My Idiot Brother Questions Everything
by Bratherbands
The My Idiot Brother Questions Everything podcast is hosted by two brothers—self-proclaimed “idiots” with a serious passion for critical thinking. Each episode encourages critical thinking in the context of myriad subjects: from books and articles to barriers to reasoning, and from psychological, social and environmental influences to real examples of critical and non-critical thought. We draw on current events, philosophies, history, our own experiences and smart guests for lively, logical, good-humored conversations. Join us if you want to think more clearly, but especially if you don't.
Episodes
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Episode 24: Morality - terms and conditions apply
We all know right from wrong. At least until being right becomes inconvenient. In this episode of My Idiot Brother Questions Everything, we question where morality comes from? Did God invent it, did humans evolve it, or did somebody just start making rules and hope everyone followed along? And if...
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Episode 23: Know thyself!
We all like to think we're rational people. We weigh the evidence, follow the facts, and arrive at logical conclusions...right? Well...maybe. In this episode of My Idiot Brother Questions Everything, we take a journey from ancient Greece to modern psychology to explore one of the oldest—and most...
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Episode 22: Our monsters are misunderstood
In this episode of My Idiot Brother Questions Everything, we ask ourselves what happens when the person accused of doing something awful is not a stranger, an enemy, or a member of the “other side”—but one of our own? We look at how tribal loyalty can turn otherwise sensible people into unpaid...
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Episode 21: Love thy neighbor (terms and conditions apply)
In this week's episode of My Idiot Brother Questions Everything, we investigate one of humanity's oldest traditions: loudly proclaiming a set of values while doing something completely different. Why do politicians campaign against corruption and then discover a sudden love for lobbyists and…
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Episode 20: Think before you shout - the First Amendement and critical thinking.
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution protects five different freedoms—but they all point to a deeper question: how should a free society handle disagreement? In this episode of My Idiot Brother Questions Everything we use critical thinking to unpack the logic behind those...
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Episode 19: Willful ignorance - the ostrich strategy!
Ignorance is usually framed as a lack of information. But what if it’s sometimes a management strategy? In this episode of My Idiot Brother Questions Everything, we examine willful ignorance — the deliberate avoidance of information that would create responsibility, liability, or uncomfortable...
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Episode 18: Why fear works (even if it shouldn’t).
Fear kept our ancestors alive. Today, it keeps us compliant. In this episode of My Idiot Brother Questions Everything, we explore fear as one of the most effective—and most abused—motivational tools in modern society. Using neuroscience, psychology, and real-world examples from religion…
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Episode 17: Heores, villains, and questionable quotes.
What happens when a villain says something kind… and a hero says something ugly? In this episode of My Idiot Brother Questions Everything, we put our instincts on the stand and put vibes on trial. We start with some of the worst advice people swear by—“trust your gut,” “follow your heart,” and...
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Episode 16: Sunk costs, broken trust, and other midlife messes.
Critical thinking is easy when the problem is abstract. It’s much harder when the problem is your life. In this episode of My Idiot Brother Questions Everything, we move critical thinking out of theory and into midlife—where decisions are shaped by fear, loyalty, identity, and incomplete...
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Episode 15: From flat Earth to lost elections - a field guide to bad reasoning.
In this episode of My Idiot Brother Questions Everything, we take a serious, standards-based look at why conspiracy theories are so appealing, why they spread so easily, and why they tend to collapse under careful scrutiny. We start by clarifying what we’re not doing: this is not about mocking...
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Episode 14: The Dunning-Kruger narcissist—long on confidence, short on thinking.
In this episode of My Idiot Brother Questions Everything, we discuss why some people treat confidence like a résumé and disagreement like a personal attack. We examine narcissism and the Dunning–Kruger effect as recurring enemies of critical thinking. We talk swindling suitors, know-it-alls, and...
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Episode 13: The case study in ignoring reality.
We all like to think we follow the facts. In reality, we often follow our feelings — and then hire our brains as defense attorneys. In this episode of My Idiot Brother Questions Everything, we break down why otherwise rational people ignore overwhelming evidence in order to defend bad actors and...
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Episode 12: Truth claims and other non-critical approaches to absolute certainty.
In this episode of My Idiot Brother Questions Everything, we dive into the wild world of religious truth claims—why some folks think they have the exclusive backstage pass to the universe, and why that confidence might have more to do with psychology than divine VIP status. We’ll look at...
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Episode 11: A critical approach to the Trump / Epstein and Clinton email server scandals.
In this episode of My Idiot Brother Questions Everything, we ask "simple" questions about two of America’s most entertaining political mysteries: Does Donald Trump have something to hide about Jeffrey Epstein? And, did Hillary Clinton have something to hide in her email server saga? And instead…
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Episode 10: Legislating morality - commandments, Congress, and other bad bedfellows.
In this episode of My Idiot Brother Questions Everything, we ask one of humanity’s oldest and most uncomfortable questions: Can you make people good — or just scared of getting caught? From the Founding Fathers to Prohibition to today’s moral crusades, we dive into the messy business of…
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Episode 9: Ineffective argument tactics - the fine art of missing the point.
Ever been in an argument that went absolutely nowhere? (Of course you have — you’re on the internet.) In this episode of My Idiot Brother Questions Everything, we dive into the hall of shame of bad arguments — the logical fallacies and rhetorical shortcuts that sound clever but collapse under the...
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Episode 8: Shame happens...but does thinking?
Ever been too embarrassed to ask a question, challenge a claim, or admit you might be wrong? Welcome to the world of shame — one of humanity’s oldest social control tools and a significant impediment to critical thinking. In this episode of My Idiot Brother Questions Everything, we dig into how...
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Episode 7: The tribe has spoken (and stopped thinking).
In this episode of My Idiot Brother Questions Everything, we discuss Tribalism: it’s not just for cavemen with spears anymore. We dive into how our “team spirit” can hijack our brains and short-circuit critical thinking. We start in ancient Greece, where Sparta and Athens bickered like rival…
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Episode 6: Wait, you can be an effective politician without critical thinking skills? The case for AOC and MTG.
In this episode of My Idiot Brother Questions Everything, we take things in new directions, far right and far left. Let's talk politics. Well, not really. Let's just talk politicians and how they can exemplify non-critical thinking and, at the same time, be quite effective. While we're at it…
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Episode 5: Clear minds - skepticism, denialism, cynicism, and conspiracies - sorting the signal from the noise.
Ever hear someone brag about being a cynic? Well, listen in. It ain't nothin' to brag about - well, I mean, unless you don't like critical thinking! In this episode we discuss the differences between skepticism, cynicism, and denialism, and then add some color in the form of conspiracy theories....
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Episode 4: Cognitive dissonance - I got me a gold medal (in mental gymnastics)!
We all want to think clearly, right? But, what happens when our brain protects comfort more than the truth? We'll answer these questions, and more brain-busters, in this episode of My Idiot Brother Questions Everything. We'll define cognitive dissonance and provide lots of examples of how we…
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Episode 3: Confirmation bias - only the "facts" I like, sir!
Confirmation bias, ever heard of it? Well, listen in and we'll tell you all about it, at least how these two idiots understand the term. We'll define the term and give examples of how it shows up in our day-to-day from social media posts generated by malicious algorithms, to echo chambers, to...
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Episode 2: What do these idiots mean by "critical thinking?"
In this episode, we define "critical thinking" as the ability to question; to acknowledge and test previously held assumptions; to recognize ambiguity; to examine, interpret, evaluate, reason, and reflect; to make informed judgments and decisions; and to clarify, articulate, and justify…
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Episode 1: Who are these idiots? An introduction to My Idiot Brother Questions Everything podcast.
What's this podcast all about and who is my idiot brother? Well, tune in to this intro episode and we'll answer those questions and more. My Idiot Brother Questions Everything is brought to you by two brothers, undoubtedly, both idiots, but who are nonetheless passionate about critical thinking....
About this show
The My Idiot Brother Questions Everything podcast is hosted by two brothers—self-proclaimed “idiots” with a serious passion for critical thinking. Each episode encourages critical thinking in the context of myriad subjects: from books and articles to barriers to reasoning, and from psychological, social and environmental influences to real examples of critical and non-critical thought. We draw on current events, philosophies, history, our own experiences and smart guests for lively, logical, good-humored conversations. Join us if you want to think more clearly, but especially if you don't.
Hosted by
Bratherbands