Think First: A Gaslight 360 Podcast with Jim Detjen

Poetic Truth: The Story That Feels Right but Isn’t

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This episode is from our first week — where we were workshopping the format, voice, and rhythm in real time. The message still matters. The delivery just gets better.
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It’s not quite a lie — but it’s not the full truth either.

In this episode of Think First, we break down the idea of poetic truth: how emotional narratives, symbolic language, and selective storytelling are used to shape belief and bypass logic. From politics to pop culture, once you learn to spot it, you’ll start seeing it everywhere.

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Stay sharp. Stay skeptical. #SpotTheGaslight
Read and reflect at Gaslight360.com/clarity

Speaker 1:

When do we stop caring if a story is true as long as it feels true? Poetic truth sounds noble, emotional, powerful, but it's not about facts, it's about narrative. It's when a story isn't true in detail but we are told it's true in spirit, and over time that version becomes more popular than what actually happened. It's not factually accurate, but it feels right, and feelings can be weaponized. Let's think first. Where have we seen poetic truth?

Speaker 1:

In history, america was founded on slavery. In gender, there's no real difference between men and women In climate. The world will end in 10 years if we don't act now. In race, only white people can be racist. In economics, rich people only exist because others are poor. In pop culture, beauty standards are violence. Poetic truth doesn't ask for proof, it asks for passion and it punishes anyone who points out the difference. And it punishes anyone who points out the difference. I'm Jim Detchen, and this is Think First from Gaslight 360. Stay sharp, stay skeptical, spot the gaslight. Please visit our website at gaslight360.com for the latest trends in gaslighting and poetic truth and follow us on X at Spot the Gaslight. And if this helped you think a little sharper today, leave us a rating. It really helps others find the show. Thank you.

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