Why a great education means engaging with controversy

Jonathan Zimmerman explains why teachers should invite, not censor, tough classroom debates.

  • During times of war or national crisis in the U.S., school boards and officials are much more wary about allowing teachers and kids to say what they think.
  • If our teachers avoid controversial questions in the classroom, kids won't get the experience they need to know how to engage with difficult questions and with criticism.
  • Jonathan Zimmerman argues that controversial issues should be taught in schools as they naturally arise. Otherwise kids will learn from TV news what politics looks like – which is more often a rant than a healthy debate.
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Lateral thinking: How to workshop innovative ideas

Don't underestimate the power of play when it comes to problem-solving.

  • As we get older, the work we consistently do builds "rivers of thinking." These give us a rich knowledge of a certain kind of area.
  • The problem with this, however, is that as those patterns get deeper, we get locked into them. When this happens it becomes a challenge to think differently — to break from the past and generate new ideas.
  • How do we get out of this rut? One way is to bring play and game mechanics into workshops. When we approach problem-solving from a perspective of fun, we lose our fear of failure, allowing us to think boldly and overcome built patterns.
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Not reaching your potential? Don’t overthink it, study suggests

When thinking about your shortcomings, it pays to be kind.

  • A recent study explored how people feel about the discrepancies they perceive between who they are now, who they aspire to be, and who they think they ought to be.
  • The researchers specifically explored how rumination mediates our negative feelings about these discrepancies.
  • Rumination only seemed to mediate our negative feelings about perceived discrepancies between our actual selves and ideal selves.
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Think Again Podcast's 200th episode! Robert MacFarlane (writer) – deep time rising

The wonder and the ethics of deep time. The "wood-wide-web". The claustrophobia of the Anthropocene. In our 200th episode, UNDERLAND author Robert MacFarlane takes us on a journey deep into the Earth and ourselves.

Think Again Podcasts
  • "We think of ourselves as this surface species. Of builders. But we are a species of burrowers and borers. And we are leaving warrens behind us that dwarf any ant's nest…"
  • "That handprint on the cave wall is testimony to that urge to move into darkness in search of meaning—in search of different orders of time."
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Work smarter, not harder: Question all the things you 'should' do

Big Think Edge
  • Organization expert Carson Tate suggests taking a good hard look at all the things you assume you "should" do and questioning why those things are so important.
  • By seeing beyond the veneer of our "shoulds," we can better understand when it's best to say, "Yes," and when it benefits us to say, "No."
  • In this lesson, Tate explores a powerful method for evaluating every "should" that comes your way.
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Making complex decisions? Embrace objective truth.

Big Think Edge
  • The world is becoming more analytical. Given the deluge of data available and the rapid pace of change across all facets of our lives, good decision-making – that is, the ability to be analytical in your approach to making choices – is critical.
  • In this lesson, Economist Lawrence Summers explores why deciding wisely is essential to leading a good life.
  • By the end of it, you'll have a deeper understanding of what Summers believes to be the single greatest pitfall to analytical thinking – and its antidote.
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