Today I watched a video about debunking claims. The video is a response to a pair of previous videos by the same person talking about nonviolent civil resistance as a method for change. The video I watched today talks about how the Youtuber received numerous comments claiming the data from the previous videos were flawed. But the commenters themselves sent the Youtuber to sources that immediately disproved their own claims, so why would they do that?
The point of the video, I think, is to remind us that we have to be careful whose voices we trust, and not to take claims at face value. The Internet makes it easier than ever to do that, and it also makes it easier to pretend to be an authority where you are not. You can always, always find someone whose views reflect your existing preconceptions.
So today's action item is to click supporting links and data, and dig as deep as you have time for when you read big claims. Headlines lie, your favorite news source omits and edits headlines for its own aims, your pastor thinks they're saving your soul, your teacher needs you to pass a test that might be wrong, your parents just regurgitate what they heard, and you yourself will happily accept data that doesn't challenge your existing beliefs. Our brains don't like cognitive dissonance and will go to great lengths to preserve existing preconceptions. Learning is tiring, y'all.
But do it anyway I guess, because misinformation and disinformation is how fascism wins. So don't let it. If it's something that's not easy to dig into now, add it to your list of later-rabbit-holes.
That's all I got for today. Kill your darlings, find the actual experts, and even then it's ok to find dissenting opinions and explore their claims as well. Still being kind to my neighbors, even the loud ones.
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