Conspiracy theories range from attention-seeking behaviour to sinister motives of gaining power by misleading.
The difference between facts and opinions gets more blurred every day, as social media oplatforms have maniacs proclaiming they are the ultimate in truthfulness. What perplexes me even more are the followers willing to believe them.
At the simplest, it is confirmation bias. We like people who support our viewpoint, and go to great lengths to spin more stories to prove them right.
At the complex and saddest end is the inability of people to differentiate opinions from facts. Have minds become so numb with information overload, that they believe whatever they see or hear first?
A political leader famously said, “I know (this issue) is not central to the economy or lifestyles, but it holds the power to draw people together with its emotional appeal.”
How many versions of reality do we have? If each person believes whatever seems worthwhile to them, does truth even exist?
Reality is what happened at a point of time. Not many people remember it exactly, or make videos without filters or editing.
What remains in the world is how it made me feel, how do I choose to remember it and the stories that I create to support my version of reality.
Each person, then, will have a different version of the same incident.
Reality is lost in a flash, because it is not stored in memory.
The next question that comes up is how do we verify? Search engines help in finding alternate viewpoints, but are no great help with platform algorithms, SEO, promoted sites and stuff… The internet shows us whatever they want to show, not the truth.
Most of the countries have a Right to Information Act, but not many people take the trouble to use those time-consuming, tedious and sometimes not-so-autonomous channels.
Interestingly, news tidbits are built of what social media users say, rather than giving independent journalism. I wonder if it even qualifies to be called news, but attracts eyeballs and consequent ad revenue all the same.
Reality now, is lost in the battle to earn revenue.
A quote that comes to mind is
“The guiltiest person is one who holds power to change things, but chooses to do nothing.”
I guess we are all guilty.
Written for Friday Faithfuls at MLMM
Reena Saxena 
In my 60 years on this planet, I’ve seen more willful ignorance displayed than ever. Personally, I think the major reason is the lack of critical thinking – the use of it and children being raised by people who don’t have critical thinking skills, nor do they enable their children to question them or the world around them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You nailed it. Thanks, Susi!
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
And I just came across something that is along the same lines. https://iwriteher.com/2018/09/12/think/
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for sharing!
LikeLike
Reblogged this on https:/BOOKS.ESLARN-NET.DE.
LikeLike
“Reality now, is lost in the battle to earn revenue.” That’s a powerful line.
It’s concerning to me how so many people seem either so gullible or pushed so far to the point of total distrustfulness to believe some of these theories (the least logical especially) so quickly. It also concerns me how immediately others dismiss some of them (the most reasonable especially).
I try to be an open minded skeptic. I will not automatically believe what anyone says, but I will listen. Some are too far fetched to be given any credence, some are possible but I can’t see how it’d be beneficial for the ones behind it, some I can see the motive but not the means, and some seem both possible and likely.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You summarized so much in the comment. I like the term ‘open-minded skeptic’. Will use it somewhere 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’d be glad to see the term spread!
LikeLiked by 1 person
👍🔥
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good analysis Reena.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks a ton!
LikeLiked by 1 person
My pleasure
LikeLiked by 1 person
You have an interesting way of looking at this Reena and I appreciate your profound insight.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Jim!
LikeLiked by 1 person