How can you defend yourself and your family against misinformation in a world increasingly saturated with un-curated social media journalism? How can you avoid being swept up by fear, panic and peer pressure? Don’t worry, the FCPGM podcast has you covered. 

On today’s episode, we’re looking at skeptical thinking and tips on how you can make sure you’re not being taken for a ride by unscrupulous charlatans or political propaganda. 

To begin with, all 3 of us give a brief account of areas close to our hearts where a keen eye is required so that you don't get taken for a fool. James starts with the world of Self-help, Meditation and Mindfulness. Marlene talks of politics and history, while Liam-Og discusses the pitfalls of martial arts gurus and no touch knockouts. 

In reality, there are scams and snake oil salesmen in all walks of life and the most consistent ammunition we can arm ourselves with for defence is Skeptical Thinking. We discuss the meaning of skepticism, the psychology of why we, as humans, are sometime gullible and the nuances of logical fallacies and cognitive biases. 

Finally, we offer 6 top tips to help you become a better skeptivist ("Skeptical Activist"). They are as follows:

1. Always think before you share
2. Only use trusted sources 
3. Data/Statistics trump memory/emotion
4. Understand the mechanics of logical reasoning
5. Know your cognitive biases
6. Be comfortable to say “I don’t know". (You don’t always have to have an opinion)

The Gym Mommas Quote of the Week is:
"When we’re open to new possibilities, we find them. Be open and skeptical of everything"
 - Todd Kashdan

Some books we recommend are as follows:

Skeptics Guide to the Universe:How To Know What's Really Real in a World Increasingly Full of Fake - Dr Steve Novella et al, 2019 https://amzn.to/2UgYXyx

Waking Up: Searching for Spirituality Without Religion, Sam Harris https://amzn.to/3fL5ryg

Aware: the science and practice of presence - a complete guide to the groundbreaking Wheel of Awareness meditation practice, Daniel J. Siegel https://amzn.to/2Vl8Mwf 

Search Inside Yourself: The Unexpected Path to Achieving Success, Happiness (and World Peace), Chade Meng https://amzn.to/2ALtBd7

The Skeptic's Guide to American History, Professor Mark A Stoler https://amzn.to/2V5GO7p


Articles and Videos:

George Dillman Nat Geo Documentary (No touch KO)
https://youtu.be/_Z0_n7tGnK0

Fake martial arts: The psychology behind 'no-touch' knockouts. What leads people to believe in "chi" attacks and "no-touch" knockouts?, Stephen Johnson, Feb '20 https://bigthink.com/culture-religion/fake-martial-arts

Kiai Master v MMA Journalist https://youtu.be/gEDaCIDvj6I

JKA Documentary on Karate 1956 https://youtu.be/bmoAfTxbFgw

Website for Free Logical Fallacies and Cognitive Biases Posters https://thethinkingshop.org/


Podcast & Blogs:
SGU Skeptics Guide to the Universe: https://www.theskepticsguide.org/

Cork Skeptics https://corkskeptics.org/