We live in an era of disinformation. While we've all heard of misinformation, disinformation is a newer term, with a connotation of false or deliberately misleading information. The difference meaning that the prefix "mis" means ill or mistaken, while "dis" as a Latin root has a negative or reversing force. So, we begin to talk about something that is the opposite of information, the opposite of truth, with this word.
I got into an internet debate last weekend. Well, more of a skirmish, actually. I'll save you the grueling details, but it regarded two notorious presidential candidates from 2016, Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton. When I explained that my choice that year felt like a choice between Stalin and Mussolini, I was met with the argument that I should have considered it as Stalin verses Eleanor Roosevelt, the implication being that the media had distorted the truth. This got me thinking about truth and information in an age when news sources on both sides of the political spectrum are more slanted than ever before. Later, I was talking to my colleague, and she made a similar comment about Trump, that she doesn't believe anything the media says about him. That she doesn't believe anything the media says, period.
So, we have two intelligent people, at the polar opposite ends of the political spectrum, and in their own ways, I believe they both recognize a larger issue; the issue of the prevalence of disinformation. I am sure there have been both lies and truth published by media sources about both of those two politicians. I'm not here to argue which side of the media is more biased or more correct. I'm saying that all this disinformation out there is making it more and more difficult for the American people to use logic and discernment in their decision making processes, which in turn is a detrement to our democracy.
This plethora of disinformation is ironic, because we live in the information age. We rely on media more than ever before, and we spend hours every day sifting through information. Most people I know express some form of that same point, that some (or most) of the information out there can't be trusted. In fact, logically, if we have two opposing reports on the same information, logic prevents both from being entirely true. And with the increasing polarization of politics, it stops being about pursuing the truth. It becomes about which version is more popular or acceptable to believe.
What does that mean for the truth? Some may say that there is no more truth. Everything is relative to that person's perspective. For my Christian readers, we know that Christ said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. So, if Christ = truth, then the truth must be worth pursuing, despite the difficulties. Or to quote a tag line from the hit show, The X Files, "the truth is out there".
So, how can we know truth? It can be difficult to know that anything, without a shadow of a doubt., outside our immediate experience is true. However, rational people depend on natural faith, not a religious term here, but simply a word portraying that we trust our senses and the laws of nature (gravity still exists, we can have faith that we won't fall up when we get out of bed in the morning). We can trust that our electricity will stay on as long as we continue to pay our bill; we trust that the barista at Starbucks won't poison our beverage. Without this type of faith, life would descend into madness; we would no longer be able to function as rational human beings. This type of faith can aid us when we talk about pursuing the truth because it reminds us that there is reason; there is rational thought.
When we are actively pursuing the truth (and hopefully we all are), we should examine certain things:
1. What are our inherent biases? I was raised to be very conservative, more conservative that I am now. There are articles in the media out there that I have a knee jerk reaction to, not because they don't contain truth but because of how they are written, the language they use does not jive with my cultural context. Everyone in this life has inherent biases, but examining our hearts while reading will help us to see past them. Bishop Robert Barron wrote in his Daily Gospel reflection (June 11, 2020) that, "Jesus urges his listeners to change their way of knowing, their way of perceiving and grasping reality, their mode of seeing." In a way, throughout our whole life, we are called to take our own blinders off first.
2. What are the biases we see in media? Sometimes it is a matter of tone. Sometimes it is blatant misinformation. Regardless, if we see falsehood, even falsehood in something we would ordinarily support, we can cast it aside. Be not afraid in your defense of the truth.
3. Assume Benevolence, not Malevolence. Benevolence is defined as the quality of being well meaning. Its opposite, Malevolence, a lesser known term, means to be filled with ill will. Malevolence means actually wanting bad things to happen to another, to a group, etc. Most of the time, we can assume that the human beings we are interacting with, even though we may hold different views, are benevolent. They want a good world, too. So, we can start at the ground floor- they want good for our world; I want good for our world. Where can we reach an understanding?
4. Read in humility. Realize your limitations; areas you don't know much about. Realize the limitations of your experience. Realize the limitations of Humankind, as well. The sooner we realize that we don't have everything figured out, the sooner we can be open to more opportunities for learning. Sometimes, what we may think may hold some truth in it, but sometimes our own blindness can cause us to miss opportunities for growth for ourselves and for others. We might be dismissive of an issue that someone else is clearly struggling with, because it doesn't affect us directly. We may not see the possible unintended consequences. For instance, a blight ordinance aimed at cleaning up an area may seem great to folks with concerns about property values , but could cause unexpected, negative consequences for impoverished families who don't have the money to get a vehicle repaired or to tow away a broken appliance. And we, as a whole, may assume something is true until new information turns up that shows it is erroneous. Case in point, my grandma spent much of her life eating margarine because it was healthier than butter. In my children's school, this concept is called having a growth mindset. It actually starts with humility, our realization that we, and those around us, don't know everything and that there are probably important points we're missing.
5. Step outside your comfort zone. Many people who are on the far ends of the political perspective may choose only to partake in particular media from which they shape all their views. This can lead to challenges such as furthering confirmation biases. It can also lead to the inability to discuss, interact, debate or even understand someone or an issue from "the other side" of the divide. This creates a larger chasm between us. I've recently discussed that divide in my blog, titled, "The Culture of Contempt", but with any division, we are all called to love our brothers and sisters, even those we differ greatly from. What if instead of treating others, especially those on social media, as someone to be convinced, dominated or silenced for holding an opposing viewpoint, what if we held in mind their humanity first and foremost? What if we returned to civil discourse? What if we got to know people better, and therefore understood their perspectives better?
6. If you pray, pray for the spiritual gifts of knowledge, wisdom and understanding. My daughter likes to say, "Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is understanding you don't add one to a fruit salad." When we feel lost on a topic, or in a discussion or while reading an article, pausing and asking others what they think may be a good step. Pausing and praying to have the right words to explain ourselves and not to be misunderstood is also very apt.
Remember, the truth is out there. And, it's worth pursuing.
