Chapter 02
Huck gets swept into Tom Sawyer's world of elaborate make-believe w...
of the widow’s garden, stooping down so as the branches wouldn’t scrape our heads. When we was passing by the kitchen I fell over a root and made a noise. We scrouched down and laid still. Miss Watson’s big nigger, named Jim, was setting in the kitchen door; we could see him pretty clear, because there was a light behind him. He got up and stretched his neck out about a minute, listening. Then he says: “Who dah?” He listened some more; then he come tiptoeing down and stood right between us; we could a touched him, nearly. Well, likely…
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Critical Thinking Exercise
Authority Audit
Think about one area of your life where you follow advice or rules that don't quite feel right to you. Maybe it's a work procedure, parenting advice, health routine, or relationship pattern. Write down what the 'authority' says you should do, then write what your direct experience tells you. Look for the gap between borrowed wisdom and lived reality.
Consider:
- •Consider why you trust this external authority over your own observations
- •Think about what you might lose or gain by questioning this authority
- •Notice whether fear of judgment or social pressure influences your choices
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you trusted your gut over expert advice and it worked out well. What did that teach you about balancing outside wisdom with inner knowing?
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