It took me a while, quite a while, to learn to reach for the fire extinguisher if my mental smoke alarm went off. It has never hurt me to take a beat, then reflect on what's going on (quickly), and determine what I should be doing in a situation. Not following this course of action has taught me the meaning of the phrase, act in haste and repent at leisure.
It is very helpful if people have developed their critical thinking skills. The difficulty that most people encounter when they try to do this is that it involves effort and patience with oneself.
Thanks for this explanation. I was aware of the fear factor, but it was useful to see examples of identity and tribal triggers. I check out friends’ post on Facebook, usually a few times a week. I did see a high school classmate (one I don’t recall) accusing Fauci of poisoning. I explained that Fauci is an expert who prides himself on keeping the public healthy, while Trump ignores experts, prodding himself of getting people to believe obvious untruths. Got no response.
We definitely need more intelligent people to employ marketing tricks in explaining the world. I fear that too many experts rely on jargon for accuracy and to impress their peers. The public perceives them to be elitist, to receive their messages as mocking or keeping secrets.
This is helpful to realize the emotional and intellectual basis of our perspectives and how to manage conversations. I have identified 3 reliable sources (so far) that I would recommend to anyone who asks (including this one + HCR & RR.) "Reliable" meaning well-rounded expertise, plain english, well documented facts/resources, and an even-keeled educational format that include analysis but also action opportunities. I have not yet figured out how to leverage a boycott approach although it crosses my mind frequently. I have narrowed my followers, do not use for shopping or commerce, and hush posts when political. Besides, staying connected with family and friends, I get a lot of local information. I am hoping there is a way to build a local community efforts and dialogue at some point. I absolutely believe live conversations with our friends, neighbors, and family is critical. I have been taking baby steps (feels like inches) toward discussing our country but everyone is so burnt out. At some point, however, a coordinated boycott may be necessary. Thanks Christopher
Ground News — adds a simple graphic to any news report showing whether it’s left or right leaning. It's up to the reader to decide if their approach is sound.
Thanks. One thing this Post-Truth Social article did not cover is how do I identify truth? Can we agree on the same facts any more? There are so many disciplines that bring their truth to any given situation. It's always been a challenge to figure out, but it is increasingly hard for me to tell what is true in a world of clones, ai, unlimited funding, deep fakes, etc.
I agree this is a challenge. I wrote about my hopes for shared facts here: https://christopherireland.substack.com/p/flying-blind-in-a-digital-age. Until that dream comes true, I'm as baffled as you. I try to use sources I've consistently found reliable. I look for people with expertise based on decades rather than a few years. And if I learn I shared something false, I reach out and correct is as quickly as I can. Not sure there's much more we can do.
It took me a while, quite a while, to learn to reach for the fire extinguisher if my mental smoke alarm went off. It has never hurt me to take a beat, then reflect on what's going on (quickly), and determine what I should be doing in a situation. Not following this course of action has taught me the meaning of the phrase, act in haste and repent at leisure.
It is very helpful if people have developed their critical thinking skills. The difficulty that most people encounter when they try to do this is that it involves effort and patience with oneself.
I LOVE your articles, and feel so enriched by them as they are so thought provoking. Thank-you!
Thanks for this explanation. I was aware of the fear factor, but it was useful to see examples of identity and tribal triggers. I check out friends’ post on Facebook, usually a few times a week. I did see a high school classmate (one I don’t recall) accusing Fauci of poisoning. I explained that Fauci is an expert who prides himself on keeping the public healthy, while Trump ignores experts, prodding himself of getting people to believe obvious untruths. Got no response.
We definitely need more intelligent people to employ marketing tricks in explaining the world. I fear that too many experts rely on jargon for accuracy and to impress their peers. The public perceives them to be elitist, to receive their messages as mocking or keeping secrets.
This is helpful to realize the emotional and intellectual basis of our perspectives and how to manage conversations. I have identified 3 reliable sources (so far) that I would recommend to anyone who asks (including this one + HCR & RR.) "Reliable" meaning well-rounded expertise, plain english, well documented facts/resources, and an even-keeled educational format that include analysis but also action opportunities. I have not yet figured out how to leverage a boycott approach although it crosses my mind frequently. I have narrowed my followers, do not use for shopping or commerce, and hush posts when political. Besides, staying connected with family and friends, I get a lot of local information. I am hoping there is a way to build a local community efforts and dialogue at some point. I absolutely believe live conversations with our friends, neighbors, and family is critical. I have been taking baby steps (feels like inches) toward discussing our country but everyone is so burnt out. At some point, however, a coordinated boycott may be necessary. Thanks Christopher
thanks Barbara -- two additional resources you might explore:
Tangled — this newsletter recaps the Right’s point of view, then the Left’s point of view, then provides the author’s measured take. https://www.readtangle.com/h1b-debate-musk-trump-immigration/?ref=tangle-newsletter
Ground News — adds a simple graphic to any news report showing whether it’s left or right leaning. It's up to the reader to decide if their approach is sound.
Thanks. One thing this Post-Truth Social article did not cover is how do I identify truth? Can we agree on the same facts any more? There are so many disciplines that bring their truth to any given situation. It's always been a challenge to figure out, but it is increasingly hard for me to tell what is true in a world of clones, ai, unlimited funding, deep fakes, etc.
I agree this is a challenge. I wrote about my hopes for shared facts here: https://christopherireland.substack.com/p/flying-blind-in-a-digital-age. Until that dream comes true, I'm as baffled as you. I try to use sources I've consistently found reliable. I look for people with expertise based on decades rather than a few years. And if I learn I shared something false, I reach out and correct is as quickly as I can. Not sure there's much more we can do.