Think First Belief ・ Judgment ・ Action
Strengthening human discernment.
Independent essays and conversations on how information shapes what we believe.
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Before you react
Pause. Check. Choose.
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The work
Media, technology, institutions, and the stories we accept as true. The Journal, podcast, and Standing Brief examine the evidence and follow what changes.
The question behind the work
What makes a claim worth believing?
Current work
Worth your attention.
Essays, observations & open questions
The latest from The Journal.
Read recent essays by Jim Detjen and revisit earlier questions.
Open the JournalI wrote this. So did AI.
Jim Detjen examines his use of AI in writing—and what readers deserve to know about it.
Read the essayBefore judgment.
Open the Standing Brief for a maintained record of developments that can change what we see, believe, remember, and do.
Open the BriefA better number. A better result?
Work through a fictional service report. Compare totals, daily averages, and outcomes before accepting the improvement.
Try the comparisonStart with a conversation.
Media, gaslighting, AI, and discernment. Six starting points from Season One.
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Guides & worksheets
Start with
a question.
Worked examples and reference tools for examining a claim, comparing accounts, or checking a source.
All guides and worksheets Looking for a word? Open the DictionaryPractical Framework
A method for thinking more carefully.
Use six stages to move from an initial reaction to a judgment you can explain—and revisit.
Use the Clarity Framework- 01 Develop Awareness
- 02 Investigate Claims
- 03 Analyze Narratives
- 04 Engage Disagreement
- 05 Verify Facts
- 06 Live with Discernment
Foundational Work
Distorted
The stories we inherit shape the realities we experience.
In Distorted, Jim Detjen examines how language, memory, media, and institutions influence what we accept as true.
Think First: The Journal
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