Tired of Being Cheated? Thinking About Thinking

I wanted to pause briefly in listing through the tools of metacognition  to write on a great point brought out by my wife reading out of Colossians 2. As Elon Musk is revealing this week all of the corrupt ways our tax dollars have been wasted- your money and my money- taken.... but what if there is a deeper scam going on... right in our minds?!

Nobody likes being cheated. Whether it’s a scam, a rigged game, or an empty promise, we instinctively recoil at the thought of being deceived. That’s why Paul’s warning in Colossians 2:8 is so striking:

"See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ."

Paul isn’t merely warning against bad ideas—he’s exposing a spiritual scam. The danger isn’t just that false philosophies exist, but that they are persuasive and empty. They look substantial but leave people robbed of what truly matters. This passage invites us not just to believe, but to think—to train our minds so we don’t fall for the counterfeits.

If we’re going to avoid being cheated, we need to develop habits of clear thinking. Let’s consider three tools: The Feynman Technique, Occam’s Razor, and Hanlon’s Razor. Each offers a way to sharpen our minds and apply the wisdom of Colossians 2 in daily life.

The Feynman Technique: Do You Really Understand?

Physicist Richard Feynman believed that if you can’t explain something simply, you don’t really understand it. His method is straightforward:

1. Choose a concept and try to explain it as if to a child.
2. Identify gaps in your explanation.
3. Simplify and refine until it makes sense.

Paul’s words challenge us to apply this to our faith. Could you explain the gospel to a 10-year-old? Could you walk someone through why Christ is better than worldly philosophy without slipping into vague, religious jargon? If not, it’s worth going deeper, filling in the gaps, and building a faith that isn’t just felt but understood.

Occam’s Razor: Is It Overcomplicated?

Occam’s Razor is the idea that the simplest explanation is usually the best. When faced with competing ideas, we should prefer the one that requires the fewest assumptions.

Many false teachings throughout history have been overly complicated—layers of rituals, secret knowledge, or convoluted reasoning. But what does Paul say in Colossians? The treasure of wisdom and knowledge is in Christ himself (Col. 2:3). The simplest truth—the one requiring the fewest leaps of logic—is that Jesus is enough. If a philosophy says you need something more than Christ, it’s likely a scam.

Hanlon’s Razor: Is It Really Malice?

Hanlon’s Razor suggests we shouldn’t attribute to malice what can be explained by ignorance or misunderstanding. In other words, not every deception is intentional.

Many people who spread bad ideas genuinely believe them. False teachers often start as the falsely taught. This doesn’t excuse the damage they cause, but it does change how we respond. Paul warns against deception, but in the same letter, he tells us to let our conversations be “full of grace” (Col. 4:6). Clear thinking isn’t about arrogance—it’s about discernment wrapped in love.

Thinking to Avoid Being Cheated

Colossians 2 shows us that deception isn’t just an intellectual issue—it’s a spiritual one. We are either being built up in Christ (Col. 2:7) or taken captive by empty philosophies (Col. 2:8). And the difference often comes down to whether we think clearly.

• Are we settling for slogans or pressing for deeper understanding? (Feynman)
• Are we caught up in overcomplicated religious systems when Christ is enough? (Occam)
• Are we assuming malice in others when we should respond with wisdom and grace? (Hanlon)

Thinking well is an act of faithfulness. It protects us from being cheated, and it keeps us anchored in the truth that is worth more than any counterfeit.

related song: Cheated by Fools Gold