Critical Thinking Club - Is therapy making us more resilient, or more reactive?

New Yorkers argue a lot. Disagreement has the power to bring us closer together, but most of us never learned how. Somewhere along the way, speed replaced clarity, and certainty replaced curiosity. The result: we're more polarized, and less understanding. Critical Thinking Club aims to reverse that trend by providing space for busy New Yorkers who want to think more clearly and communicate more thoughtfully. The goal isn’t to "win" an argument, it’s to improve how we listen, disagree, and express our opinions without distancing each other. Our next theme is, Is therapy making us more resilient, or more reactive? We’ll use this topic to practice critical thinking skills like… Articulating views you disagree with Separating personal experience from broader evidence Noticing hidden assumptions, in yourself and others Revising your position without compromising your values or credibility What to expect 2 comedians debate and a philosophy professor moderates Small-group conversations with guided prompts A psychologically safe environment for disagreement The evening begins with a moderated discussion between 2 comedians who take opposite sides. A professor of philosophy moderates and steps in when reasoning breaks down, or a common fallacy appears. The moderator pauses to explain, and suggests how reasoning could be improved. Mistakes are expected and useful. The goal is for all of us to share the learnings. Then, everyone practices in small groups. Agenda 6:30 - 7 PM - Arrive, chat, find a seat 7 - 7:05 PM - Summarize what to expect, introduce the moderator and speakers 7:05 - 7:35 PM - Opening statements, Q&A, and closing statements 7:35 - 8:05 - Small group discussions (4-6 people) to practice sound critical thinking skills with the help of guided prompts 8:05 - 8:10 - Wrap-up, participants can share key takeaways from their group discussions 8:10 - 8:45ish - Socialize with the speakers and participants 9 - after party Rocka Rolla Speakers We’re excited to have Greg Nirshberg moderating our next discussion. Greg is the Professor of Philosophy at Iona University, an advisor for the university’s interdisciplinary neuroscience program, and he received his Ph.D. in philosophy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2023, https://www.iona.edu/faculty/nirshberg-gregory Our next speakers will be standup extraordinaire Natalie Lin @natalielin._, and Comedy Cellar regular, Bassam Shawl @bassamshawl. If you want to understand others better, and be better understood, join us!