READING REBELLION

A Punk & Pedagogy Collective Read

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You are Not So Smart

By Punk and Pedagogy

“The truth is that you are unaware of how unaware you are.”

Welcome to the rebellion of self-awareness. You Are Not So Smart kicks off our Reading Rebellion series with a gut-punch of humility: you’re not the rational, objective thinker you like to believe you are. Your brain lies—to protect you, to comfort you, to keep you loyal to your own myths. David McRaney doesn’t shame you for it—he laughs with you through it, exposing the invisible strings that pull your choices, beliefs, and “truths.”

This is where Punk & Pedagogy begins—not by shouting slogans, but by dismantling the mental machinery that keeps us docile. Reading Rebellion isn’t about memorizing the right answers; it’s about unlearning the reflex to defend them. It’s about catching yourself in the act of being human—and choosing curiosity over certainty.

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Join the Rebellion

  • What lies do you tell yourself to stay comfortable?
  • If your brain is wired for self-deception, is “truth” even possible?
  • Who benefits from our biases?
  • Think of a time you were sure you were right—and weren’t.
  • Can critical thinking be punk?
  • McRaney suggests we’re all walking bundles of cognitive bias.
  • If ignorance is bliss, why fight it?

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✊ Do Something

  • Host a Reading Rebellion. Gather your people. Tear down assumptions together.
  • Share your favorite lie your brain told you. #ReadingRebellion
  • Tag @punkandpedagogy with your best cognitive glitch moment.
  • Join our next Reading Rebellion discussion night. Bring snacks and skepticism.