Magical Vs Scientific Thinking (Summary)

Magical Thinking

• Resistant to objective evidence
• Primarily uses amygdala (first part of brain to develop) for basic survival/instinct/intuitive thinking
• Easy
• Accepting claims without adequate evidence (gullible)
• Difficulty changing opinions; closed-minded
• Not verifiable
• Sees meaning and connection in coincidences
• Sees patterns when the phenomena are random
• Uses logic to support claims when at least one premise is false
• Emphasizes personal experience and common sense
• Used by: the religious; alternatives to medicine promoters and users; conspiracy theorists; any other pseudoscience (false science) acceptor
• Usually conservative politically (nostalgic for the past; tribal; focused on individual rights; cynical of "the other"; cynical of government; comfortable with authoritarian rule) 

Scientific Thinking

• Accepts objective evidence
• Primarily uses the frontal cortex (last part of brain to develop) for critical thinking
• Hard
• Accepting claims only with adequate objective evidence (skeptical)
• Able to change opinions when warranted; open-minded
• Verifiable through observation and experimentation
• Accepts coincidences as part of the randomness of life only
• Recognizes the difference between true patterns and randomness
• Recognizes invalid and/or unsound arguments 
• Recognizes that our brains have flaws and can fool us with biases
• Usually progressive politically (looking forward; focused on human rights for all; global/big picture view; regulated capitalism/representative democracy; rejects authoritarian rule)

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