Former United States senator Daniel Moynihan famously said, “You are entitled to your own opinion. But you are not entitled to your own facts.”
He was distinguishing between subjective opinions and objective facts. Though everyone is free to form their own opinions, facts are universal truths that cannot be altered or ignored based on personal beliefs or preferences.
We should be lovers of facts—things that are known or proven to be true; a truth known by actual experience or observation; something that can be proven to be true or false through objective evidence.
Some people seem to be allergic to them.
First, identify facts. With the rampant and intentional spread of disinformation and misinformation, it’s often challenging just to know fact from fiction. Some facts are indisputable: π will always be 3.14159; World War 2 happened. Other facts are harder to confirm.
Then there’s the challenge of interpreting facts. Sometimes even very smart people can come to different conclusions though they’re considering the same facts. For instance, some Noble-prize winning economists recommend austerity as the cure for a weak economy, other Noble-prize winning economist recommend stimulus.
Often facts are presented out of context, or we’re told part of the truth but not all if it. We often cherry-pick our information, accepting only that which confirms our bias.
It’s challenging, isn’t it. Let’s just try the best we can to value and pursue facts. They are our friend.
Misinformation as well as plain information can be a daunting challenge. Trust comes into play – as who presents either types and what the contents are. A rope or a chain?
Gail, you’re right; who can we trust? The media is increasingly biased. Even science, which should be based on facts, is questionable. Hum…
Unfortunately, many people, particularly politicians are “economical with the truth”. The vaccine debate is a pretty obvious example.
In order to ascertain whether someone is speaking the truth, it is necessary to ask questions and to be given the courtesy of a genuine answer not an accusation that we are prejudiced or too simple to understand. It is common practice today to “shut down” any questioning of a particular position.
Equally, we must be ready to check the statistics ourselves and look back at the history of the issue. I am old enough to remember polio sufferers spending the rest of their lives in an “iron lung” and families where at least one child died during infancy.
Don, perhaps you would help us to better analyse facts? I can remember one of my lecturers saying “More people eat bananas than 100 years ago and more people die of cancer. However, that doesn’t mean that bananas cause cancer.” Two facts but without the connection that might be drawn by a superficial reading.
Angela, as always, you enhance the conversation. Solid, transparent dialogue is a good way to get to the facts, but we’re all reluctant to admit that our statements are tinged with opinion. The bananas and cancer issue you mention is a cause and effect fallacy. I think misinformation and disinformation is the greatest existential threat to society and world order. Keep your thoughts coming.
Spelling of Nobel:
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (Swedish: Nobelpriset i fysiologi eller medicin) is awarded yearly by the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute for outstanding discoveries in physiology or medicine. The Nobel Prize is not a single prize, but five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel’s 1895 will, are awarded “to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind”. Nobel Prizes are awarded in the fields of Physics, Medicine or Physiology, Chemistry, Literature, and Peace.
Thanks, Linda, for the backstory on the Nobel Prizes. There’s a great museum in Stockholm that is dedicated to the story and recipients. It’s worth the trip. Don
This is so appropriate for the times we are living in today! Thank you for this. I just wish everyone would follow this advice!
Thanks, Judy, for taking the time to write. Misinformation and disinformation may be the undoing of life as we have known it.