How to Think For Yourself in an Age of Disinformation and Half Truths

By Warren Wong

It feels harder and harder to stay afloat. The amount of information, whether that’s the news, social media, or comments from friends and family, is non-stop. There are so many demands on our attention, and it’s slowly driving us crazy. Rather than trying to stay in the know, the question then becomes, where do I place my attention?

To add insult to injury there has been more fake news, disinformation and misinformation masquerading as the truth than ever before. This has given rise to fact check organizations and self-touting investigative journalists on a mission to decide what is true and what isn’t.

So I’d argue, the ability to think for yourself is more important than ever before. In a noisy world, being able to discern what to listen to, and what to ignore is essential for maintaining sanity.

The Misinformation Age

Misinformation is false information meant to mislead. The word gained prevalence with the rise of social media. The ability for everyday people to reach a wide audience is unprecedented and with it, a new set of problems. 

Laws haven’t caught up with reality, whether that’s privacy concerns or the fine line between content moderation and free speech. Some are leaving social media altogether.

Social media has given anyone the ability to share any unfiltered thoughts that come to mind. Whether that’s good or bad is up for debate. On the one hand, the amount of creative art and interesting things I’ve seen is inspiring, but the amount of mindless drivel is an endless time suck.

Curating your “feed” is good for our mental health as well as a way to be mindful of what we consume. We can ask ourselves whether this type of content is aligned with our values and goals. If not, we reassess whether to continue consuming it.

More Than Meets The Eye

Not everything should be taken at face value. Sometimes we have to read between the lines. Reality is somewhere between truth and fiction. How often do we catch ourselves telling a half truth, in an attempt to represent reality in a better light? It’s like the success stories we constantly see, but never the behind the scenes failures and late nights that it took to get there.

We all want to put forth our best selves. So, it means that the world is covered in half truths, and it’s our job to decipher what is what. Seems like an awful lot of work.

This need for truth can manifest in different ways. If we take a look at our favorite gadgets and gizmos, there might be a brand we have grown to love. Perhaps it evokes feelings of adventure and freedom, and another represents luxury and class. 

Brands are a shortcut to make quick and simple decisions based on a longstanding reputation. Perhaps they have a reputation of quality, craftsmanship, and great customer service. This is a heuristic, a mental shortcut.

However, by using heuristics, herein lies an area that can be exploited. If you’re like many consumers you often find yourself in the reviews section before making an important purchase. How many of us are guilty of blindly making a purchase based on the reviews alone. And when you receive the product, it isn’t quite as amazing as those reviewers had made it out to be.

Whether it’s testimonials, reviews, likes or follower count, we tend to use those metrics as a heuristic for who to trust. Oftentimes that leaves us vulnerable to exploitation.

How many times have we wrongly assumed that someone, maybe an authority figure, was more qualified than they actually are because they are in a position of authority or simply have a high follower count on social media? We are making an assumption that what got them that social credibility was due to a number of traits that may or may not be true, like their character, expertise, or professionalism. 

Follower counts can be gamed and reviews can be paid for. Confidence can be faked, and authority be falsely assumed. Have you ever met a charlatan whose bravado and charisma influenced your decision, whether that be a salesman or politician, which you later came to regret? Humans are much more emotional than logical at times, and our decisions for better or worse reflect that. 

And so the ability to think for yourself is more important than ever before. 

The Independent Thinker

The independent thinker is the antithesis to our muddied world of half truths and misinformation. An independent thinker is someone who forms opinions, makes decisions, and draws conclusions based on their own reasoning and judgment, rather than simply accepting others’ beliefs, assumptions, or societal norms.

Independent thinkers use first principles thinking, focused on identifying problems and building solutions from the ground up without making assumptions.

Oftentimes we use heuristics in our everyday lives that are based on false assumptions. The news we consume is taken at face value without acknowledging any inherent bias with the reporter or institution, their political affiliations, their track record for the truth, or their financial incentives. A car salesman will always have their own best interests in mind, your needs coming in only second at best.

Societal narratives are another example. The commonly prescribed path is college, find a secure corporate 9 to 5 job, get married, have children, and retire in your 60s. Thinking with a first principle approach, we may ask, “Does this societal narrative benefit me and align with my own values and goals or am I simply following the path of least resistance?” 

This narrative benefits society at large and the pressure to conform is strong. More children means more workers to build up the economy. Countries like South Korea and Japan are facing an increasingly large senior population with declining birth rates. So there are economic incentives for the government to have more people to have children and join the corporate workforce.

The point here isn’t to vilify corporations or news reporters, but to think deeper and to question our previously held beliefs and assumptions on how the world works. Perhaps there’s a fundamental flaw to the way we’ve been thinking.

Conclusion

We are living in a time with unprecedented amounts of information. Attempting to navigate oceans of information, decide what to pay attention to and what to ignore, is hardly simple. 

Get into the habit of questioning the norm. Ask yourself, “What’s best for me?” Not because it’s what everyone says, but because that’s what you truly want. There’s a big difference and one we often don’t discern if we are being truthful to ourselves.

Being an independent thinker is a habit that gets easier over time. Applying first principles thinking to everything you do isn’t practical nor time conducive. It’s being selective in your approach to daily living, making informed decisions, evaluating your assumptions, and being open minded. 

Along the way, you will discover that oftentimes the truth is hidden under layers of personal self interest, biases, and incorrect assumptions. The ability to think for yourself is more important than ever before.