On Clear Thinking and Falsifiability

The concept of falsifiability is central to the modern scientific process. It's the idea that any hypothesis or theory must be capable of being proven wrong. While this may sound simple, it's a crucial scientific principle that helps protect both the process and the practitioner from magical thinking. Any claim you want to investigate needs to be able to be concretely confirmed or denied, and you must be clear about what evidence would be necessary to either confirm or deny it.

I had understood this principle in the realm of science for my entire adult life. However, it wasn't until reading Sam Harris' book Waking Up that I realized how important it is to apply this concept to all aspects of our lives. All humans are wired for magical or conspiratorial thinking. We all have beliefs that are hard to define, and they don't have to be religious, although religion certainly falls into this category.

Separating Religious Belief from Rational Thinking

To examine your beliefs critically, ask yourself: What evidence would you need to see to change this belief? It's a simple question, but if you can't answer it, it's a good indicator that your belief may not be grounded in reality. For example:

• Don't believe the COVID-19 vaccine is safe? What evidence would you need to see to change your mind?
• Do you believe the Earth was created in seven literal days? What evidence would you need to see to change your mind?
• Do you think Hurricane Milton was engineered by the government? You get the idea.

Asking these questions doesn't mean you have to agree with me on anything. It doesn't mean we have to interpret reality and evidence in the same way. But it's a start. It means we can have a real conversation. And if we're able to have real conversations, then we actually have a chance for a genuine relationship where we both might grow and learn more than we ever expected.