Elizabeth Whitworth, Author at Shortform Books

What Is a Formal Fallacy? The Anatomy of a Faulty Conclusion

What is a formal fallacy? How often do you perpetrate them? Can you detect them in the arguments of other people? According to psychologist Steven Pinker, one of the main reasons people think irrationally is that they use logic and critical thinking incorrectly. They engage in fallacious arguments that lead to irrational conclusions. Formal fallacies are one common type of fallacy that people commit. Read more to learn about a couple of common formal fallacies and the psychological bias that’s behind them.

3 ADHD Lifestyle Changes That Can Help You Flourish

What’s the best way to introduce more structure into your life? What physical activities help relieve psychological symptoms? Psychiatrists Edward Hallowell and John Ratey have good news: People with ADHD can adjust their lifestyles to minimize the downsides of ADHD and harness their own natural strengths. The authors recommend establishing structure, prioritizing health, and taking medication to relieve negative symptoms. Keep reading to learn about three ADHD lifestyle changes that can contribute to a fulfilling life.

What Are Incisive Questions, and Why Should You Ask Them?

How can you help someone overcome an assumption that limits their thought and action? What role does your silence play in the process? Nancy Kline asserts that the key to evoking high-quality thinking in others is to listen to them well. She provides a step-by-step process for conducting a productive conversation, or a thinking session, which maximizes the quality of both listening and thinking. Let’s take a close look at Step 4 in the process: Ask an incisive question.

How to Thrive With ADHD: Leverage Your Natural Interests

What are you really good at? What do you enjoy so much that it can make you lose track of time? If you have ADHD, you can achieve incredible things when you take on challenges that align with your strengths and passions. Edward Hallowell and John Ratey explain how and why this works in their encouraging book ADHD 2.0. Keep reading to learn how to thrive with ADHD by leveraging your natural interests.

Formal and Informal Fallacies: Steven Pinker on Critical Thinking

How well do you know the basic rules of logic? How often do you break them? Can you tell when others use flawed thinking? Steven Pinker argues that people often act irrationally even when they think they’re not. He examines how you can be more rational and make better decisions by improving your critical thinking skills and by understanding—and thus avoiding—the logical fallacies that people often fall victim to. Continue reading for Pinker’s explanation of formal and informal fallacies.

How to Create a Thinking Partnership: The 6-Step Session

Do you have a thinking partner? How does a thinking partnership work? In her book Time to Think, Nancy Kline presents a step-by-step process for taking on the role of the listener to help someone else engage in higher-quality thinking. The exciting result is the generation and sharing of great ideas that lead to powerful action. Keep reading to learn how to create a thinking partnership by using Kline’s six-step thinking session format.

Do Nothing: Celeste Headlee’s Call to Embrace True Leisure

Do you feel pressured to produce? Are you overworking and “underliving”? In Do Nothing, Celeste Headlee argues that, by trying to do too much, people are working less efficiently. This is because the human brain isn’t designed to multitask and work without rest. Even more, the culture of overworking has led to worse health outcomes and more social isolation. Continue reading for an overview of this book that shows you how to free your life from the tyranny of work.

America’s Work Ethic: The Cultural Pressure to Overwork

Is hard work a virtue? Is wealth a sign that someone’s a good person? American culture places a high value on hard work and productivity. This is a problem, according to radio journalist Celeste Headlee. In her book Do Nothing, she discusses where this value comes from. Read more to learn how America’s work ethic has been shaped over time.

How to Use Bayesian Reasoning to Make Better Predictions

What if you could make better decisions because you’re able to make better predictions? How can an eighteenth-century statistician help you? People often miscalculate the probability of an event occurring and then make poor decisions based on that miscalculation. Steven Pinker explains how you can use Bayesian reasoning to make more accurate assessments of evidence and, in turn, make more accurate predictions about the future. Read more to learn how to use Bayesian reasoning to make decisions that are based on a better understanding of what’s going on.

Nancy Kline: Thinking Environments Need These 3 Qualities

Do you think better when you’re relaxed or under pressure? Does competition encourage or stifle effective thinking? In Time to Think, Nancy Kline asserts that high-quality thought requires dedicated time. It also requires the right environment. She identifies three characteristics of a setting that impact how conducive the space is to good thinking. Keep reading to learn Nancy Kline’s thinking environment recommendations.