoghossianImpossible Conversations Navigating conversations across ideological dividesBooks: Peter BoghossianHow to Have Impossible Conversations: A Very Practical Guide by Peter Boghossian and James Lindsay (2019)Impossible Conversations Peter Boghossian … Continue reading Peter Boghossian American philosopher

Enlightenment 2.0: Restoring Sanity to Our Politics, Our Economy, and Our Lives by Joseph Heath (2014)

In the book Enlightenment 2.0,  Joseph Heath outlines a program for a second Enlightenment. The answer, he argues, lies in a new “slow politics.” It takes as its point of departure recent psychological and philosophical research that identifies the social and environmental preconditions for the exercise of rational thought. It is impossible to restore sanity … Continue reading Enlightenment 2.0: Restoring Sanity to Our Politics, Our Economy, and Our Lives by Joseph Heath (2014)

Resisting Simple Narratives The allure of simple stories

Gurteen Knowledge Blog   October 23, 2023, 19:06. Many of our false beliefs seem convincing because they rely on simple, appealing stories. My friend David Creelman recently highlighted to me the tendency we have to readily accept straightforward narratives without verification. In a post in my blook, The Allure of Simple Stories, I explore what drives this habit … Continue reading Resisting Simple Narratives The allure of simple stories

Extraordinary Claims Need Extraordinary Proof The Carl Sagan Standard

Gurteen Knowledge Blog   January 28, 2024, 20:15. “Extraordinary claims need extraordinary proof,” a saying often credited to Carl Sagan, highlights a fundamental scientific and critical thinking principle. It means that if someone makes an unlikely or unusual claim, they need solid and convincing evidence to support it. Such claims, which go against what is typically accepted or … Continue reading Extraordinary Claims Need Extraordinary Proof The Carl Sagan Standard

Steven Sloman Professor of Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences

Steven Sloman is a Professor of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences at Brown University. Steven studies how people think: how we reason, make decisions and form attitudes and beliefs. WebsiteSloman LabYouTubeSteven SlomanGoogleSteven SlomanPosts: Steven SlomanThe Knowledge Delusion We know far less than we think we doBooks: Steven SlomanOur Beliefs Are Not Isolated Pieces of Data … Continue reading Steven Sloman Professor of Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences

Scratching the Surface of Your Beliefs Jordan Peterson (2023)

It takes careful observation, and education, and reflection, and communication with others, just to scratch the surface of your beliefs. Credit: Jordan Peterson Source: X (Twitter)People: Jordan B PetersonJordan B Peterson Clinical psychologist and a professor of psychologyPosts: Jordan B PetersonFreedom of Speech Freedom of speech is not just another valueBooks: Jordan B Peterson12 Rules … Continue reading Scratching the Surface of Your Beliefs Jordan Peterson (2023)

Bertrand Russell’s Ten Commandments for Critical Thinking Bertrand Russell

Perhaps the essence of the Liberal outlook could be summed up in a new decalogue, not intended to replace the old one but only to supplement it. The Ten Commandments that, as a teacher, I should wish to promulgate, might be set forth as follows: Do not feel absolutely certain of anything. Do not think it worthwhile to produce belief by concealing … | Bertrand Russell Continue reading Bertrand Russell’s Ten Commandments for Critical Thinking Bertrand Russell

Teaching Critical Thinking Alone Is Not a Solution to Helping People Question Their Beliefs David Gurteen

Teaching critical thinking alone is not a solution to helping people question their beliefs, it simply helps them to better post rationalize their beliefs. Credit: David Gurteen People: David GurteenDavid Gurteen Keynote speaker, writer and conversational facilitatorBooks: David GurteenA Conversation Architect Designs Strategic Conversations David GurteenAPM Conference: Conversational Leadership David Gurteen (2016)Being Truthful Versus Telling … Continue reading Teaching Critical Thinking Alone Is Not a Solution to Helping People Question Their Beliefs David Gurteen

Trust Is an Essential Ingredient of Belief Formation Matthew Syed

Perhaps the clinching point is that trust is an essential ingredient of belief formation. Why? Because we don’t have the time to check the evidence for everything, so we have to take some things at face value. We trust doctors, chemists, and teachers. Even experts trust other experts, taking their data and outputs as inputs for their own … | Matthew Syed Continue reading Trust Is an Essential Ingredient of Belief Formation Matthew Syed

Connecting Beliefs and Evidence David T. Moore

Thinking — or reasoning — involves objectively connecting present beliefs with evidence in order to believe something else. Credit: David T. Moore Comment: True reasoning requires a willingness to adjust our beliefs when faced with compelling evidence, a critical skill in both decision-making and leadership.Books: David T. MooreConnecting Beliefs and Evidence David T. MooreQuotations: David … Continue reading Connecting Beliefs and Evidence David T. Moore

Lesswrong: Aiming to Be Less Wrong About the World Than the Day Before Improving human reasoning and decision-making

Gurteen Knowledge Blog   December 7, 2022, 15:30. LessWrong is an online forum and community dedicated to improving human reasoning and decision-making. We seek to hold true beliefs and to be effective at accomplishing our goals. Each day, we aim to be less wrong about the world than the day before. Credit: LessWrong Like me, you may find … Continue reading Lesswrong: Aiming to Be Less Wrong About the World Than the Day Before Improving human reasoning and decision-making

Belief Coherence Daniel Kahneman

The confidence people have in their beliefs is not a measure of the quality of evidence but of the coherence of the story that the mind has managed to construct. Credit: Daniel Kahneman People: Daniel KahnemanDaniel Kahneman Psychologist and behavioral economistBooks: Daniel KahnemanBelief Coherence Daniel KahnemanDaniel Kahneman Psychologist and behavioral economistFor Some of Our Most … Continue reading Belief Coherence Daniel Kahneman

Freethinkers’ Mindset Leo Tolstoy

Freethinkers are those who are willing to use their minds without prejudice and without fearing to understand things that clash with their own customs, privileges, or beliefs. This state of mind is not common, but it is essential for critical thinking. Credit: Leo Tolstoy Books: Leo TolstoyFreethinkers’ Mindset Leo TolstoyQuotations: Leo TolstoyFreethinkers’ Mindset Leo TolstoyTags: … Continue reading Freethinkers’ Mindset Leo Tolstoy

Our Beliefs Are Not Isolated Pieces of Data That We Can Take and Discard at Will Steven Sloman

Our beliefs are not isolated pieces of data that we can take and discard at will. Instead, beliefs are deeply intertwined with other beliefs, shared cultural values, and our identities. To discard a belief means discarding a whole host of other beliefs, forsaking our communities, going against those we trust and love, and in short, challenging our … | Steven Sloman Continue reading Our Beliefs Are Not Isolated Pieces of Data That We Can Take and Discard at Will Steven Sloman

How Could You or I Be Wrong About This? A crucial question to ask in a conversation

Gurteen Knowledge Blog   May 29, 2024, 09:31. Intellectual humility and open-mindedness are vital for constructive dialogue. Polarization and confirmation bias hinder productive conversations on complex issues. Asking How could you or I be wrong about this? promotes self-reflection, critical thinking, and openness to alternative perspectives. Knowledge Letter: Issue: 288 (Subscribe)Tags: beliefs (67) | questions (24) | refutation … Continue reading How Could You or I Be Wrong About This? A crucial question to ask in a conversation

Matthew Syed Journalist, author and broadcaster

Matthew Syed is a journalist, author, and broadcaster. Pursuing Cognitive Diversity | Matthew Syed WebsiteMatthew SyedWikipediaMatthew SyedTwitter@matthewsyedYouTubeMatthew SyedGoogleMatthew Syed Twitter Tweets by Matthew Syed Books: Matthew SyedMatthew Syed Journalist, author and broadcasterRebel Ideas: the Power of Diverse Thinking Matthew Syed (2019)Trust Is an Essential Ingredient of Belief Formation Matthew Syed Quotations: Matthew SyedTrust Is an … Continue reading Matthew Syed Journalist, author and broadcaster

The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion Jonathan Haidt (2013)

In this book, The Righteous Mind, Jonathan Haidt shows how moral judgments arise not from reason but from gut feelings. He shows why liberals, conservatives, and libertarians have such different intuitions about right and wrong, and he shows why each side is actually right about many of its central concerns. Credit: Amazon The Righteous Mind … Continue reading The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion Jonathan Haidt (2013)

Perils of Absolute Certainty Peter Boghossian

Few things are more dangerous than people who think they’re in possession of absolute truth. Credit: Peter Boghossian People: Peter BoghossianPeter Boghossian American philosopherPosts: Peter BoghossianImpossible Conversations Navigating conversations across ideological dividesBooks: Peter BoghossianHow to Have Impossible Conversations: A Very Practical Guide by Peter Boghossian and James Lindsay (2019)Impossible Conversations Peter Boghossian (2019)Impossible Conversations Navigating … Continue reading Perils of Absolute Certainty Peter Boghossian

Introduction: Knowledge Delusion We delude ourselves about what we know and how we make decisions

The Difference Between Sense-making and Meaning-making What Are Beliefs? Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close If we are to create a better world, we need to make better sense of things and improve the decisions we make, … Continue reading Introduction: Knowledge Delusion We delude ourselves about what we know and how we make decisions

Conversational Leadership Mindset Developing a Conversational Leadership mindset

Introduction: Practicing Conversational Leadership Three Questions for Meaningful Conversations Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close Many factors, including conversational skills and habits, shape our ability to practice Conversational Leadership effectively. However, the most impactful factor is our … Continue reading Conversational Leadership Mindset Developing a Conversational Leadership mindset

Stories and Narratives The subtle differences between stories and narratives

Oral Public Discourse Storytelling ** Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close Narratives shape our understanding of the world and reinforce shared identities and values within a society. In contrast, the stories a culture tells about itself and … Continue reading Stories and Narratives The subtle differences between stories and narratives

Avoiding Modern-day Colonialism Colonialism: the dominance, control, and exploitation by one group over another

Multipolar Traps or Moloch Traps Relationships ** Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close Colonialism has historically referred to the domination and control of one group or nation over another. However, the language of colonialism has recently been … Continue reading Avoiding Modern-day Colonialism Colonialism: the dominance, control, and exploitation by one group over another

What Are Mindsets? Ways of thinking, mental inclinations, dispositions, or frames of mind

Attitudes Values Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close Mindsets are our mental attitudes or approaches to a particular situation or task. They are shaped by our beliefs, values, and experiences and can impact our ability to adapt … Continue reading What Are Mindsets? Ways of thinking, mental inclinations, dispositions, or frames of mind

Conversation Covenant Creating a psychologically safer space for difficult conversations

Anecdote Circles Brainstorming Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close In challenging conversations, differing viewpoints can lead to tension and misunderstandings. A conversation covenant offers a structured approach to ensure respectful, constructive dialogue. By establishing agreed-upon guidelines, it … Continue reading Conversation Covenant Creating a psychologically safer space for difficult conversations

Knowledge and Information ** Knowledge and information are different substances

What Are Morals? The Argumentative Theory of Human Reason Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close Knowledge … Knowledge Our mind contains beliefs. We don’t know how these beliefs are stored, but it does not matter for my … Continue reading Knowledge and Information ** Knowledge and information are different substances

The Allure of Simple Stories We tend to readily accept uncomplicated narratives without verification

Trust & Belief Formation Our Tribal Nature Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close Many false beliefs feel convincing because they rest upon simple, appealing stories. We tend to readily accept uncomplicated narratives without verification. What drives this … Continue reading The Allure of Simple Stories We tend to readily accept uncomplicated narratives without verification

How Beliefs Shape Reasoning How political views influence the way we interpret data

Our Tribal Nature Science Curiosity Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close Political beliefs shape more than opinions—they can distort how we interpret facts. Research shows that even those skilled in numerical reasoning are not immune to this … Continue reading How Beliefs Shape Reasoning How political views influence the way we interpret data

Contra-conversations **

Cognitive Diversity Turn-taking in Conversation Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close We all have our beliefs. Some held firmly; some held not so tightly. Some true, some false Some we are prepared to change. For others, we … Continue reading Contra-conversations **

Say So, If You Don’t Have an Opinion It's perfectly OK to say ‘Sorry, I don’t know’

Converse in Good Faith Carpe Diem – Seize the Day Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close If we don’t have an opinion, we should say so: In our modern-day culture, it is almost illegal not to have … Continue reading Say So, If You Don’t Have an Opinion It’s perfectly OK to say ‘Sorry, I don’t know’

Spectrum Street Epistemology

Street Epistemology Reverse Brainstorming Café Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close Spectrum Street Epistemology is a variation of Street Epistemology that encourages people to explore their beliefs along a spectrum rather than as fixed positions. Instead of … Continue reading Spectrum Street Epistemology