The specific cognitive distortion where one mistakes the performance of skepticism for the practice of genuine critical inquiry. Critical Thinking Bias operates when someone believes that merely asking questions, demanding evidence, or pointing out uncertainty constitutes critical thinking—regardless of whether those questions are good faith, whether the evidence demanded is appropriate, or whether the uncertainty is relevant. It's the bias that produces the "just asking questions" pseudo-skeptic, the sea lion who "just wants evidence" for claims they've already decided are false, the debunker who treats their own cultural assumptions as universal standards of reason. Critical Thinking Bias turns the tools of rational inquiry into weapons of dismissal, transforming "critical thinking" from a practice of genuine openness into a performance of intellectual superiority.
Example: "He wasn't critically thinking—he was performing Critical Thinking Bias, 'just asking questions' in bad faith while treating his own assumptions as too obvious to need examination."
by Dumu The Void March 13, 2026
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When you are with your gf who’s 20 years older than you and you want her daughter who you were wanting to date until her mom came and blocked that from ever happening. And you have thoughts of a future with the daughter that’s wishful thinking.
by 2fast2furious21 June 11, 2025
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Hym "Stop trying to impose your wishful thinking on me by democratic fiat. You're a one trick pony. You don't control reality as a matter of democratic fiat, cripple. And what you are doing now is trying save your own hide."
by Hym Iam July 27, 2025
Get the Wishful thinking mug.Originates from game theory, (the field of math, not the Youtube channel.) The 0 is replaceable with any number, usually no higher than k1. Describes how many "levels" of thinking someone exhibits.
k0: I am going to play scissors.
k1: I know Bob usually plays paper, so I'm going to play scissors.
k2: Bob knows I usually play rock, so he will play paper, and to beat him I will play scissors.
k3: Bob is aware that that I know he usually plays scissors, and that I'll play rock to beat him, so he will play paper. To beat that, I will play scissors.
etc.
k0: I am going to play scissors.
k1: I know Bob usually plays paper, so I'm going to play scissors.
k2: Bob knows I usually play rock, so he will play paper, and to beat him I will play scissors.
k3: Bob is aware that that I know he usually plays scissors, and that I'll play rock to beat him, so he will play paper. To beat that, I will play scissors.
etc.
1: What the hell? The highway was completely jammed yesterday, but the second I think to come take this shortcut, the highway's empty, and the damn shortcut is jammed!
2: What the hell kind of k0 thinking is that man? Did you not think about how everyone else ALSO knows about this shortcut?
2: What the hell kind of k0 thinking is that man? Did you not think about how everyone else ALSO knows about this shortcut?
by Anthony Hotel August 26, 2025
Get the k0 thinking mug.Originates from game theory, (the field of math, not the Youtube channel.) The 0 is replaceable with any number, usually no higher than k1. Describes how many "levels" of thinking someone exhibits.
k0: I am going to play scissors.
k1: I know Bob usually plays paper, so I'm going to play scissors.
k2: Bob knows I usually play rock, so he will play paper, and to beat him I will play scissors.
k3: Bob is aware that that I know he usually plays scissors, and that I'll play rock to beat him, so he will play paper. To beat that, I will play scissors.
etc.
k0: I am going to play scissors.
k1: I know Bob usually plays paper, so I'm going to play scissors.
k2: Bob knows I usually play rock, so he will play paper, and to beat him I will play scissors.
k3: Bob is aware that that I know he usually plays scissors, and that I'll play rock to beat him, so he will play paper. To beat that, I will play scissors.
etc.
1: What the hell? The highway was completely jammed yesterday, but the second I think to come take this shortcut, the highway's empty, and the damn shortcut is jammed!
2: What the hell kind of k0 thinking is that man? Did you not think about how everyone else ALSO knows about this shortcut?
2: What the hell kind of k0 thinking is that man? Did you not think about how everyone else ALSO knows about this shortcut?
by Anthony Hotel August 26, 2025
Get the k0 thinking mug.Euphemism for foolishness.
“Hey, my best friend Joenette! Why did our friend Joe pour cat piss in my sock and microwave it?”
“Oh, he just enjoys a bit of vibe-thinking every now and then. Don’t worry about it.”
“Oh, he just enjoys a bit of vibe-thinking every now and then. Don’t worry about it.”
by trash clan November 5, 2025
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