The Curse of Magical Thinking
and Magical Storytelling
Vs. the Cure ofCareful reading, critical thinking &
clear writing
Some kinds of magic are just harmless entertainment
What makes magic entertaining?
O Spectacular tricks O we can’t do at homeO are mysterious and inexplicable to
the audienceO don’t follow the ‘laws of nature’O Magicians have to keep the real
explanation secret
To create and share stories is to be human
OThey convey a culture’s memories
OThey entertainOThey teachOThey inspire
Some stories can be harmful
O When told as absolute truth
O When they are confused with truth
O When they carelessly mix truth and fiction
O When they are received at face value
Yet magic is not always harmless
O In politics, economics and other key areas of human life, magic can cause lots of problems
Magic + Storytelling =misleading information
Some Instances of Magical Thinking &
StorytellingO “Poor people are poor because they
are lazy.”O “Rich people are rich because they
work hard.”O “If you don’t behave, the monsters
will get you!”O “Immigrants are taking all the jobs.”O “Immigrants are all on welfare.”
But Wait….O Just as humans have a tendency to
think magically and share it with others
O We also have inherent abilities to detect and counteract our own and others’ magical thinking
The Cure for MagicalThinking & Storytelling
OCareful READING
OCritical THINKING
OClear WRITING
O BEING RESPONSIBLE CONSTRUCTORS,CONVEYORS AND USERS OF INFORMATION
Have you ever
ODetected something fishy?
Have you ever
ONoticed when something didn’t add up?
Have you ever
OSmelled a rat?
CONGRATULATIONS !!
OYOU ARE A MEMBER OF THE HUMAN SPECIES
OMEMBERSHIP INCLUDES
O INTELLIGENCE ODESIRE FOR
TRUTH
IDENTIFYING ELEMENTS OF MAGICAL THINKING
OSurprise explanations, beginnings, endings
OMissing explanations
OSimplistic explanations
ONo explanations
Elements of magical Storytelling
OWord choicesOPassive voiceODistorted
sequence and characterizations in the narrative
Slow down, closely examine
OCracks in the BIG PICTURE
OUse whisper/shout reading strategies
Cracks in Magical Storytelling & ThinkingO All good vs all badO One-sided sourcesO One-sided use of sourcesO No one else gets the story ‘right’; the
matter is settledO How is ‘the’ used in the title?
Word choices Absolutes:
O “always” O “never”O BestO WorstO only
SpeculationO ProbablyO What ifO must
Neutral or Value LadenO Died vs murderedO Criminal vs. suspectO Regime vs governmentO Murder vs ‘taking someone out’O Mob vs. crowdO Demonstration vs riot
Euphemistic wordsO The U.S. “expanded across the …
continent and acquired a number of overseas possessions.” (CIA FactBook)
O There are at least three euphemistic words in this statement insofar as the nature of these events in reality were more violent, harsh or dramatic
Pessimistic wordsO Under construction
Critical thinkingO Expanded how? Was it a smooth
expansion?O Acquired how? Do people just
happily let themselves be acquired by another country?
O What does acquisition actually look like?
O Are there more accurate synonym /word choices?
Grammar plays a role too
O Passive voice O “Large numbers of slaves were
imported…” [CIA FactBook]O Definitive article O “the” The History of Magical
Thinking in U.S. Schools
Critical thinkingO Imported by whom?O Aren’t things imported, not people?
Causality: Vague, missing explanations
O The U.S. “expanded across the …continent and acquired a number of overseas possessions.” (CIA FactBook)
O There are at least three euphemistic words in this statement insofar as the nature of these events in reality were more violent, harsh or dramatic
Magic & MythsO Myths are theories based on a
magical explanation
Unmentioned facts
After gaining independence from the US
Under construction
Keeping Myths AliveO We’re socialize to embrace existing
myths (part of our PK and experience)
O We can pass on to othersO Poor informationO Limited access to good quality
informationO Gratifies/serves our self-interests
Thinking critically: REGIME
O When we encounter “REGIME”O What are our spontaneous reactions?O feelingsO ImagesO memories
Reactions to regimeO GovernmentO DictatorO WMDO TotalitarianismO What else?
O We know that GW Bush used “regime” with alarming frequency after 9-11
O To which gov’t s did he apply this term?
“Britain's American colonies broke with the mother country in 1776 and were recognized as the new nation of the United States of America following the Treaty of Paris in 1783.”
“During the 19th and 20th centuries, 37 new states were added to the original 13 as the nation expanded across the North American continent and acquired a number of overseas possessions”.
“The two most traumatic experiences in the nation's history were the Civil War (1861-65), in which a northern Union of states defeated a secessionist Confederacy of 11 southern slave states, and the Great Depression of the 1930s, an economic downturn during which about a quarter of the labor force lost its jobs.”
“Buoyed by victories in World Wars I and II and the end of the Cold War in 1991, the US remains the world's most powerful nation state. Over a span of more than five decades, the economy has achieved steady growth, low unemployment and inflation, and rapid advances in technology”