In the age of access to endless digital information, how do we know what to believe and what to doubt? And what are the new implications for young people who are born into the Era of Information (and Misinformation)? Although the digital age has made information more accessible, it has also become more diluted with false and misleading information. How are we preparing our students and professionals? 

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While core concepts of our institute are not novel, the Institute for Neuropsychological Humility and Information Literacy (INHAIL) was thought up in 2020 and founded in 2025 to address these questions. Our goal is not to tell individuals what to think and believe. Instead, INHAIL provides client-targeted educational programs to individuals in any walk of life. We focus on two major areas seen in the name of our Organization: Neuropsychological Humility and Information Literacy.

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Neuropsychological Humility is a term coined by Dr. Steven Novella (a clinical neurologist and assistant professor at Yale University). He describes this concept as "the knowledge of all the ways in which your brain function is limited or flawed." By teaching core concepts of Neuropsychological Humility, individuals are able to better understand how the mechanisms of brain function are hardwired for consistency rather than accuracy. INHAIL introduces individuals to interesting phenomenon of the human brain to paint a more accurate picture of how the human brain may jump to conclusions without our conscious awareness, erase irrelevant data, and create illusions not based in objective reality. By observing these phenomenon, we explore cognitive bias and therefore aim to empower individuals with a sense of humility. When we understand how our brain function is limited, we are more open to realize that our biases impact how we see the world. This is foundational.

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Information Literacy is the ability to read, comprehend, and apply information while integrating new information into our understanding of the world. The idea is not to doubt everything or adopt a contrarian point of view, but instead come at information (armed with neuropsychological humility) with a critical perspective. This portion of our program aims to introduce individuals to concepts like healthy information diets, the differences in subjective and objective language, identifying logical fallacies, source discrimination, and skeptical credibility. 

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With these two ideas, we believe that we are not just fighting back against misinformation, but we are also offering individuals a foundation which will help him or her make informed decisions in every aspect of life. Whether this applies to interpersonal relationships, healthcare decisions, civic responsibilities, interpreting the news, or personal theology, these concepts empower individuals and push back on forces which aim to mislead the public (whether intentional or unintentional).

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INHAIL currently focuses on serving four populations: High School Aged Students, University Students, Professionals working in healthcare, and Licensed Professionals who need Continuing Education. 

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High School Aged Students: This was and will always be the heart of INHAIL. We know that during developing years in middle school and high school, our youth are experiencing what we call neurological "pruning" at a rapid pace. Their brains are destroying unused connections while strengthening others. And wow, what an amazing opportunity to teach critical thinking skills. We want to introduce ideas to students to help them consciously and judiciously prune their own thoughts, ideas, and beliefs.

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University Students: We can't help but believe that individuals committed to a higher education would benefit from understanding these core concepts. The idea of Higher Education beyond high school is to expose students to new ideas. Not to tell them what to think, but to introduce an array of advanced and specialized ideas which students can integrate into their own world view. As students critically evaluate new information and conduct their own research, these skills will assist them in thinking well, finding credible information, and teasing out their own cognitive biases. 

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Professionals Working in Healthcare: Individuals working in direct healthcare roles are meeting their patients or clients at a very vulnerable time in their life. It is essential that in healthcare, the clients are met with compassion and empathy. While Neuropsychological Humility and Information Literacy may seems like concepts reserved for "Scholars" and "Intellectuals," they are also skills that can help workers identify their own biases and understand how this can impact attitudes and behaviors towards the people whom they serve. Healthcare workers are also seen as authorities when it comes to health advice. It is therefore very important that healthcare workers are equipped with the ability to recognize health misinformation and provide evidence-based advice.

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Continuing Education: As many licensed professionals are required to pursue continuing education in their field, we believe that this is a perfect opportunity to insert some essential critical thinking skills. Whether in the field of Education, Social Work, Healthcare, or Law, we can always benefit from the opportunity to self-reflect and consider how we receive information and then evaluate our own integrity and humility as we consume new information. Professionals are responsible for advancing their fields into the next era, and skills taught by INHAIL will assist professionals to make judicious and objective decisions to pave a way for the next generation. 

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We are all students. We hope you will consider supporting us by allowing us to provide our services to your populations. We do not aim to know the Ultimate Big-T Truth. But we do believe that by empowering students with these foundational critical thinking skills, we are doing our best to inoculate our communities from misinformation and to create a more just and balanced society.