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Gaining as much information as you can about a certain situation can help you become less gullible. One way to do this is to consider the credibility of the source that you are getting information from. Whether you're reading a news headline or talking to a notorious gossip, ask yourself whether this source is peer-reviewed or well respected, or whether this person has misled you before. You can't believe everything you hear or everything you read on the Internet, or you'll become one of those people who believes a headline from The Onion. If you're reading a piece of news online, check out where it's coming from. Read about the journal or magazine and see how long it's been around, who contributes to it, and whether it's a scholarly or well-respected source. See if the source is an authority on the subject. If your cousin is trying to tell you all about which car to get but he doesn't even have a driver's license, then consider the possibility that he may not know what he's talking about. Before you believe something or make a decision, make sure you have done ample searching for evidence to back it up. Don't just believe something because your friend told you it's true, but spend time researching the situation on reliable sources on the Internet, checking it out at your local library, or talking to experts in the field to find out whether it's true. People who are gullible are often also lazy, because they feel that it's less work to simply believe what they are told instead of making an effort to investigate the matter on their own. If you're looking for the truth about a scholarly matter, then make sure you're reading a peer-reviewed journal, so you know that the source has been approved as credible. You don't want to get scholarly information on someone's personal blog, unless that person is a respected scholar. The library is under appreciated as a source of information today. If you want to use it but feel shy about it, just talk to the librarian about how you can search for information. Another way to be less gullible is to come to terms with the fact that you, along with every other person on this planet, have a lot more to learn. If you act like you know everything and simply accept everything that you are told or that you read, then you'll be continuing to live a life without challenging your own beliefs. Instead, admitting that you don't know a lot about politics, for example, can help you see that your cousin's oversimplified argument about Obama may not be as convincing as it sounds, at first. It's humbling to admit you don't know everything there is to know. This is the first step to becoming a more critical thinker and to understanding that arguments are often more complicated than they seem, or more complicated than you may give them credit for. While you should admit you don't know everything to yourself, you don't have to be eager to offer this information to others. For example, if you're buying a car, you don't want to tell the salesperson, "I don't know anything about cars" or you're making it much more likely that people will take advantage of you. People who seek information are always reading and learning more. They don't just get their news from one source, and they don't just read books by the same three authors, either. They are always on the hunt for new knowledge, whether they are reading the latest Jonathan Franzen novel or Scientific American. They are never satisfied, because they know there's more out there than meets the eye, and they are always determined to find it. Carve out a chunk of time every day, or at least every week, to do some reading. You can be systematic about it and get determined to understand everything there is to know about geology or contemporary poetry, or you can just read whatever piques your interest that week. The most important thing is that you develop a thirst for knowledge and continue to question the world around you. If people know you are knowledgeable and well-read, they will be less likely to try to trick you or to get you to fall into a trap. If you want to be less gullible, then one thing you can do is ask as many questions as you need to fully understand a situation. Whether you're considering buying a new car or a home, or your older sibling is telling you the best way to bleach your hair, it's important to gather as much information as you can before making a decision or agreeing to see something a certain way. Many people are afraid to ask questions because they don't want to admit that they don't know something, but this is the best way to keep yourself from being gullible and buying in to something too easily. Plus, if you're the kind of person who is known for asking questions, then people will be less likely to try to trick or scam you. If you're in class, then asking a million questions may derail the teacher a bit. Just ask what you really need to know right then and talk to the teacher after class if you have further questions. If you really want to think critically and investigate situations thoroughly, then you should avoid getting all of your information or opinions from one source. Sure, your friend or cousin might have almost sold you on the best way to bake apple pie or mow your lawn, but you're better off asking another person what they think or looking up the issue or story online. If you've only heard a "fact" from one person, then you're much more likely to get tricked than if you ask more people what they think. The same goes for reading your news. Try not to get all of your news from one source or your thinking is likely to be biased. Read at least 2-3 news sources so you don't fall for any tricks or believe something that isn't entirely true. The internet can be a great resource for asking questions. You can use interactive forums to get feedback from a lot of different people. For example, you can ask you questions on Reddit's "Ask Reddit" forum, which will gain you responses from a variety of people from different backgrounds.
Consider the credibility of the source. Search for evidence. Admit you don't know everything. Read more. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Ask for a second opinion and a third.