INDEPENDENTLY THINKING
WHAT IF THE PROBLEM ISN'T LEFT OR RIGHT?
Explore the systems, stories and assumptions shaping the way we think — and what happens when we start thinking for ourselves again.
WHY THIS SHOW
THINKING BEYOND THE EASY ANSWER
Independently Thinking is an interview and documentary-style podcast exploring how systems, stories, technology, institutions, culture and group identity shape the way we understand the world.Each conversation begins with curiosity rather than a predetermined conclusion. We bring together careful research, history, experts, lived experience and everyday people to ask what we know, what we may be missing, and what other possibilities exist.
THE WORLD AROUND US
How are we being shaped?
Politics, media, technology, algorithms, money, institutions, education, law, culture and power all influence what we see and the choices available to us.We explore the systems operating around us — including the ones we barely notice anymore.
THE WORLD
BETWEEN US
What shapes the way we think, feel and connect?
Identity, relationships, belonging, psychology, health, work, culture and personal experience shape how we understand ourselves and one another.We explore what happens within us, between us, and inside the communities we belong to.
WATCH & LISTEN
LATEST EXPLORATION
Start with the latest Independently Thinking conversation — then follow the questions wherever they lead.Episode 01What If the Problem Isn't Left or Right?Short description:What happens when complicated questions are squeezed into two political teams? We begin by asking what independent thought actually requires — and what it doesn't.
QUESTION THE STORY
What assumptions are we accepting?
Some ideas feel obvious simply because we've heard them often enough. Independent thinking means looking past the framing, asking what's missing, and considering whether there's another way to understand the issue.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
What do we actually know — and how do we know it?
Separate claims from evidence. Check sources. Compare competing explanations. Look for what supports an idea and what challenges it — and stay willing to change your mind when better information earns it.
PRACTICE CRITICAL THINKING
Good thinking is a skill.
Learn to recognize bias, test assumptions, evaluate sources, distinguish correlation from causation, spot weak arguments, compare perspectives and reason through uncertainty instead of rushing toward the easiest conclusion.
LOOK AT THE SYSTEM
Nothing happens in a vacuum.
Look at the incentives, institutions, technologies, economics, identities, power structures and environments influencing what people see, believe and do.
EXPERTISE COMES IN MORE THAN ONE FORM.
Independently Thinking brings together researchers, authors, practitioners, community leaders, public officials and people with lived experience.Sometimes an important voice belongs to someone who has studied an issue for decades. Sometimes it belongs to someone who has lived through something most of us have only read about. Often, we need both.
MEET JULIE
I'm Julie Coburn, creator and host of Independently Thinking.I've spent nearly a decade working in political campaigns and community organizing, experiences that made me increasingly curious about messaging, persuasion, institutions, group dynamics and the stories people use to make sense of complicated issues.I created Independently Thinking because I'm fascinated by the forces that shape what we believe — and what happens when we're willing to examine those influences rather than simply accept the script.My role isn't to pretend I already know the answer. It's to research, ask focused questions, bring interesting and knowledgeable people together, and make complicated ideas easier to explore without flattening them.
HAVE SOMETHING WE SHOULD EXPLORE?
Suggest a guest. Share an experience. Pitch a question. Talk to us about research, collaboration, media or an idea that deserves a deeper conversation.