Philosophy
One of my favorite blogs out there is You Are Not So Smart. Based on scientific developments in fields like cognitive psychology and behavioral economics, it's a fun and accessible exploration of the many ways in which our minds predictably fail us because of the many cognitive biases to which we are naturally prone and the logical fallacies we commit without even realizing it.
If you consistently manage to make the same wrong choice, for instance, the problem might have more to do with the fact that you don't understand the problem and/or yourself (and how your animal mind works) well enough to figure out what approach to take than with things like will power, self-control or even luck. One of the ways out of these mental traps is to engage in some metacognition: thinking about the process of thinking itself, but you need some background knowledge, and that's exactly what you can find in the blog, or soon, in its upcoming book.
Anyway, here's a taste of the awesomeness, explaining why we procrastinate, and how we might be able to go about avoiding this fun but ultimately self-defeating habit.
I won't be mad if anyone wants to get me a copy of the book when it comes out :)
Jonah Lehrer's "How We Decide" (previously featured here) is also a great read.
- Thinking Blog Award
Aspazia tapped me with this meme that's been circulating -- the Thinking Blog Award. I usually don't do these, but I do think there are some smart lesser known blogs I would love to see get a wider readership. (hint: it also helps to get someone...
- Thou Shalt Not Commit Logical Fallacies!
With unprecedented access to the vast accumulation of knowledge of the world at our fingertips, it is disappointing to see that even though we are living in the midst of the information age, this is not an age of wisdom. We seem to be surrounded by pseudo-scientific...
- Michael Shermer - The Baloney Detection Kit
In this blog we have featured previously a basic intro to logic and argumentation, a primer on the importance of critical thinking, a fun intro to informal logical fallacies, and many more relevant entries. And yet the main point cannot be emphasized...
- Critical Thinking Animated Primer
One cannot stress enough the importance of critical thinking. Without it, we would be defenseless against the manipulative tactics of other people, governments, religions, the media, corporations, politicians, swindlers, etc. Without it, we would not...
- Jonah Lehrer - How We Decide
Like it or not, decisions are both ubiquitous and inescapable. If you think about it for a second or two, the outcome of our own lives, the welfare of our society, the fulfillment of our relationships and the success of our careers, ultimately depend...
Philosophy
You Are Not So Smart - PRO-CRAS-TI-NATION
If you consistently manage to make the same wrong choice, for instance, the problem might have more to do with the fact that you don't understand the problem and/or yourself (and how your animal mind works) well enough to figure out what approach to take than with things like will power, self-control or even luck. One of the ways out of these mental traps is to engage in some metacognition: thinking about the process of thinking itself, but you need some background knowledge, and that's exactly what you can find in the blog, or soon, in its upcoming book.
Anyway, here's a taste of the awesomeness, explaining why we procrastinate, and how we might be able to go about avoiding this fun but ultimately self-defeating habit.
I won't be mad if anyone wants to get me a copy of the book when it comes out :)
Jonah Lehrer's "How We Decide" (previously featured here) is also a great read.
- Thinking Blog Award
Aspazia tapped me with this meme that's been circulating -- the Thinking Blog Award. I usually don't do these, but I do think there are some smart lesser known blogs I would love to see get a wider readership. (hint: it also helps to get someone...
- Thou Shalt Not Commit Logical Fallacies!
With unprecedented access to the vast accumulation of knowledge of the world at our fingertips, it is disappointing to see that even though we are living in the midst of the information age, this is not an age of wisdom. We seem to be surrounded by pseudo-scientific...
- Michael Shermer - The Baloney Detection Kit
In this blog we have featured previously a basic intro to logic and argumentation, a primer on the importance of critical thinking, a fun intro to informal logical fallacies, and many more relevant entries. And yet the main point cannot be emphasized...
- Critical Thinking Animated Primer
One cannot stress enough the importance of critical thinking. Without it, we would be defenseless against the manipulative tactics of other people, governments, religions, the media, corporations, politicians, swindlers, etc. Without it, we would not...
- Jonah Lehrer - How We Decide
Like it or not, decisions are both ubiquitous and inescapable. If you think about it for a second or two, the outcome of our own lives, the welfare of our society, the fulfillment of our relationships and the success of our careers, ultimately depend...