Think First with Jim Detjen
Think First is a short-form podcast that makes you pause — before you scroll, share, or believe the headline.
Hosted by Jim Detjen, a guy who’s been gaslit enough to start a podcast about it, Think First dives into modern narratives, media manipulation, and cultural BS — all through the lens of gaslighting and poetic truth.
Some episodes are two minutes. Some are ten. It depends on the story — and the energy drink situation.
No rants. No lectures. Just sharp questions, quick insights, and the occasional laugh to keep things sane.
Whether you’re dodging spin in the news, politics, or that “trust me, bro” post in your feed… take a breath. Think first.
Visit Gaslight360.com/clarity to sharpen your BS filter and explore the 6-step clarity framework.
Episodes
46 episodes
Brotherhood (Not Bureaucracies) · What the Ivy League Used to Get Right
The Ivy League was never perfect.But it used to produce loyalty, grit, and real leadership — forged through brotherhood, not bureaucracy.Today? The final clubs, eating clubs, and secret societies that once shaped generati...
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Episode 42
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8:14
The Federal Reserve · It’s Not Federal. And It Has No Reserve.
It controls your mortgage rate, your grocery bill, and the value of your paycheck — but it’s not even part of the government. In this episode of Think First, we unravel the strange origin of the Federal Reserve, the poetic truths that ...
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Episode 41
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5:35
TikTok, Instagram, & YouTube · Why We’re Using Cartoons to Expose Gaslighting
🎉 Bonus Episode: Think First is now on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts — with a twist.We’re using 1950s-style animation to tackle modern gaslighting and poetic truth. Why? Because nothing exposes the absurdity of today’s f...
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0:57
Bacon, Booze, and Billion-Dollar Gaslighting: What They're Not Telling You
You’ve seen the headlines: cut bacon and booze, cut cancer by 40%. But why didn’t that go viral? Why didn’t your favorite steakhouse or whiskey brand mention it? In this episode, we pull back the curtain on one of the most well-funded dietary g...
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Episode 40
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5:34
The OG Listener's Call to Arms
No flaming cars. No gaslighting breakdowns. Just a quick bonus drop to say… we’re at 200 downloads per episode — and it’s time to grow. This one’s for the OGs, the founding listeners, the people who laugh at the dark stuff and think for themsel...
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3:04
Epstein (Part 4) · Two Lies, No Escape
Pam Bondi said the Epstein client list was on her desk. Then she said it wasn’t. Trump promised transparency — now he wants us to move on. Ghislaine Maxwell offers to testify, and MAGA turns on itself. This episode unpacks the contradictions, f...
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Episode 39
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6:46
The Barcode That Changed the World · Think First (Special Edition)
You thought it was just a faster checkout. But that little beep at the register quietly reshaped retail, rewired your habits, and launched one of the first behavioral data systems ever used on the public — without your consent. This is the stor...
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Episode 38
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3:54
Poetic Truth · When Feeling Replaces Fact
What if the most powerful lies… don’t look like lies at all?In this episode of Think First, we unpack poetic truth — the kind of storytelling that sounds noble, feels right, and spreads fast… even when it’s not true. From histor...
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Episode 7
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6:32
The Vanishing Middle Button on Elevators · Think First (Special Edition)
It’s right there in the middle of the panel. The button you press when you’re in a hurry, annoyed, or just need to feel in control. But what if it’s not connected to anything at all? This is the story of the elevator close-door button — a quiet...
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Episode 39
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3:31
The Moon Landing · Perfect Story or Perfect Illusion?
What if humanity’s greatest leap… left a few footprints we weren’t meant to follow?In this special episode of Think First, we examine the Moon landing — not to confirm or deny it happened, but to unpack the 7 most compelling cla...
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Episode 37
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7:51
COMEDY BONUS · Epstein, Deflection & Denial — We Tried to Be Funny
Donald Trump gets asked a simple question about Epstein’s client list — and melts down faster than a Palm Beach popsicle. The DOJ says Epstein had no clients, no blackmail, and definitely no murder. A trafficking survivor calls it a betrayal. N...
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Episode 36
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4:33
Retail Mind Games · How Stores Gaslight You into Buying Stuff You Don’t Need
You didn’t just “decide” to buy that Himalayan salt lamp. You were led — by lighting tricks, layout psychology, and decades of retail mind games designed to make you think it was your idea.In this episode of Think First, Jim Det...
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Episode 35
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5:06
Epstein (Part 3) · They’re Not Just Gaslighting You. They’re Daring You to Notice
The DOJ says there was no blackmail. No client list. No murder.And somehow… we’re all just supposed to move on?In Part 3 of our Epstein series, we unpack the deeper layers of elite protection, media manipulation, and weaponized na...
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Episode 34
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7:03
Epstein (Part 2) · Elite Protection Isn’t a Theory — It’s the System
We connect the dots between Epstein, intelligence networks, Wall Street money, and political silence.This episode explores how both sides — including some of MAGA’s loudest voices — quietly walked away.The cover-up isn’t accidenta...
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Episode 33
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8:28
Epstein (Part 1) · The Client List Never Existed
The DOJ’s new Epstein memo claims there’s no blackmail, no client list, and no murder.In this first installment, we walk through what they said — and what it signals.Because if you’re wondering how Ghislaine Maxwell trafficked childr...
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Episode 32
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3:48
Freedom of Religion · Not from It
The Founders didn’t design a godless republic — they protected a free one. In this episode, we unravel the modern distortion of “freedom of religion” and expose how media, culture, and institutions have twisted the Founders’ intent. Was it abou...
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Episode 31
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6:18
Built to Endure · What the American Flag Still Gets Right
What started as a simple search for a flag turned into a five-hour deep dive on symbolism, craftsmanship, and the quiet weight of meaning in a culture hooked on mass production. In this special July 4th episode, Jim shares the untold story behi...
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Episode 30
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7:09
Hollywood Is Broken · The Maverick Effect
Something’s off at the movies — and it’s not just the CGI.From Jerry Seinfeld’s cultural take-down to Sasha Stone’s poetic-truth autopsy, today’s films feel less like storytelling… and more like committee-approved content. But there ...
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Episode 29
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5:29
The Woke Right · When Culture War Flips Sides
In this episode, we unravel the rise of the “woke right” — a label that’s being thrown around by anti-MAGA conservatives, mainstream media, and political strategists like it was focus-grouped to trigger both sides.From cable news punchli...
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Episode 28
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5:28
Flying Today? · You’re Not Delayed, You’re Being Played
This one’s personal.Host Jim Detjen’s son was supposed to take a six-hour flight from D.C. to Salt Lake City.Instead, he ended up sleeping in an airport, delayed 18 hours, with no food, no help — and no apology.In this epis...
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Episode 27
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7:42
Iran's Nukes or Narrative? · What Did We Really Obliterate?
The headlines said Iran’s nuclear program was “obliterated.”Now Trump and Hegseth admit the damage might only last months.So… was this a decisive strike or a carefully staged PR campaign?In this episode of Think Firs...
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Episode 26
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4:52
Congress Confidential · Where Insider Trading Goes to Retire
How do so many members of Congress enter office with modest means… and leave as millionaires with stock picks that rival hedge funds? In this episode, we follow the money, expose the loopholes, and unpack the real story behind the STOCK Act, th...
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Episode 25
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8:25
Caitlin Clark vs. The WNBA · A League on Fire
Caitlin Clark is the WNBA’s biggest star—and its biggest target. From Olympic snubs to missed flagrant fouls, we unpack the gaslighting, poetic truth, and broken culture behind the league’s hottest controversy.
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Episode 24
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5:38
Mark Cuban & Groupthink · Escaping the BlueSky Bubble
When even Mark Cuban says a platform’s become toxic with groupthink, maybe it’s time we all listen. In this episode of Think First, we break down the collapse of “alternative” platforms like BlueSky, why ideological echo chambers are m...
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Episode 23
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4:52