Ad hominem attacks feel like devastating counterarguments, but they’re just changing the subject. Once you learn to spot them, you can’t unsee how much political discourse is people yelling about each other instead of engaging with ideas.
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The Principle of Charity demands you interpret arguments in their strongest possible form – not to concede they’re right, but to ensure you actually understand what you’re rejecting. Steel man, not straw man.
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When an argument sounds reasonable but feels wrong, rebuild it as a syllogism. The hidden premise is usually where it falls apart. Works on AI doomers and everyone else.
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Every argument has hidden assumptions connecting evidence to conclusions. Learning to find them – and evaluate them – is how you stop accepting bad reasoning from your own side.
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Why some conclusions are guaranteed and others are just really good guesses Last time we learned the difference between an argument and a fight. An argument has premises leading to… Read More
Why your Thanksgiving dinner debate was probably just conclusions dressed up as reasoning Picture this scene. You’re at Thanksgiving dinner. Your uncle corners you in the kitchen to explain why… Read More
Solomon Asch proved that 75% of people will give an obviously wrong answer just because everyone else did. Social media is running this experiment on you 24/7. One dissenter can break the spell. Be that dissenter.
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That vivid memory you’re absolutely certain about? There’s a good chance it’s been edited, revised, and reconstructed to fit your current beliefs. Welcome to the misinformation effect.
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Your brain decides someone is trustworthy, intelligent, and competent based on whether they have nice teeth. The Halo Effect explains why attractive people get lighter sentences, better jobs, and higher grades – despite zero evidence they deserve them.
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Cognitive dissonance makes your brain rewrite reality to protect your self-image. Each time you justify a bad choice, the next justification gets easier. This is how reasonable people end up defending the indefensible.
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