As usual, we can’t always believe what we think.
The cartoon shows a very simple case, where the mother would no doubt change her mind if she knew who had messed up the rug. But as this article points out, sometimes we have strong social/identity reasons not to question our beliefs:
Having social support, from an evolutionary standpoint, is far more important than knowing the truth.
It explains a lot about the present polarization and resistance to facts in the U.S. And why things aren’t likely to change soon. Sigh!
May 27, 2017
Polarisation is not a peculiarly US phenomenon. It is taking place all over the world but the US has more exposure to the world. There is however one aspect of polarisation that this article does not touch on. Both sides have their own version of the truth / facts as perceived by them. As you will readily agree, neither is right or wrong, just different and often opposite. It is a matter of perceptives.
No, I do not agree. Some versions are more verifiable than others. That’s why Trump is such a boon to comedians — it’s so easy to demonstrate his contradictions and falsehoods. It’s all been taped and easily replayed.
PS That’s why Andy and I spend so much money each year supporting investigative journalism.
I’ve seen over the last several years where some of “my” facts/truths differ from the facts/truth of “others.” I maintain that, through my reading and study, I’ve evolved, while they go by whatever is in the news, seldom questioning what is reported.
For on-line media sources, I use Media Bias Check (https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/) at times to eliminate extreme right or extreme left information sources.
What a great link! Thank you. My usual sources are center or slightly left or right. But the main thing for me is they are rated as highly factual. Except for BBC, which is very highly factual.
I have been known to believe three mutually exclusive facts at the same time. Not sure why anyone would want to limit themselves to two.
A story that the young college students from the Bay Area never hear about is that of Jim Jones, The People’s Temple, and the disaster at Jonestown, along with their relationship to the political establishment and media of the time. But we are now mono-polar here in California, so it is no longer necessary to disturb things.
Monopolar? Not according to the Californians I know.
Yes, there is an observable reality, but the only reality that counts is the official one, which is that we Californians all more or less have a single view on the things that matter!