Dear Independent Thinker:
Are you alarmed at the lack of critical thinking and rampant irrationality in society today? Are you disturbed at most people's unwillingness to think for themselves? Are you skeptical of the status quo?
So are we and we're trying to do something about it!
Resources for Independent Thinking is a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan nonprofit educational organization that provides information to help people think for themselves and increase their critical thinking skills. We publish a periodical, Independent Thinking Review, put on workshops, seminars, and courses, and provide a mail-order book service of titles that encourage independent and critical thinking.
We've got some accomplished independent thinkers to help us. Our Advisory Council includes maverick psychiatrists Thomas Szasz and Peter Breggin; humanists Paul Kurtz and Steve Allen, iconoclastic writers Joan Kennedy Taylor, Robert Anton Wilson, and Alan Bock; prominent psychologists Philip Zimbardo, Carol Tavris, Paula Caplan, Diane Halpern, and Robert Cialdini; Andrea Millen Rich, President of the Center for Independent Thought; and philosopher Richard Paul, Director of the Foundation for Critical Thinking.
We're betting that you're interested in events, tapes, and publications that would give you opportunities to develop your critical thinking skills, learn more about ways to encourage critical thinking in others, or just hear some "maverick" speakers. Critical and independent thinking are, of course, ongoing processes, not end-states.
We "warn" you that we don't have a "party-line." Our writers and speakers sometimes disagree with each other. You won't agree with all of them. I don't agree with all of them! But critical thinking requires dialogue and exchange of different, sometimes clashing ideas. Listen, read, weigh the evidence, and make up your own mind.
Here's how you can benefit from our programs and publications.
You'll learn about- strategies for applying critical thinking methods to your everyday life
- techniques for thinking critically about specific areas, i.e., authority, religion, the media, gender
- resources for encouraging children, students, or others to be critical thinkers
- avoiding belief traps that limit your options
- sensible self-help ideas based on psychological research (not pop-psych platitudes or pet fantasies)
In spite of the irrationality of our society, there's a lot of information out there that can help people be more rational and critical. We're trying to make this information available to more people. Come to some of our events or write for a sample copy of Independent Thinking Review and our catalogs. We think you'll like what we have to offer.
Cordially,
Sharon Presley, Ph.D.
Executive Director