Home Up Feedback Contents Search

Table of Contents

 

 

Acknowledgements......... v

Chapter 1 - WHAT IF WE ARE WRONG?. 1

    Two Questions ........... 2

    We Are Informed 3

    What If Emotion Trumps Truth?.. 4

    A Pledge 5

Chapter 2 - Human Emotions – the Good,
the Bad, and the Ugly
........ 7

    How Are You Feeling?......... 10

    Maslow and Truth-Driven Thinking......... 11

chapter 3 - The Profane Word
 “Responsibility”
.. 13

    Two Concerns......... 14

    Why Responsibility?... 16

CHAPTER 4 - INFORMATION OVERLOAD................. 17

    Redefining the Goal......... 18

    Critical Thinking?......... 20

    Prejudices and Paradigms......... 21

    Good and Bad?. 22

    Junk Science 23

    Another Way To See It 24

    Truth-Driven Thinking......... 26

CHAPTER 5 - It’s “what we know That
just ISN’T SO”
.......... 29

    What Color are Oranges?......... 30

    The Amazing Randi. 32

    An “Amazing” Conversation..... 34

CHAPTER 6 - A WIDER VIEW...... 53

    Sociologist – Dr. Barry Glassner......... 53

    Dangerous Messages:......... 59

    Mass Psychogenic Illness......... 66

    Warren County High School 67

    Florida Daycare Center 67

    Group Psychology........ 68

    Golf League Incident 70

    Cockpit Resource Management..... 70

CHAPTER 7 - Fact or Myth?... 72

    Do the Rich Pay Their
    Fair Share of Taxes? ......... 72

    The Profile of a Millionaire......... 74

    “Irrational Exuberance” ..... 76

    and the “New Economy”......... 76

    Spread the Word, O Media Giants! 76

    Need Other Examples?........ 77

    Irrational Lawsuits?......... 78

    Let It Ride.. 79

    Athletics......... 80

    Casinos and Gambling......... 81

    Cults.. 82

    Smoking......... 83

CHAPTER 8 - Going to Hell in a Handbasket?.......... 86

    Objective Measurements of Progress?......... 88

    Stephen Moore’s Economics Data 91

    My Own Comparisons.. 114

    Costs of Consumer Items 117

    A Comment About “Nature”....... 119

    On the Other Hand 121

CHAPTER 9 - Roots of Our Fallibility............ 124

    The Law of Absence....... 124

    The Law of Removal ....... 125

    Education Example....... 126

    Military Example....... 128

    Needs for Self-Affirmation ..... 128

    Corollary of Pervasive Negativity....... 130

    Larger Society Examples....... 132

    The Law of Increasing Knowledge...... 133

    The Law of Unintended Consequences. 133

CHAPTER 10 - COMMON ERRORS IN THE
USE OF STATISTICS............... 136

    Correlation is Not Causation....... 139

    Autism....... 140

    The Law of Sympathy....... 142

    Healthcare...... 143

    One Data Point Does Not Make a Trend 145

    A pop quiz. 146

    A Toxic Trend 158

    Percentages vs. Raw Numbers....... 161

    Simple “Average” Errors 161

    The Underperforming Sales Team 162

CHAPTER 11 - THE HIDDEN COSTS.. 165

    Statistical Murder....... 171

    A Thought About Voting 173

CHAPTER 12 - SPECIFIC TECHNIQUES FOR
SEEKING REALITY 174

    The “Reasonable People” Test. 174

    Open Your Mind 176

    Be True To Yourself....... 176

    Beware of the word “Conspiracy”.. 177

    Embrace “traditional” critical thinking....... 178

    Be Savvy When You
      See and Hear Statistics....... 179

    Check Your Ego at the Door 180

    Balance Cynicism and Trust Carefully........ 182

    Read 183

    Avail Yourself to Both Sides of the Story....... 184

    Tolerance....... 186

    Seek “Pro” and “Con” Voices....... 187

    Where Do People Get Their Political Information?.... 189

    Argue the Other Side. 190

    Be Wary of Extreme Predictions –
      Particularly Those of Massive Calamity....... 190

    Gulf War I Predictions About
      Nuclear Winter: ....... 191

    Global 2000 Report to the President....... 192

    Be a Skeptic ....... 193

    Don’t Smoke!  ....... 194

    Maintain Some Perspective...... 194

CHAPTER 13 - Perspective & Proportionality 195

    The War on Drugs....... 195

    A Final Look 197

    Perspective            199

 

Send mail to sgibson@truthdrivenstrategies.com with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2005 Truth-Driven Strategies, L.L.C.
Last modified: 10/22/07