Spot the Biases That Cloud Your Judgment

You are not as objective as you feel. Your mind quietly sorts evidence into what it wants to be true and what it can dismiss, and you rarely notice it happening.

The problem is rarely a lack of intelligence. Smart people are often better at building a case for whatever they already believe, because their inner lawyer is more skilled. The fix is not raw IQ. It is the habit of asking "Must I believe this?" versus "Can I believe this?" and noticing which question you are reaching for.

This course is built on the scout-versus-soldier distinction from Julia Galef's work on the scout mindset. You practice concrete moves: flipping the evidence to catch a double standard, stepping outside your own head to judge a claim as a stranger would, and running an update test before you commit. By the end you hold beliefs the way a scout holds a map, ready to redraw it when the territory disagrees.

Who it's for

Founders and operators: want to stop talking themselves into the decision they already liked and pressure-test it honestly.

Analysts and researchers: need a repeatable way to catch motivated reasoning in their own conclusions before someone else does.

Anyone who argues for a living: wants to know when they are genuinely weighing evidence and when they are just defending turf.