Available from Amazon as a paperback, albeit on limited distribution due to its unique format. Look up Thinking In The Real World (The Long Version) by David G Croucher. In the format of 1 page sheets provides information, observations, and guidance on a large number of topics, as listed below. A collation of wisdom and reflections from across the ages and as applicable to our day-to-day lives.
A shortened version is also available, titled, wait for it: ‘Thinking in the Real World (The Short Version)‘.
INTRODUCTION
PART A: COGNITIVE BIASES
Introduction
Fundamental Attribution Bias
Confirmation Bias
Selective Reporting Bias
Blind Spot Bias
Availability Bias
Hindsight Bias
Anchoring Bias
Pattern Recognition Bias
In-Group Bias
Unconscious Bias
Optimism/Pessimism Bias
Restraint Bias
Bandwagon Effect and Groupthink
Status Quo Bias, Loss Aversion, and Endowment Affect
Other Cognitive Biases
Countering our Cognitive Biases
PART B: FALLACIES
Introduction
Ad Hominem
False Balance Fallacy
Appeal to Authority Fallacy
False/Weak Analogy Fallacy
Hasty Generalization
Fallacy of Single Cause
Post hoc ergo propter hoc
Mistaking Cause and Effect
Strawman Fallacy
False Dilemma Fallacy
Appeal to Common Belief
Fallacies of Ambiguity
Appeal to Emotion
Circular Reasoning
Fallacies of Composition and Division
(Texas) Sharpshooter Fallacy
Appeal to Perfection
Other Fallacies
Observations about fallacies
Making yourself less susceptible to fallacies
PART C: PROBABILITIES, STATISTICS, AND LUCK
Introduction
Gambler’s Fallacy
Expected Value
Expect the Unexpected
Account for Base Rate
Bayesian Probabilities
Regression to the Mean
Not everything is ‘Normal’
The Many Abuses of Statistics
Misuse of Statistical Significance
Simpson’s Paradox
Type 1 and Type 2 errors / false-positives and false-negatives
Making estimates / Guesstimating
Miscellaneous Probability/Statistics misconceptions
General good thinking guidelines with respect to statistics and probabilities
PART D: INFLUENCING
Introduction
Authority
Social Proof and affinity
Scarcity
Reciprocity
Framing
Likeability
Repetition
Appeal to Ego
Use of (financial) incentives
Other Influencing techniques and tendencies
Scamming
How to avoid being unduly influenced
PART E: THE WORLD WE LIVE IN
Introduction
The Universe
Planet Earth
Life on Earth
A Little Bit of Geography
Our history
The nature of scientific understanding and advancement
Scientific Rules and Laws
Some general observations about the world we live in
PART F: THE NATURE OF US
Introduction
The human brain
Subconscious and conscious processes and the imperfections of memory
The interplay between brain and body
Emotions and feelings
The creation and use of concepts
The creation and use of mental models
We are social and tribal beings
The impact of our genes
We have different personalities and characters
Personality Characteristics
Personality disorders
We have different motivations
There are different types of intelligence
We come from different cultural backgrounds
We have different perspectives
We see the world in a distorted way
We are highly prone to wishful thinking and self-deception
We have very fixed beliefs and opinions, and don’t realize it
We are all hypocrites, albeit some more extremely so than others
Things that piss us off
List of common shortfalls in our thinking
Some further general observations about us and others
The nature of free will
In the end, we die
PART G: ATTITUDE OF MIND
Introduction
Accept that your beliefs and loyalties are choices, not absolutes
Be curious
Seek to expand your range of concepts and mental models
Adopt a growth rather than a fixed mindset
Life isn’t fair, but so what?
We can change the way we think, and learn to become a better person
Accept that life is complex and uncertain
Accept that times and circumstances change
Think positively, up to a point
Be grateful for what you have rather than bitter about what you don’t
Defining your self-worth
Life is what you make of it
See the funny side
Put your humanity above all (primo hominis)
Attitude towards death
Making mistakes and learning the lessons of the past
Response to failure
Mindfulness and being in the present
Dwelling
Worrying about the future
Shifting your mood
The pursuit of pleasure
The handling of (physical) pain
General character strengths to encourage
The influence of mindset and habits of thought
Unhelpful attitudes, mindsets, and habits of thought
A healthy mindset
PART H: MANAGING OUR LIVES
Introduction
Find meaning in your life
Have and seek to keep your values
Examples of values
Have some things you really care about
Things to care about beyond yourself and those close to you
Goals
Engage with life
Increasing your energy levels
Make an effort (accept that life is difficult and work hard)
Deal with difficulties and rise to challenges
Recognize your own shortcomings and work with them
Take or accept responsibility (but not necessarily blame)
Accept that you have emotions and feelings
When you are feeling strong negative emotions in the moment
Learn to recognize and counter longer term negative feelings
Improve your emotional awareness / Better describe your emotions and feelings
Improve your emotional vocabulary
Don’t deny your instincts and intuitions: learn when to trust and when to question
In the face of danger
Change when necessary but not just for the sake of it
Try to find a balance in your life
Prioritize but don’t over prioritize
Do what needs to be done when it needs to be done
Good enough is good enough
Managing your time and personal planning
Making a project plan
Look after your health and well-being
Look after your finances, as best you can
Manage your personal risks
Examples of personal risks to consider managing
Recognize and manage your stress
Changing your habits a bit at a time
Consider simplifying your life
Focus and learn to better focus
Focus and attention whilst engaged in physical activity and games
Focus and attention whilst engaged in mental activity
Continually adapt and improve and prepare
Lifelong learning
How to learn
Becoming expert
What to learn
Using the internet and social media to get information
Decision Making
Effective Problem Solving
Assessing whether a risk is worth taking
Effective Communicating
Be aware of body language, but also its limitations
Improving your memory
Increasing your creativity
Learn to better do the right thing right now
Some tips regarding the hassles of daily living
Relating to bringing up children
Getting old
PART I: RATIONAL THINKING
Introduction
A rational approach to assessing beliefs
Engaging in arguments
Question the reliability of information
Think about what is not there but maybe could or should be
Always accept that you might be and sometimes are wrong
Put into perspective and focus on the why
Substance over appearance/form/style
Understand and take account of Opportunity Cost
Optimization and instability and seeking to retain some flexibility
Success = intent (objectives and plans) + application + chance
Correlation does not imply Causation
Unintended consequences and solving one problem whilst causing another
Tragedy of the commons
When we should blame
PART J: INTERACTING WITH OTHERS
Introduction
Understanding other people
Hold back from being too ready to judge or assume
Hold back from being too ready to take offense
When you disagree with someone
Responding to people in a heightened emotional state
Everyday conflicts
Negotiating and seeking compromise
Getting on with other people and developing good relationships
Developing and maintaining close relationships
Think positively about others and be generous
Seeking help and advice from others
Trying to change someone’s mind
Counselling and giving advice
Working with other people
Managing and leading other people
Trust, up to a point
How to respond to abuse of power
Tactics when in competition
PART K: INTERACTING WITH HUMANITY
Introduction
The very real dangers the world faces
The dangers of believing in simple solutions to complex problems
The behaviour of authoritarian regimes and the dangers they pose
The importance of supporting democracy and pluralism
There is such a thing as truth, and it matters
Fake News
Conspiracy Beliefs
The limits of ‘rights’
In response to strong religious or political beliefs
Accept politics, reject the abuse of politics
Moving towards better societies and a better world
Do the right things whenever you can
PART L: PROVERBS, PHRASES, AND QUOTES
Introduction
English Proverbs
Latin Phrases
Chinese Proverbs
Ancient Greek Quotes
AFTERWORD