by Rick Ruppenthal

How Hallmark Movies Reveal Insight Psychology

Hallmark Christmas movies may be predictable, but they’re accidentally brilliant teachers. This playful reflection explores how the Ladder of Inference quietly drives misunderstandings in holiday romance classics and in our own lives. A lighthearted reminder that clarity changes everything, often without effort. Read More

by Rick Ruppenthal

Understanding the Ladder of Inference in Law

A wooden ladder resting horizontally on a modern conference table with a city skyline blurred behind it, symbolizing intentional thinking and grounded decision-making

Lawyers in Suits climb the Ladder of Inference on purpose — it’s literally their job. But in real life, we climb it accidentally, and that’s where the trouble begins. This short follow-up explores why legal reasoning works in courtrooms but creates chaos in personal relationships, and how seeing the ladder helps us make clearer, wiser choices. Read More

by Rick Ruppenthal

The Ladder of Inference Creates Bad Judgements and Suits Proves It Every Episode

Cinematic image of a wooden ladder fading into clouds of thought, set in a soft office–courtroom environment reminiscent of Suits, symbolizing how assumptions create faulty conclusions

We’ve been binge-watching Suits, and it turns out the show is a masterclass in spotting the Ladder of Inference. Harvey, Louis, Mike, Donna, Gretchen — each gives us a front-row seat to how quickly we can jump to conclusions and act on assumptions. This blog explores the ladder, why we all climb it, and how to step off it with more clarity and insight. Read More

by Rick Ruppenthal

And Up the Ladder the Ego Goes

Bust of head with an illustration of the parts of the brain relating to functions

Last week’s article referred to the Ladder and how we make decisions. This article would then make this part two of the Ladder series. Click this link to read “In Search for Poop.” Part one. The Ladder is a way of describing how we make decisions, process information, and develop conclusions about ourselves, others, and… Read More