🔵 Compass Guidebook: Trivium Method Compass Guidebook Pt3

when $#!% hits the fan (quick fix)

Author

Joshua Hale
February 05, 2025

Estimated Read Time: 6min

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TL;DR

  • How teaching others deepens your own understanding

  • Breaking down complex ideas into simple pieces

  • The Top 10 Logical Fallacies Cheat Sheet

  • AI prompt for creating learning frameworks

Hey Truth Seekers!

"If you can't explain it to a six-year-old, you don't understand it yourself."

Richard Feynman

You know what's fascinating? Teaching my 7-year-old daughter the Trivium Method has taught me more about critical thinking than all my years of studying it alone.

The Ultimate Test: Can You Teach It to a Child?

Here's how that played out in my house recently...

My daughter asked why the sky is blue. Instead of just giving her the answer, I guided her through the Trivium process:

  1. Grammar Stage (Gathering Facts)

    • We observed the sky at different times

    • We looked up basic terms like "atmosphere" and "light"

    • We collected questions about what we saw

  2. Logic Stage (Understanding)

    • We discussed how light travels

    • We compared sunny days to cloudy days

    • We looked for patterns in our observations

  3. Rhetoric Stage (Sharing)

    • She drew pictures to explain it to her friends

    • We created a simple experiment with water and light

    • She taught her grandfather what she learned

The result? Not only does she understand why the sky is blue, but she now has a framework for exploring any question that interests her.

The Top 10 Logical Fallacies Cheat Sheet

As promised, here are the most common logical fallacies to watch for (I'm explaining these to my daughter as "thinking tricks that fool people"):

  1. Ad Hominem (Attack the Person)

    • "You're wrong because you're [young/old/whatever]"

    • Instead: Focus on the argument, not the person

  2. Appeal to Authority

    • "It must be true because [famous person] said so"

    • Instead: Look at the evidence, not just who's saying it

  3. False Dichotomy

    • "Either you're with us or against us"

    • Instead: Look for other options between extremes

  4. Slippery Slope

    • "If we allow A, then Z will definitely happen"

    • Instead: Check if each step really leads to the next

  5. Straw Man

    • Misrepresenting someone's argument to make it easier to attack

    • Instead: Address the actual argument being made

  6. Appeal to Nature

    • "It's natural, so it must be good"

    • Instead: Evaluate based on actual effects, not just origin

  7. Bandwagon

    • "Everyone's doing it, so it must be right"

    • Instead: Think independently about whether it makes sense

  8. Post Hoc (False Cause)

    • "B happened after A, so A must have caused B"

    • Instead: Look for real causal relationships

  9. Appeal to Emotion

    • Using emotions instead of facts to win an argument

    • Instead: Look for evidence beyond how it makes you feel

  10. No True Scotsman

    • Moving the goalposts to maintain a claim

    • Instead: Use consistent definitions

The Art of Rhetoric: Moving Hearts and Minds

Now that we've covered how to gather information (Grammar) and process it logically (Logic), let's talk about the art of expressing and sharing your ideas effectively (Rhetoric).

The ancients understood something powerful about communication - it's not just about being right, it's about being heard and understood. They developed the Rhetorical Triangle, a powerful framework that's more relevant than ever in our AI age:

  1. Ethos (Credibility)

    • Who you are and why you should be trusted

    • Your experience and expertise

    • Your connection to the audience

  2. Logos (Logic)

    • Your evidence and reasoning

    • The facts that support your case

    • The logical flow of your argument

  3. Pathos (Emotion)

    • The emotional resonance of your message

    • Stories that illustrate your points

    • Connection to your audience's desires and fears

Using AI to Enhance Your Rhetoric

Here's a powerful prompt to help you craft more persuasive messages:

You are a Classical Rhetoric Advisor, expert in the principles of persuasive communication. Help me analyze and improve my message using the Rhetorical Triangle (Ethos, Logos, Pathos). For the following message: [YOUR MESSAGE HERE] Please analyze: 1. Ethos (Credibility): - How am I establishing trust? - What credentials or experience should I highlight? - How can I better connect with my audience? 2. Logos (Logic): - Is my argument structure clear? - What evidence would strengthen my case? - Are there logical gaps to address? 3. Pathos (Emotion): - What emotional elements are present? - How can I better connect with my audience's values? - What stories or examples would resonate? Then, please provide suggestions for improving the message in each area.

The Real Magic

Here's what I've learned: The best way to master the Trivium Method isn't just to study it – it's to teach it. When you help others understand something, you:

  • Identify gaps in your own knowledge

  • Find simpler ways to explain complex ideas

  • Discover new applications you hadn't considered

Your Turn

Take something you learned from this email series and try explaining it to someone else – maybe even a child. What parts were easy to explain? What parts made you realize you needed to understand them better?

Hit reply and let me know how it goes. I love seeing these moments of clarity spread!

Growing together,

- Joshua Hale

P.S. Want to dive deeper into the Trivium Method? Check out Learning Skills and the Trivium By Jarett Sanchez and The Trivium Outline Plan. 🐇🕳️

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