Think It Through: the Clearer Thinking Podcast

Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1265189/open_sms] In this episode, April reveals that her husband is a rain god. Well, he's not, but he thinks he is. She discusses this uniquely human thing we do called magical thinking. Episode 36 Show Notes (oooh, so many sources!) Good basic explanation of magical thinking: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/magical-thinking [https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/magical-thinking] Wait, here's another one: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/magical-thinking [https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/magical-thinking] How is magical thinking a cognitive distortion? https://www.goodrx.com/health-topic/mental-health/magical-thinking-effects-cognitive-distortion [https://www.goodrx.com/health-topic/mental-health/magical-thinking-effects-cognitive-distortion] Amanda Montell's awesome book: https://www.amazon.com/Age-Magical-Overthinking-Modern-Irrationality/dp/1668007975 [https://www.amazon.com/Age-Magical-Overthinking-Modern-Irrationality/dp/1668007975] Scientific American articles on the topic: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-come-some-people-believe-in-the-paranormal/ [https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-come-some-people-believe-in-the-paranormal/]https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-can-you-fight-conspiracy-theories/ [https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-can-you-fight-conspiracy-theories/] Do dead people pinch us while we sleep? Probably not: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/theory-and-praxis/202310/the-benefits-and-consequences-of-magical-thinking [https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/theory-and-praxis/202310/the-benefits-and-consequences-of-magical-thinking] Healthline's article: https://www.healthline.com/health/magical-thinking#:~:text=Magical%20thinking%20involves%20the%20belief%20that%20you%20can,something%20that%20has%20no%20bearing%20on%20the%20circumstances. [https://www.healthline.com/health/magical-thinking#:~:text=Magical%20thinking%20involves%20the%20belief%20that%20you%20can,something%20that%20has%20no%20bearing%20on%20the%20circumstances.] Matthew Hutson and the positive side of magical thinking: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12933497-the-7-laws-of-magical-thinking [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12933497-the-7-laws-of-magical-thinking] How magical thinking and OCD are connected: https://www.verywellhealth.com/magical-thinking-ocd-5220558 [https://www.verywellhealth.com/magical-thinking-ocd-5220558] Salon.com articles on the topic: https://www.salon.com/2018/09/10/a-neuroscientist-explains-how-religious-fundamentalism-hijacks-the-brain_partner/ [https://www.salon.com/2018/09/10/a-neuroscientist-explains-how-religious-fundamentalism-hijacks-the-brain_partner/]https://www.salon.com/2024/04/09/from-conspiracy-theories-to-manifesting-how-to-navigate-the-age-of-magical-overthinking/ [https://www.salon.com/2024/04/09/from-conspiracy-theories-to-manifesting-how-to-navigate-the-age-of-magical-overthinking/] How to Talk to Conspiracy Theorists: https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/critical-thinking-pseudoscience/zen-and-art-talking-conspiracy-theorists [https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/critical-thinking-pseudoscience/zen-and-art-talking-conspiracy-theorists] Interview with Eric Oliver: https://news.uchicago.edu/podcasts/big-brains/science-conspiracy-theories-and-political-polarization-eric-oliver [https://news.uchicago.edu/podcasts/big-brains/science-conspiracy-theories-and-political-polarization-eric-oliver] Mick West is awesome. Links for his book and his webpage, Metabunk: https://www.amazon.com/Escaping-Rabbit-Hole-Conspiracy-Theories-ebook/dp/B077YS5G2N

Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1265189/open_sms] In this episode, April discusses an unfair and unethical debate tactic used by many politicians, conspiracy theorists, and anyone else who insists on "winning" arguments. She also revisits Brandolini's Law, which means she gets to say "bullshit" more than a few times. Episode 35 Show Notes https://www.logicallyfallacious.com/logicalfallacies/gish-gallop.html [https://www.logicallyfallacious.com/logicalfallacies/gish-gallop.html]A good basic description of the Gish Gallop. https://effectiviology.com/gish-gallop/ [https://effectiviology.com/gish-gallop/]Itamar Schatz's website, Effectiviology, is one of my go-to places for everything fallacy-related. “On the Trail With RFK Jr." On the Media. Podcast. June 30, 2023. Um, not sure how to link to this, but you can certainly search for it on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. RFK Jr. is well-known for using the Gish Gallop in his speeches and interviews. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=murvOaHB66A [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=murvOaHB66A]Wanna see some really fast talkers? These student debaters can speak at 500 words per minute, which is twice as fast as Congressman Jim Jordan. But unlike him, they have to make sense and provide evidence for their claims. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-FGKxaCdS0 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-FGKxaCdS0]I took Congressman Jordan's Gish Gallop example from this succinct YouTube video about how to counter the Gish Gallop technique. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/02/11/readout-of-president-bidens-video-call-with-transatlantic-leaders/ [https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/02/11/readout-of-president-bidens-video-call-with-transatlantic-leaders/]https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/02/17/readout-of-president-bidens-call-with-president-zelenskyy-of-ukraine-13/ [https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/02/17/readout-of-president-bidens-call-with-president-zelenskyy-of-ukraine-13/]Here are two readouts of diplomatic calls President Biden has made. https://qz.com/905252/donald-trumps-lies-are-all-part-of-a-debate-tactic-called-the-gish-gallop [https://qz.com/905252/donald-trumps-lies-are-all-part-of-a-debate-tactic-called-the-gish-gallop]Carl Alvioni's excellent article on Gish Gallops. Everything below has to do with the Trump-Ukraine call: https://www.politico.com/news/2019/09/25/donald-trump-ukraine-call-analysis-000039 [https://www.politico.com/news/2019/09/25/donald-trump-ukraine-call-analysis-000039] https://www.npr.org/2019/10/12/768935251/trump-ukraine-and-the-path-to-the-impeachment-inquiry-a-timeline [https://www.npr.org/2019/10/12/768935251/trump-ukraine-and-the-path-to-the-impeachment-inquiry-a-timeline] https://www.politico.com/news/2022/10/14/pelosi-trump-impeachment-ukraine-00061649 [https://www.politico.com/news/2022/10/14/pelosi-trump-impeachment-ukraine-00061649] https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-ukraine-transcript-moved_n_5dba4ec5e4b0bb1ea37476e5 [https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-ukraine-transcript-moved_n_5dba4ec5e4b0bb1ea37476e5] https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/27/us/politics/nsc-ukraine-call.html [https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/27/us/politics/nsc-ukraine-call.html] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/white-house-lawyer-moved-transcript-of-trump-call-to-classified-server-af [https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/white-house-lawyer-moved-transcript-of-trump-call-to-classified-server-after-ukraine-adviser-raised-alarms/2019/10/30/ba0fbdb6-fb4e-11e9-8190-6be4deb56e01_story.html]

Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1265189/open_sms] In this episode, April warns people that they might need a break while listening; but in the end, it's surprisingly positive. Just like her!!! Episode 34 Show Notes https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/what-to-know-existential-dread [https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/what-to-know-existential-dread] Good discussion of the basics of existentialism, existential dread, why existential crises occur and how to handle them. https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220929-the-unsettling-power-of-existential-dread [https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220929-the-unsettling-power-of-existential-dread] David Robson's article explains how existential dread changes the way we think, reporting on the upswing in conspiracy theories after distressing events that trigger existential dread. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Denial_of_Death [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Denial_of_Death] Yep, I'm citing Wikipedia here, but it's a decent discussion of Ernest Becker's groundbreaking work. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/jul/31/the-worm-at-the-core-on-the-role-of-death-in-life-solomon-greenberg-pyszczynski-review [https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/jul/31/the-worm-at-the-core-on-the-role-of-death-in-life-solomon-greenberg-pyszczynski-review] Excellent review of Solomon, Greenberg, and Psyzczynski's seminal work about terror management theory. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.595990/full [https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.595990/full] Great article about how many individuals used creative expression to alleviate their distress during the Covid-19 pandemic. https://www.un.org/africarenewal/web-features/i-was-tested-limit-%E2%80%94-rwanda-genocide-survivor [https://www.un.org/africarenewal/web-features/i-was-tested-limit-%E2%80%94-rwanda-genocide-survivor] The harrowing story of a Rwanda genocide survivor. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7498956/ [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7498956/] The original researchers of terror management theory apply their understanding of it to the Covid-19 pandemic. https://mymodernmet.com/what-are-the-lascaux-cave-paintings/ [https://mymodernmet.com/what-are-the-lascaux-cave-paintings/] Take a look at these beautiful cave paintings--that's how you live forever, people! Do something amazing.

Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1265189/open_sms] To kick off a new year, April looks at the impact that the emotion of gratitude can have on our mental, emotional, and even physical health. The message here is--the better you feel about yourself and the world around you, the better your cognitive processes will be. Episode 33 Show Notes The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy's article on gratitude is, um, kinda deep and intense (and hard to read), but then, it IS the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, so... https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/gratitude/ [https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/gratitude/] What gratitude is, and some ways to show it: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/your-wise-brain/202102/how-show-gratitude [https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/your-wise-brain/202102/how-show-gratitude] LinkedIn article about gratitude in the workplace: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/power-thank-you-how-engage-your-company-gratitude-/ [https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/power-thank-you-how-engage-your-company-gratitude-/] Glenn Fox on gratitude: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/what_can_the_brain_reveal_about_gratitude [https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/what_can_the_brain_reveal_about_gratitude] A.J. Jacob's wonderful gratitude journey: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brainstorm/201811/adventures-in-gratitude [https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brainstorm/201811/adventures-in-gratitude] I reference Kendra Cherry a lot, because her articles are always spot on: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-gratitude-5206817#History%20of%20Gratitude [https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-gratitude-5206817#History%20of%20Gratitude] Robert Emmons discusses gratitude: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/topic/gratitude/definition [https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/topic/gratitude/definition] Interesting article about how gratitude evolved: https://grateful.org/resource/the-evolution-of-gratitude/ [https://grateful.org/resource/the-evolution-of-gratitude/] How practicing gratitude affects the brain: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_gratitude_changes_you_and_your_brain [https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_gratitude_changes_you_and_your_brain] Another great article about neuroscience and gratitude: https://positivepsychology.com/neuroscience-of-gratitude/ [https://positivepsychology.com/neuroscience-of-gratitude/] This article focuses on the importance of gratitude in our lives: https://positivepsychology.com/gratitude-appreciation/#:~:text=Many%20of%20us%20express%20gratitude%20by,emotion%20that%20serves%20a%20biological%20purpose.&text=Many%20of%20us%20express,serves%20a%20biological%20purpose.&text=us%20express%20gratitude%20by,emotion%20that%20serves%20a [https://positivepsychology.com/gratitude-appreciation/#:~:text=Many%20of%20us%20express%20gratitude%20by,emotion%20that%20serves%20a%20biological%20purpose.&text=Many%20of%20us%20express,serves%20a%20biological%20purpose.&text=us%20express%20gratitude%20by,emotion%20that%20serves%20a]

Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1265189/open_sms] In this episode, April admits that she doesn't always calmly and rationally think things through; but hey, neither do you. Why? Heuristics, that's why. She discusses these handy, if sometimes problematic, mental shortcuts that help get us through the day without our brains literally exploding. And by literally, I mean figuratively; but literally sounds better, plus it makes a great mental image--KABOOM!!! Episode 32 Show Notes: I've recommended Daniel Kahneman's book before, and I'll probably do it again: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11468377-thinking-fast-and-slow [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11468377-thinking-fast-and-slow] Interesting article about the history and origins of heuristics: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-a-heuristic-2795235 [https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-a-heuristic-2795235] A basic discussion of heuristics: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/heuristics [https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/heuristics] Dr. Weinberger's blog explaining our unconscious mind: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-unconscious/202001/how-the-unconscious-works [https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-unconscious/202001/how-the-unconscious-works] An easy to read but fairly comprehensive article discussing many aspects of heuristics, including the different types of heuristics and when our brain is likely to use them: https://www.simplypsychology.org/what-is-a-heuristic.html [https://www.simplypsychology.org/what-is-a-heuristic.html] You're probably aware that some of these jobs are dangerous, but others may surprise you with their position on this list: https://www.ishn.com/articles/112748-top-25-most-dangerous-jobs-in-the-united-states [https://www.ishn.com/articles/112748-top-25-most-dangerous-jobs-in-the-united-states] The Decision Lab's article goes into some detail about how our brains use heuristics: https://thedecisionlab.com/insights/society/tdl-perspectives-what-are-heuristics [https://thedecisionlab.com/insights/society/tdl-perspectives-what-are-heuristics] Over-reliance on heuristics can lead to stereotyping in the workplace: https://www.engagetu.com/2020/01/28/heuristics-and-workplace-bias/ [https://www.engagetu.com/2020/01/28/heuristics-and-workplace-bias/] Kendra Cherry's excellent article about decision making: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-affect-heuristic-2795028#:~:text=The%20affect%20heuristic%20is%20a%20type%20of%20mental,role%20in%20the%20choices%20and%20decisions%20you%20make [https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-affect-heuristic-2795028#:~:text=The%20affect%20heuristic%20is%20a%20type%20of%20mental,role%20in%20the%20choices%20and%20decisions%20you%20make]