Do you really know what you think you know?
- Thread starter Cliffy
- Start date
I had a book titled "Everything You Know Is Wrong", full of essays debunking popular wisdom on many topics. I found some of the essays as biased as their targets. The same things happens with web information: i accept very few sources as generally (never totally!) reliable. On the whole, though, printed books are usually better than blogs - more time and editorial effort went into the research.
The best way, in my experience, to evaluate new information is my experience. Ask: Does it match what I've seen?
Does it match my perception of reality? Is it likely? Is it plausible? You can't always find out what's behind a story, but you can rate it for degree of probability.
The best way, in my experience, to evaluate new information is my experience. Ask: Does it match what I've seen?
Does it match my perception of reality? Is it likely? Is it plausible? You can't always find out what's behind a story, but you can rate it for degree of probability.
Excellent topic Cliffy. Knowledge is power. Do we really think that power gives that knowledge away easily ?
I read Everything you Know is Wrong too. And you are right. I would also add, that the truth is relevant to the beholder. Truth is not universal, it is not objective, but subjective - ie, subject to the beholder's bias, life experience, world view, etc.
What are morals? They too are very subjective. Do they go by religious or societal beliefs? Are they handed to us or are we born with them (or without them, in the case of a sociopath or psychopath?)
Probably not.
Speak for yourself.
Morals are simply what we use as social guides to interacting with each other. They're totally synthetic.
Truth may or may not be consistent with fact.
Distinguish Truth from truth, and both from factual/empirical data. Not everyone needs - or even wants - Truth. (Beware of those who do, and fervently believe they've cornered the market.) However, we all need a reasonable amount of truth in order to operate effectively in society, and a far larger amount of factual data, in order to survive in the physical world.
You know you're in very deep doo-doo when your favourite purveyor of Truth tells you to walk across the invisible bridge.
(PS Why does a Canadian Content site use an American spell-checker?)
I very rarely immediately accept and believe 'things' that pop out of the tv or other commercial sources,
that tell us 'things' as though it is fact.
that is where common sense immediately steps in, and could settle the matter right now, or not.
I store many things in the back of my mind, till I gather more evidence/information.
Far too much b.s. and just incorrect information is thrown at us, as the news sources are in too
much of a hurry trying to beat each other to news,and is often full of errors.
I also don't disbelieve everything, like a terminal skeptic who thinks 'all' are lying and trying
to deceive us.
Life experiences in this world can keep us balanced, and, believing something that is a lie, isn't
the problem of the believer, it is the problem of the lier, and what goes round comes round, and
in time we know one way or the other.
Unless someone tells us our gas tank is full in the plane we are about to fly, and it isn't. It is
wise to check things for oneself. lol
that tell us 'things' as though it is fact.
that is where common sense immediately steps in, and could settle the matter right now, or not.
I store many things in the back of my mind, till I gather more evidence/information.
Far too much b.s. and just incorrect information is thrown at us, as the news sources are in too
much of a hurry trying to beat each other to news,and is often full of errors.
I also don't disbelieve everything, like a terminal skeptic who thinks 'all' are lying and trying
to deceive us.
Life experiences in this world can keep us balanced, and, believing something that is a lie, isn't
the problem of the believer, it is the problem of the lier, and what goes round comes round, and
in time we know one way or the other.
Unless someone tells us our gas tank is full in the plane we are about to fly, and it isn't. It is
wise to check things for oneself. lol
There is so much nonsense on the internet because there is no filter. That's not a bad thing, it's just that too many people are not able to discern fact from fiction. Look at all the silly sites saying the twin towers were an inside job despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
