Life Squared - Helping you to live well

Everyone can think. But how many of us think well? Much of our thinking can be biased, distorted, partial, uninformed or simply prejudiced - without us even realising it.

Yet the quality of our life often depends on the quality of our thinking. If we were to simply accept everything we saw or were told, we would end up making bad decisions, being influenced into doing things we didn't really want to do and generally not being happy as we wouldn't be living the lives we really wanted. This is especially true in the modern world where we are subject to a huge range of influences, biases and options through which we have to navigate to live the lives we want.

Everyone is capable of thinking better - and the materials in this section give some accessible ways of doing this.

Media awareness

In the modern world, we are bombarded with more communications than ever before, from a wider range of sources than ever before. In this situation, we urgently need skills to help us think critically about the messages we receive, find reliable sources of information and become aware of how the media can influence us.

Media Smarts

Aa Candadian not-for-profit organisation that aims to "ensure children and youth possess the necessary critical thinking skills and tools to understand and actively engage with media". Although the site is aimed at helping adults to teach younger people about these issues, it is actually a useful resource for everyone. For example, do you know how to search for information on the internet that is actually likely to be credible and reliable? The materials on the site can help you do this, and many other things.

The problem with consumerism

A Life² guide that explores the influence of consumerism on us and what we can do to live happier, more independent lives in the face of it.

Modern life - as good as it gets?

Richard Docwra's book provides a useful outline of the media-led environment we live in, and the effects this can have on a range of areas of our lives - including the way we think and see the world.

Critical thinking

Introduction to critical thinking

This video is a little academic sounding, but it provides a useful and clear introduction to the various ways you can use critical thinking and how it can help us in our lives.