Today we’re talking about a topic that fascinates me personally: how to learn critical thinking in an age that accepts the latest meme or “fake news” without question.
I started out as a journalism major, and at the time I believed I could help the world by getting “the right answers” and putting them out there. Now I understand it’s not that black and white. We all know that news sources often bring their own political agenda to the table.
It takes clear thinking and a degree of skepticism to discern fact from fiction … not to mention everything in between. So how can we cultivate these abilities? Do our schools teach them? How can we as adults learn them in a rapidly changing world and how can we teach this skill to our children?
Tom Woods on Critical Thinking for the 21st Century
Economist, historian, and homeschooling parent Tom Woods explains why critical thinking is increasingly important in a social media and buzz feed world. With 4 Ivy League degrees (yes, 4!)—one of them a PhD in History from Columbia University—Tom Woods has the credentials.
But he didn’t stop there.
Tom Woods has made his life’s work to teach as many people as possible to be out-of-the-box entrepreneurs and problem solvers by teaching critical thinking. History and economics matters to everyone, he argues, because they are the keys to how the world works, and why.
The result of his efforts? Tom Woods is followed by a huge virtual community interested in applying critical thinking and creative solutions to political problems.
I love what he has to say, and I hope you do too!
In This Episode, You’ll Learn

why understanding economics shouldn’t be for an elite few
how to learn to think critically in a “fake news” world
a simple explanation of the power of the free market
convincing reasons why knowing history matters in today’s society
the problems Tom Woods thinks government faces over the next few decades
why Social Security isn’t the only government program with major problems
one pitfall of democratic societies (can you guess?)
ways to educate yourself on the history, art, culture, and economics you may have missed in school
resources for sharing your worldview with your kids
why government solutions actually can rob us of an opportunity for creativity
Tom’s perspective on mainstream news outlets (and how to choose news sources wisely)
what’s needed to prepare kids for the politics of college environments
whether the higher education system still has value
why knowing how to create a profitable YouTube channel might be just as important as a college education
what Austrian economics is, and what it has to do with America
common misconceptions about states’ rights … and what American history really has to say

Even if you disagree politically, here’s one of Tom Woods’ messages we all probably can get behind: we can each accomplish great things without being forced to do so.
Resources We Mention