Critical Thinking

The Critical Thinker

Give Your Child the One Skill School Never Teaches: How to Think Clearly in a Noisy, High-Pressure World

The brutal truth every parent needs to hear: Schools are teaching your child to memorize answers in an age where AI knows everything. Instagram is teaching them to copy trends when AI can replicate anything. Their brain is being programmed for a world that won't exist when they graduate.

24
Letters
11-16
Age Range
medium
Difficulty
4.9
120+ reviews

24 letters delivered over 12 months • Cancel anytime

What You'll Receive

24 carefully crafted letters delivered over 12 months. Each letter builds upon the previous one, creating a comprehensive learning journey delivered right to your mailbox.

What's Inside Each Letter

The Core Letter

Engaging, respectful content that speaks directly to your child

The Toolkit

A practical mental tool they can use immediately

The Compass

Parent guide with conversation starters

The Quest

Real-world mission to test their new skills

The Key

Tool reminder card for future recall

Section 1
5 letters

Mastering Your Inner World

Master the fundamental skills every great thinker possesses

1

Why Am I Like This?

The foundation of authentic thinking

You'll discover how to watch your own brain in action, catching yourself before emotions take over.
The Observer

The ability to mentally step back and watch your thoughts and feelings from a distance.

2

The App That Won't Let You Leave

Understanding how apps hack your brain

You'll understand exactly how apps hack your brain and learn to break free when you want to.
Variable Reward Systems

Understanding how unpredictable rewards control behavior in everything from games to relationships.

3

Why I Do Everything Last Minute

Understanding your procrastination brain

You'll figure out why your brain chooses TikTok over homework and finally outsmart your own procrastination.
Activation Energy

The principle that starting is the hardest part, and how to lower the barrier to begin.

4

Wait, That's Not How It Happened

Understanding how memory actually works

You'll realize your memory isn't a recording and understand why you and your friends remember the same thing totally differently.
Constructed Reality

How your brain builds and rebuilds your version of events based on current feelings and beliefs.

5

Everyone's Life Looks Better Than Mine

Understanding the illusion of perfect lives online

You'll see through the illusion of perfect lives online and stop feeling like you're the only one struggling.
Selection Bias

Recognizing that what you see is a curated sample, never the complete picture.

Section 2
5 letters

The Truth-Finding Toolkit

Level up your analytical abilities with professional thinking tools

6

Why Do I Always Think I'm Right?

Understanding your confirmation bias

You'll catch your brain cherry-picking evidence that proves what you already believe and learn to seek the full picture.
Confirmation Bias

The mental filter that only lets in information that agrees with what you already think.

7

Is This Even Real?

Becoming a truth detective

You'll become a detective who can quickly tell if a viral story, shocking headline, or amazing claim is actually true.
Source Triangulation

The practice of checking who said it, why they said it, and how they know it's true.

8

When Numbers Lie to Your Face

Understanding statistical manipulation

You'll spot the tricks that make bad arguments look convincing with graphs, percentages, and statistics.
Context Blindness

Recognizing when critical information is missing that would completely change the story.

9

Everything Is Not a Conspiracy

Recognizing pattern-seeking gone wrong

You'll recognize the patterns of bad theories so you don't fall for complicated explanations when simple ones make more sense.
Occam's Razor

The principle that the simplest explanation is usually the right one.

10

When Smart People Make Dumb Group Decisions

Understanding consensus pressure

You'll see when a group is heading toward a bad idea because everyone's afraid to speak up, and know how to break the spell.
Consensus Pressure

Understanding how the need to fit in overrides individual judgment and creates collective mistakes.

Section 3
5 letters

The Decision-Making Advantage

Apply your skills to tackle complex challenges with confidence

11

What If I Pick Wrong?

Knowing which decisions actually matter

You'll stop freezing over small choices by knowing which decisions actually matter.
Reversibility Test

Quickly sorting decisions into ones you can undo vs. ones you're stuck with.

12

Why Can't I Just Quit This?

Recognizing the sunk cost trap

You'll recognize when you're throwing good time after bad and learn when quitting is winning.
Sunk Cost Fallacy

The trap of continuing something bad because you've already invested in it.

13

Then What Happens?

Thinking past the obvious

You'll think past the obvious to see the dominoes that fall after your choice.
Second-Order Thinking

Looking beyond immediate results to see what happens next.

14

How to Actually Win Arguments

Understanding before arguing

You'll get people to listen by showing you understand them first.
Steelmanning

Making someone's argument stronger before you counter it.

15

Getting Out of Bad Situations

Saying no without losing friends

You'll say no without losing friends or looking weak.
Strategic Deflection

Using external reasons to avoid conflict while staying true to yourself.

Section 4
5 letters

Decoding People & Systems

Put everything together in advanced real-world scenarios

16

Why Is My Friend Group So Complicated?

Understanding hidden social rules

You'll see the hidden rules that shape how your friend group acts.
Incentive Structures

Understanding what behaviors get rewarded.

17

They're Not Ignoring You on Purpose

Understanding when it's not personal

You'll stop assuming people are being mean when they're probably just distracted.
Hanlon's Razor

The simplest explanation is usually the right one.

18

Why Everyone Seems to Agree With Me Online

Understanding your personalized bubble

You'll understand how the internet traps you in a bubble of your own opinions.
Filter Bubbles

How algorithms create echo chambers.

19

The Influencer's Real Job

Following the money trail

You'll see exactly how creators earn money and why they promote what they do.
Follow the Incentives

Tracing behavior back to who benefits.

20

Why Does Everyone Go Along With Bad Ideas?

Recognizing false consensus

You'll notice when groups pretend to agree even though nobody actually wants the plan.
False Consensus

When silence gets mistaken for agreement.

Section 5
4 letters

The Identity & Values Compass

Align your thinking with your deepest values and authentic self

21

Nobody's Watching You That Closely

Understanding the spotlight effect

You'll stop worrying about judgment when you realize people barely notice your mistakes.
The Spotlight Effect

People pay far less attention to you than you think.

22

Do I Actually Want This?

Finding your true desires

You'll figure out what you truly want instead of what others expect.
First Principles Thinking

Breaking desires down to their root cause.

23

Why I'm Different Around Different People

Authenticity vs adaptation

You'll see that acting differently isn't fake if you stay true to your values.
Context Switching

Adjusting naturally while keeping your core identity.

24

What Am I Even Doing Here?

Building your personal compass

You'll build a simple compass that helps you make big decisions.
Mission Design

Creating a statement that guides your choices.

📬 Delivered to Your Mailbox

Physical letters arrive every 2 weeks. Each letter includes engaging content, activities, and challenges designed to build lasting skills.

Inside Each Letter

Here's a preview of what your child will discover in each carefully crafted letter

Letter 1
Sample Preview

Why Am I Like This?

The foundation of authentic thinking

15m read

Letter Preview

You'll discover how to watch your own brain in action, catching yourself before emotions take over. In this first letter, your child begins a powerful journey of self-discovery. They'll learn to become an observer of their own mind, recognizing thoughts and feelings as they happen. This foundational skill of metacognition sets the stage for all deeper self-understanding.

What Your Child Will Learn

1

You'll discover how to watch your own brain in action, catching yourself before emotions take over.

Key Tool & Concept

The Observer

The ability to mentally step back and watch your thoughts and feelings from a distance.

Included in This Letter

Self-observation journal template
Brain-in-action awareness exercises
Emotion recognition guide
Parent discussion guide on metacognition

All The Critical Thinker letters follow this comprehensive structure, ensuring consistent quality and learning outcomes.

What Parents Say

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“My 12-year-old eagerly waits for each letter. The Critical Thinking series has dramatically improved her thinking skills.”

PM

Punya M.

Parent of 12-year-old

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I wanted my son to learn. I never expected he would start teaching me! Recommended 10/10.”

KB

Kunal B.

Parent of 10-year-old

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about the series

Have another question? Contact our support team and we'll be happy to help!

The Critical Thinker - Give Your Child the One Skill School Never Teaches: How to Think Clearly in a Noisy, High-Pressure World | The Tiny Torque