Digital Writing

The Whole Truth, and Nothing but the Truth – W5

I’ve noticed over the past few years that the trust that we put in our mass media and scientific community has greatly depreciated. Conspiracy theories are rampant in this day and age. I’ve noticed that people want to believe that nothing is a coincidence and everything is connected by this group of lies. I’d argue that it solidifies to them that there are simple answers with obvious explanations. Putting things to the lens of a skeptic, in a way, gives them control back.

I think as a society we find comfort in the definite. The things that we can control, the things we can see, the things that we can fix are the things that make us feel safe. And when we don’t have that… We ask ourselves why? I’ve found that that “Why?” question can lead us into the weeds.

So, when we find ourselves searching for answers and are shown an obscured truth we hook on to it. Something that immediately makes sense and confirms a suspicion that we already had is an easier truth to absorb than a nuanced answer. But as I’ve mentioned before, the art of verification relies not only on one’s effort, but most importantly, discipline. The discipline to look deeper into the answer. The discipline to look into the source. The discipline to look for corroboration. But without that…

When the facts are given lead us to believe “1 + 1 = 2” without revealing that there is another factor in the equation, we are made to believe that we’ve solved it. We’ve come to “our own conclusion.” When this is made into a compounding factor of half truths mixed with outright lies that we graft on to, we failed to see that we have been wrapped up in the same web of lies that we feared.

That feeds into a new concept I’ve learned, “Trust Compression.” The ultimate goal of misinformation. The aftermath of being hit with a barrage of confusing half-truths and conflicting answers that leads us to not trust anything we see.

Once you’ve been led to this point there is one of two things that could happen. One: you reflect back on your verification journey and look to where you could have improved. This leads you to study your sources and learn to trust again, even if it may be harder to. Two: you believe that everything is out to get you and the foundation of truth which has been built in your head has been fueled with contradictory evidence. This leads you to believe that you can fight around this web of misinformation. When in reality…the only way out is through.

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2 responses to “The Whole Truth, and Nothing but the Truth – W5”

  1. abbeys0121 Avatar
    abbeys0121

    Hi! I really like the line you wrote saying “Putting things to the lens of a skeptic, in a way, gives them control back.” I totally agree with this viewpoint, and I feel like I have seen it in real time. Same goes with how these same types of people rely on conspiracy theories to fuel their agendas, rather than listening to what is given to them. I think referring back to Trust Compression, as you did in your writing, is something very important to remember. It’s best to be mindful of all of the misinformation that is given to us and how it messes with our own perceptions.

  2. goosefeet22 Avatar
    goosefeet22

    It is really crazy just how things have developed over the past few decades. Of course there is benefit from digging into claims and not believing everything you see, but when believing trusted sources and experts becomes controversial, it seems like there is no where left to go. You did a great job of breaking all of this down. Trust compression is definitely a term to keep in mind!! I honestly miss the days when fake moon landings and a flat earth were seen as incredibly fringe ideas, but now we have given voice to these ideas which has only allowed them to spread because people are unwilling to believe any person with actual credentials to speak on a subject, but will listen to people on 4chan.

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