Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
Picture this. You're deep in the Guatemalan
jungle. Mist hangs in the air like
breath. A howler monkey cries in the
distance, and somewhere beneath the canopy a story waits with
its roots tangled in memory. You step into a clearing and
(00:20):
find 2 trees standing in silence, close enough to touch
both at once. One is pale, smooth, with waxy
bark that gleams like polished bone.
Beautiful, mysterious, toxic. That's the chain.
Touch it and it burns. Not right away, but later.
(00:42):
A creeping sting that flares with time, then just steps away.
It's twin red barked, papery soft.
That's the Chaka. It's SAP soothes the chichen's
poison. Wherever one grows, the other
follows. Not enemies, not opposites, just
(01:05):
truth living beside each other. One wound, one remedy.
Now that, my friends, is critical thinking in tree form.
Exactly because this episode it's not about being clever,
it's about being clear. And in a world full of bite
sized opinions and Internet rage, clarity is a rare fruit.
(01:31):
It's about knowing the difference between a hot take
and a hard truth, between the first thought that stings and
the second one that heals. Welcome to The Latitude
Adjustment, the podcast where aging isn't a slow fade, it's a
bold freaking encore. Join Rusty and Erica, 2 Rebel
(01:52):
hearted guides with a suitcase full of stories, a camera, a
compass, and 0 tolerance for boring self help.
They're not here to fix you, they're here to remind you you
were never broken. So whether you're craving
clarity, connection, or just a passport stamp for your next
chapter, you've docked at the right port.
Grab your sun hat, loosen your grip on the grind, and get ready
(02:15):
to chart a new course. Mind, body and soul.
This is the latitude adjustment.Welcome back to the latitude
adjustment. I'm rusty.
And I'm Erica, and today we're putting down the machete and
picking up the magnifying glass because real thinking, the kind
(02:38):
that doesn't leave welts, isn't louder or faster, it's deeper.
Inspired by day 13 of A Guide for Aging Heroes, this episode
is your invitation to think likea forest, to hold wisdom and
danger in the same clearing and not run from either.
(02:59):
We call this episode Sharpen Your Thinking Skills, but not
like you know you're sharpening a sword.
This isn't about slicing people up in an argument.
It's about refining your mental machete so you can cut through
confusion without losing your soul in the process.
(03:19):
And trust me, we've lost our mental machetes.
More than one. Marbles and machetes.
Our Mayan guide in Tikal told usthe legend.
Two brothers, one made of fire, one made of wind.
I remember this. Both fell in love with the same
(03:40):
woman. Both destroyed each other.
The gods were moved by their heartbreak and turned 1 into the
chain, the burning tree. Yep, and 1 into the Chaka, the
healing tree. That's right.
And the woman? She became the flower that
blooms on both. Wait, talk about myth and
(04:01):
medicine in the same breath, right?
Right. Because in every conversation,
every belief, every in our debate, we're standing between
those two trees. Are we reacting from fire or
with wind? Are we stinging or soothing?
And most of us, if we're honest,are touching the cha chain all
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the time. Blindly.
We say something snarky. Yep.
Double down on 1/2 baked opinion.
That's right. Quote an article we didn't read
past the headlines and by the the time the rash shows up,
we're already in too deep. Critical thinking is about
remembering the chaca, about pausing long enough to apply a
(04:46):
little wisdom before we pass on the sting, about standing in the
jungle of our thoughts and asking is this a truth or just
seductive BS with good marketing.
And here's the kicker. Most of us are what I call
natural thinkers. Tell us about this.
Well, it sounds flattering, but it's basically code for gut
(05:10):
feelings, old statements and logic.
Duct tape to emotion. Got it.
So natural thinking is the chain.
Correct. Instinctive, emotional, prone to
rashness. Like me, literally and
figuratively. But critical thinking, That's
(05:31):
the chaca. It takes intention and slowness,
healing not to win debates, but to understand.
So for the folks at home, I am Chichin and my partner here is
Erica Chika. And like those trees, the two
kinds of thinking aren't far apart.
(05:53):
It's true, they live right next to each other.
They're neighbors. Same brain, same conversation,
same jungle. What makes the difference is
which one you reach for. So this is a good time, we're
going to do a quick recap. Today we met 2 trees, 1 wounds,
1 heals. Both grow together.
(06:15):
We explored how the tension between them mirrors the tension
inside us, the urge to react versus the power to reflect.
We called out natural thinking. We celebrated critical thinking.
And we reminded you that clarityisn't a lightning bolt.
It's a choice. A slow, steady walk through the
(06:39):
jungle of your own beliefs. Coming up next, in Segment 2, we
hand you the tools, your very own critical Thinking field kit,
complete with filters, razors, and a mirror you might not want,
but you definitely need. So grab your journal, bring your
(07:01):
curiosity, and keep an eye out for trees with stories to tell.
All right, heroes. In segment one, we stood between
the Chichang and the Chika. I like that Chichang.
(07:24):
Chika, between the sting and thesalve, we talked about the space
between reactivity and reflection.
Now we're handing you the tools to walk that space with a little
more grace and a lot fewer blisters.
Welcome to the field kit. This is your critical thinking
(07:49):
machete set. These aren't for hacking your
way through arguments, though rusty.
They're for carving clarity in aforest full of noise.
No pH D required. Just curiosity, humility, and
the willingness to stand long enough to know which tree you're
touching. Because here's the thing, we all
(08:10):
have CHA chain thoughts. Quick, flashy, emotional.
And sometimes they're useful. Sometimes.
Until they start burning people.Feel the burn.
What we need are Chaka tools, things that draw the poison out,
not spread it around. So let's see what we have in our
(08:30):
kits. First up, the evidence filter.
Simple question here. Where's the proof?
Not the vibe, not the TikTok, the actual source.
For instance, a professional journal article is a legitimate
source of knowledge. Because if your opinion is built
(08:51):
on a feeling and a Facebook post, that's to chain logic
looks convincing. But touch it and it'll blister
your credibility. The evidence filter makes you
pause and ask who said this? What's their agenda?
What data backs it up? If you wouldn't let it guide
(09:13):
your surgery or your parachute deployment, don't let it guide
your worldview. Did you just throw a pie in the
face? Here's a cocktail napkin.
We'll wipe that off next. It's Occam's razor.
It says the simplest explanationis usually the right one.
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Not the most dramatic. Not the one with secret cabals
and coated cereal boxes. Simpler, cleaner.
Less Netflix, more Nova. Right along.
So if your knee hurts, start with I twisted it weird.
Not the government microchipped my sneakers.
(09:56):
Critical thinking shaves off theexcess and leaves the truth
closer to the surface. Tool #3 is the Chaca classic the
opposite test. Ask yourself, what would someone
who disagrees with me say? And here's the kicker.
Say it in a way they'd nod and say yeah, that's fair.
(10:20):
This tool isn't about surrender,it's about under.
That's. Right.
If you can't explain the other side without mocking it, you're
not debating, you're reenacting a Facebook fight in your head.
True listening doesn't burn. It breathes.
It doesn't sting. It soothes.
Next up, the change test. Ask yourself, what would it take
(10:44):
to change my mind? If the answer is nothing, then
you're in CHA chain territory, emotionally fused, and logically
in flexible. The moment you say, huh, I
hadn't thought of it that way isthe moment you become teachable.
That's not weakness, it's strength with open palms.
(11:05):
It's Chaca energy. Learning occurs in the moment
you realize you were wrong aboutsomething.
That's right. So finally, last tool, the bias
mirror. This one's not cute.
It asks, does this belief make me feel smarter or superior?
I love this one. Because if it does, chances are
(11:28):
it's comforting your ego rather than aligning with the truth.
Bias isn't a villain, it's just invisible until you shine a
light on it. Here comes my flashlight.
Left unchecked, it'll have you hugging to chain trees and
wondering why your relationshipsare itchy.
(11:50):
Use the bias mirror to stay honest, folks.
It's not about guilt, it's aboutclarity.
And trust me, clear feels way better than right.
So now it's time for this week'sAging Heroes challenge, the
Thinking Cleanse. All right, heroes, you've got
(12:18):
the tools. Now it's time for your field
test. The thinking Cleanse.
No juice fast, no incense. Just a little cognitive honesty
in your daily jungle walk. Here's how it works.
Step one, Pick a belief, something emotional, something
you feel in your bones. Politics, religion, sexuality,
(12:42):
parenting, whatever makes you raise your voice or avoid
Thanksgiving step #2 ask the five questions.
Number one, what's the actual evidence that supports this?
Number two, what do experts in the field say #3 who benefits
(13:07):
from me believing this? Number four, what would it take
to change my mind? And #5 What emotion does this
belief protect? That fifth one stings a little
because sometimes our beliefs are just armor for our old
wounds. True, yeah.
(13:28):
That's where the real healing starts.
That's when the Chaka gets involved.
This is good stuff. Step 3 is flip the script read
or watch something from the other side.
Not to win, but to understand. Yeah, sit with it like it's a
tree. You've never touched before.
And that's not going to be easy,but it's necessary.
(13:50):
TE 4 journal the journey. Write one honest page.
No filters, no edits, just what changed, What resisted?
Where did you flinch? Good.
And Step 5 make one adjustment. Just one.
You don't have to abandon the belief.
Nope. Just adjust the volume, the
(14:12):
language, or the posture. Trade certainty for curiosity.
So important. Swap sting for salve.
Right on. OK, Segment 2 recap.
You now have 5 tools and your critical thinking field kit.
The evidence filter. Occam's Razor.
The opposite test. The change test.
(14:34):
The bias mirror. And your aging hero's challenge.
That was the thinking cleanse. 7days, one belief, 5 questions, a
little discomfort and a whole lot of clarity.
Coming up in Segment 3, we take all this jungle wisdom and bring
it home to your conversations, your family dinners, and your
(14:57):
digital life. Get ready spoiler.
Some of those comments sections are full of CHA chain.
So lace up your sandals, you're heading into the village, and
this time you'll know which trees to lean on and and which
ones to avoid hugging. OK, heroes, you stood between
(15:29):
the trees. You've got your field kit.
You journaled your way through the itchy parts of your beliefs,
but now comes the real test application.
Welcome to Thinking in the Village, where your ideas leave
your journal and bump into real people with loud opinions, loud
(15:51):
holidays and louder Facebook groups.
It's one thing to sharpen your mind in theory, it's another to
bring that same clarity into a living room where someone just
announced with complete confidence that birds aren't
real. This segment it's about using
(16:11):
your mental machete without accidentally cutting the cake or
a relationship. Because real life folks, it's
messy. People don't speak in well
researched says. Well, most people don't.
They speak in emotion, in stories, in inherited scripts.
(16:33):
And if you want your shiny new thinking tools to act actually
help, you'll need to learn how to wield them with civility.
Think of this as your jungle diplomacy guide, where not every
truth needs to be shouted and not every disagreement needs a
mic drop. Sometimes the smartest move is
(16:56):
knowing when to listen, when to ask, and when to pass the
guacamole and change the subject.
So let's start close to home. Picture this.
Your partner says something thatgrinds your gears.
Imagine that you know it's off. Your CHA chain reflex kicks in
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hard, judgment flaring like jungle rash.
Your mid eye roll before your brain has even caught up.
But then you remember the chaca,and instead of reacting, you
ask, can you tell me more about what you mean?
That pause. That's the hinge on which
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clarity swings. It's not weakness, that's
wisdom. We say it all the time.
Sharp thinking isn't about winning mental battles, it's
about softening emotional minefields.
And that usually starts with onequestion.
Just one. Not a zinger, not a trap.
Nope. Just honest curiosity.
(18:01):
Because curiosity is disarming, it opens doors where arguments
slam them shut. And in a village, whether it's
your marriage, your friend group, your neighborhood, or
your Facebook comments, that makes all the difference.
Application Zone 1. The first application on our
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tour is family. Oh family, the land of
casseroles and controversial opinions.
Especially during the holidays, if you've ever watched a
perfectly good Turkey dinner derail into a heated debate
about climate change, immigration, or whether Pluto
still counts as a planet. It does.
(18:45):
You know the stakes. And listen.
Sometimes staying silent feels like betrayal.
Other times, speaking up feels like pouring gasoline on the
sweet potato casserole. But that's why we've got tools
Now remember the opposite test. Instead of arguing, try asking
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Where did you hear that? Or even what makes you feel so
strongly about that? Yeah, you know, you're not
poking the bear. You're asking how's its day
been. You know, that's emotional
aikido. That's Chika's strategy.
And if you're wondering whether it works, yes, it does.
Maybe not right away, but it builds trust, yes.
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And trust builds listening. And listening.
That's the real gold, Erica. That's the real gold Dusty
application. Zone 2 friendships.
OK, this one's kind of sneaky because your friends are
supposed to be your safe zone, right?
You know your Margarita crew, your brunch philosophers, your
(19:49):
ride or die karaoke partners. But even among friends, stuff
comes up. They share a conspiracy theory
or a cringy meme. Or tell you they still haven't
bought into therapy, but they dotrust their tarot app named
(20:10):
Doug. Here's the play.
Don't try to fix your friends. You are not their therapist.
Nope, you're not their mom. Nope, you're not their logic
mechanic, you're their mirror and a kind one.
Ask this. So what's something you've
changed your mind about in the last year?
(20:31):
Watch what happens. 9 times out of 10 they'll pause, reflect,
maybe even say wow, you know, noone's asked me that before.
That moment that's planting A chaca seed, it doesn't sting, it
soothes, it invites, it doesn't put anyone on the defensive.
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And maybe, just maybe, they'll start asking you better
questions, too. That's how intellectual bravery
goes viral, right on one honest conversation at a time.
Application Zone 3, Digital dialogues, the Internet, comment
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sections, group chats, TikTok debates, the jungle with no map.
Danger, danger. This is where the CHA chain
thrives. Instant reaction, 0 nuance, high
pitched certainty, and a millionpeople shouting into the void
(21:38):
hoping someone likes their clever burn.
Rule #1 for thinking in the digital village.
Don't wrestle Stingrays and a kiddie pool.
No. That's code for.
Don't argue comments. You won't win, you won't be
understood, and you'll probably end up.
(22:00):
Itchy instead post things that stretch people, not slap them.
Share quotes that make you wonder, not ones that make
others feel, well, dumb. Ask open-ended questions.
Something like what's a belief you held ten years ago that
you've now re examined? Or you know, where have your
(22:23):
views evolved lately? That's Internet chica right
there. That's the salve in a sea of
SAP. There was a dinner party in
Asheville a few years ago. Yeah, you got into a
conversation with Flannel shirt guy.
That's right. That's right.
Who casually said I don't believe in climate change?
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Oh, I think it sounded just likethat.
And I immediately began praying to the gods of polite exits.
I remember instead of launching into a science lecture, I took a
deep breath and said what would it take for you to trust the
consensus? And he paused.
I mean like really paused. It was awkward for like 5
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seconds, then he started to actually think out loud.
I watched it happen, his whole body softened.
He didn't flip sides but something definitely unlocked.
You know, 2 weeks later he messaged me.
He said he started reading climate data, not blogs, not
YouTube, actual scientific research.
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He said it didn't completely flip his view, but it made him
curious and that that was enough.
That's, that's the Chaca moment.All right, here's the sharp
thinker's code. All right, jungle travelers,
let's give you a simple code to carry into the village.
I love that it's simple. Not commandments, more like tiki
(23:50):
torches to keep you from wandering into metaphorical
Poison Ivy. And we don't even get 10,
there's just five. Beautiful.
We're calling it the Sharp Thinkers code.
It's that easy, right #1 stay curious always ask one more
question then you answer #2 Don't mock.
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Sarcasm might feel clever, but it often masks fear.
Let it go and be real instead #3Pause often, especially when you
want to bite. Breathe first.
Number four, admit uncertainty. The phrase I don't know is
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Wisdoms secret handshake I. Love that one.
Yeah. And #5 Validate humanity,
challenge ideas, honor people. That's it.
It's not sexy. It is sexy.
We have different ideas about sexy, but it works, yes, and if
you follow it, you'll be the kind of thinker people want in
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their lives, even if they totally disagree with you.
Because it's not about avoiding hard conversations.
It's about walking through them like you'd walk a jungle trail,
Alert, respectful and aware thatsomething sacred is growing all
around around you. Here's your segment 3 recap.
Let's give it to him. All right, let's land the plane,
(25:19):
or in our case, the dugout canoe.
We brought your critical thinking tools into the real
world, into homes, friendships, and comment sections.
We taught you how to use Chaka style curiosity instead of chi
chain style reactivity. We shared a story where asking 1
(25:41):
thoughtful question opened A andwe gave you a sharp thinker's
code to carry with you like a compass in your pocket.
Coming up in segment 4, The Thinking Toast, we'll raise a
glass to this whole beautiful mess, the bravery it takes to
examine your own beliefs, the awkward grace of learning out
(26:04):
loud, and the sacred humility ofsaying Tell me more.
So it's not the thinking roast, it's the thinking toast.
So grab your cup, find a seat between the trees and meet us at
the Mental Tiki Bar. We'll see you there all.
Right. All right, heroes.
(26:33):
You stood in the jungle. You felt the sting of Cha Chain
and the bomb of Chaka. You've done the inner work, the
kind that doesn't post well on social media but changes
everything quietly. It's time now to raise a glass.
So here's the thinking toast, myfriends.
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I'm thinking we toast to to curiosity.
That's the unsung superpower. To the pause that saves the day.
To the uncomfortable, hmm, that starts the shift To not knowing
and loving anyway. To conversations that end with
questions, not conclusions. To every listener out there
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doing the quiet work, the hard work, the thoughtful, beautiful,
slow work of growing up again, cheers.
To your brain, you're brave, Bindi, blistered but still
blooming brain. And to your heart, may it always
be wiser than your Wi-Fi. Cheers.
Goal Salute. Mazel tov.
(27:43):
Mazel tov. So let's zoom out.
This episode wasn't about sharpening your wit.
Nope, Nope, Nope. It was about honing your
humility. We started between 2 trees in a
Guatemalan jungle. One hurt, one healed, both taut.
That's where critical thinking begins, in awareness and
(28:03):
contrast and reverence. Segment 2 handed you tools, five
of them simple, but not easy. And Segment 3 brought those
tools into the village, into kitchens, conversations and
comment sections. It got real.
And sometimes awkward. And here, in Segment 4, we
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raised a glass not to being right, but to being real, to
thinking in ways that honor the world instead of conquering it.
That's right, if this episode hit your heart, it spoke to you.
Share it, text a friend, tag us,and go follow us on Instagram
(28:46):
and Facebook at Aging Heroes. You can also find our full tribe
at www.agingheroes.com. Coming up next, experience
Wonder, based on day 14 of A Guide for Aging Heroes.
We're trading in the machetes for telescopes and our doubts
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for awe. It's time to stop dissecting and
start D lighting, to feel the goosebumps, to stretch your
spirit like a hammock between constellations.
Bring your sense of wonder and maybe a blanket.
We're looking up next week. Bring it.
(33:31):
Yeah.