Last week we continued our philosophy series by focusing on the split between the material world and our ideas about it. We’ll return to that next week. But with war now upon us, I wanted to pause and talk about identity — especially core identity. Some opinions sit near the surface and can change with new facts. But core identity is different. When people feel that deepest part of themselves challenged, they do not always respond with careful reflection. Often they defend, retreat, or go silent. That deeper human reality felt worth exploring now.
Weekly Insights for Thinkers
Curated by Michael Alan Prestwood.
NATURAL PHILOSOPHER
Exploring science-first philosophy.
Weekly Column → Research & Learning → Archive
Column → Learning → Archive!
TouchstoneTruth Weekly Column
Wed 18 Mar 2026
TST Weekly Column
18 Mar
This week:
People do not hold political views equally. Some beliefs sit at the outer rim and can bend when events change. Others sit at the core of identity.
WEEKLY AUDIO
Listen to the column, or the research behind it.
Understanding MAGA
Series
Piece 7 of 7 in the series.
Using physics and the social sciences to decode the invisible forces and intellectual boundaries that shape political identity.
The TST Weekly Column is a collection of standalone pieces—timeless ideas viewed through the lens of the present. One clear idea each week, built and refined over time through reason, evidence, and lived experience.
Weekly Wisdom Builder
Wed 18 Mar 2026 Edition
— Research & Learning —
Stories: Science Philosophy Critical Thinking History Big Bang Metaphysics Evolution Biases Futurism Ancient History Ethics Reasoning
1 Essay + 6 Tidbits
1 Weekly Focus
The research, stories, and questions that inform this week’s column.
This Week:
— Worldview —
Identity has a core and an outer rim. The core holds fast. The outer rim bends, absorbs, and reconsiders. When the pressure of events reaches the core, silence can be the first sound of change.
Greetings!
–Michael Alan Prestwood
6 Key Ideas
Weekly Crossroads
A few minutes of key ideas!
The research & wisdom reminders.
1 Story of the Week »
George Orwell
1903 to 1950, aged 46.
Orwellian Thought
George Orwell wrote about how corruption starts when language is twisted, facts are manipulated, and authority demands loyalty over reality.
2 Quote of the Week »
“Identity is easy — it’s me, whatever that is.”
- Michael Alan Prestwood
- 2024
Identity isn’t fixed. It shifts as we grow. Understanding yourself means accepting that “me” is a story in motion, not a finished definition.
3 Science »
What is cognitive dissonance?
Cognitive dissonance is conflict of the mind. What happens when two things do not fit.
4Philosophy »
What happens when identity and loyalty collide?
Sometimes the hardest moral conflicts are not between good and evil, but between two loyalties a person cannot fully reconcile.
5Critical Thinking »
Why do people believe wrong things?
People don’t seek information to discover truth—they seek reassurance that they’re already right.
6History!
What inspired Orwell’s 1984 and Orwellian thought?
Orwellian thought grew out of Orwell’s early experience with empire, poverty, and class. It sharpened dramatically in Spain when he saw propaganda and betrayal inside his own side.
Inspired?
Take the deep dive.
Article of the Week
Philosophy
Article
TST Calibration Theory: Degrees of Confidence
TST Philosophy
Propositions are true or false relative to reality. Our access to reality is filtered through evidence and reasoning. Because our representations are fallible, confidence must come in degrees. Calibration is not psychological hedging — it is the structural discipline realism requires.
This Week @ TST
March 18, 2026
»Edition Archive
WWB Research….
TouchstoneTruth Archive