Passionately Wrong Podcast Episode E032

Tools to Keep Better Informed

Key takeaway: Randy and James explore why it’s so hard to feel well-informed nowadays, and what we can do to improve our chances. Among other tools: keep an open mind, be open to the possibility you could be wrong, collect information before making snap judgments, gather information from multiple sources, really consider arguments from the other side, and don’t consider everything as black and white.

Topics covered in this video:

• We have more information than ever before, and yet much of it seems less helpful
• Sources of information have fragmented; people can find support for any position
• The importance of critical thinking in navigating an opinion-rich and polarized time
• Thinking is hard, relying on experts used to make sense
• What happens when more people are peddling propaganda?
• Avoid being passionately wrong by assuming you probably are wrong (or at least that you don’t already know everything and so are open to learning new things)
• Don’t be quick to make assumptions about facts or people’s motivations
• New sources of information, newsletters from former mainstream media reporters
• Many topics people disagree about are not black and white, but gray
• Be especially wary of people telling you things you wish were true
• Motivated reasoning is everywhere
• Why it is so helpful to make the best argument for the other side yourself

Resources in this video

Lex Fridman podcast (https://lexfridman.com/podcast/)

Bari Weiss substack (The Free Press) (https://substack.com/@bariweiss)

Michael Schellenberger substack (https://substack.com/@shellenberger)

Matt Taibi substack (https://substack.com/@taibbi)

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YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCggxZuXzexBtEhsX_TpV5yQ
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Randy's Editor Webpage: https://randysurles.com/