📍 Here are two recommendations:

You have to intentionally minimize, if not entirely, eliminate distractions from your immediate environment. I don't think you can have serious thoughts about a serious text if you are multitasking or having a number of external distractions.

The reason for that is because often really dense material is dense precisely because it constructs very long inferential chains where you don't get a premise, a premise, and a conclusion. You might get a premise, a premise, a premise, a clarification, a side comment, a few more premises, and then a conclusion.

And that means that as a reader, you have to work against your instincts and really create a space that reflects the kind of reading experience that you want to have. And that means thinking very carefully about when and where you read, but above all, minimize distractions so that you can sit with the difficulty, because that's what facilitates growth.

Now, the second recommendation that I'll give about how to read dense material has primarily to do with holding in abeyance our instinct to react and respond and channel our energies towards understanding and reconstruction. You should focus on understanding the argument as the author of the argument understands the argument. That means focusing on what the author is actually saying, how the pieces hold together to make a comprehensive whole, and what the logical relationships are between the various moving pieces in the article, in the book chapter, or in the book.

The reason I say this is because we often have a temptation, which I share, to want to respond to the ideas that are presented to us. What do I think about A rent's position on this, or what do I think about Heidegger's analysis of this? And that takes our mind on a digression or on a tangent that then we have to correct for. And sometimes it's difficult to know if the thing that we are responding to is really what we remember reading or whether we even are able to pick up the argument where it was and continue as if nothing had happened.

With conspiracy theories, fake news, and anti-science rhetoric everywhere, we are living in an age of post-truth. In episode 137 of Overthink, Ellie and David discuss the meaning of truth in our contemporary political and social landscape and how post-truth has increased in the recent years. How do phenomena like opinion overload, news fatigue, and information overload contribute to the spread of post truth? And are we really “post” truth, or do we simply live in an age of “many” truths? Ellie and David explore different conceptions of truth, the differences between misinformation and disinformation, and between lying and bullshitting. And what’s the connection between post-truth and postmodernism? Have so-called “pomo professors” contributed to the rise of political dishonesty and deception? In the bonus, your hosts talk about Michael Hannon’s article “The Politics of Post-Truth” and consider whether “post-truth” is even the right word for the crisis we’re facing.

Overthink is a philosophy podcast hosted by your new favorite professors, Ellie Anderson (Pomona College) and David Peña-Guzmán (San Francisco State University). Check out our episodes for deep dives into concepts such as existential anxiety, empathy, and gaslighting.

Works Discussed:
Max Black, “The Prevalence of Humbug”
Harry Frankfurt, “On Bullshit”
Ralph Keyes, The Post-Truth Era
Jean-François Lyotard, The Postmodern Condition
Lee McIntyre, Post-Truth
David M. Peña-Guzmán and Rebekah Spera, “The anatomy of a philosophical hoax: The politics of delegitimation in contemporary philosophy”
Simon Truwant, De waarheid heeft vier gezichten

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Big things are happening at Overthink! 🧠 We’re thrilled to announce we’re moving to Substack and switching to WEEKLY episodes with VIDEO! 🎬

This new home allows us to build a deeper, more connected community with all of you—and we couldn’t be more excited.
Here’s what you can expect:
✨ Weekly episodes (with video!)
✨ A newsletter breaking down one big idea
✨ Lives with Ellie & David

And for our incredible paid supporters:
🎧✨ Bonus episode segments
🗣️🔒 Exclusive live chats
💬🧱 Access to our paid-only community wall
🚀🤯 Plus a special “Überthinker” tier!

Ready to make the move with us? Tap the link in our bio to join our Substack and never miss an update! 👆

We’re so grateful for this community and can’t wait to overthink with you on this new platform. 💫

Questions? Drop them below! 👇

How did Black Women become magical? In episode 138, Ellie and David talk to Lindsey Stewart about her book, The Conjuring of America: Mojos, Mermaids, Medicine, and 400 Years of Black Women's Magic. They talk about how the concept of ‘conjure’ shifted from its origin in the West African tradition to how it manifests in African American communities today. They discuss how Yoruba religion traveled to the US with slavery, as well as exploring the impact of historical images like the Mammy and the Voodoo Queen. What are the dangers of rhetoric of Black women being magical? How has Christianity influenced the ignorance that many Americans have around conjure? Is Beyonce magical? And does her album Cowboy Carter invoke the West African concept of Sankofa? In the Substack bonus segment, Ellie and David talk about magic on a larger scale, and parse out the differences between magic, religion and science.

Overthink is a philosophy podcast hosted by your new favorite professors, Ellie Anderson (Pomona College) and David Peña-Guzmán (San Francisco State University). Check out our episodes for deep dives into concepts such as existential anxiety, empathy, and gaslighting.

Works Discussed:
Keisha L. Bentley-Edwards and Valerie N. Adams, “I am not (your) superwoman, Black girl magic, or beautiful struggle: Rethinking the resilience of Black women and girls”
Kim R. Harris, “Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ embraces country music, Black history and religious imagery”
Lindsey Stewart, The Conjuring of America: Mojos, Mermaids, Medicine, and 400 Years of Black Women's Magic

Enjoy our work? Support Overthink via tax-deductible donation: https://www.givecampus.com/fj0w3v

Join our Substack for exclusive episode segments, live streams, and more: https://overthinkpod.substack.com/

Website: overthinkpodcast.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Overthink-podcast-105420885026249
Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/overthink/id1538249280
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4aIlXHTDz5vrc78DyjFg66
Buzzsprout RSS: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1455199.rss
Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok at @overthink_pod

#descript

You've asked for a full interactive lecture course with Dr. Ellie Anderson, and we've listened! First up is a philosophy of love and friendship course with weekly videos starting now, Intimate Relationships.

The course is exclusively available via Ellie's Substack: https://ellieanderphd.substack.com/

The Intimate Relationships course includes 26 lecture videos of 10-25 minutes each, access to course materials, written reflections, lives, subscriber chats, and more. Your support ensures that this work is sustainable and more courses can be offered in the future!