So, as I was saying, we've got this big division in our country. And though there are many issues that we're just not going to agree on, I think there's a lot of room for improvement in us being more effective at wading through the information septic tank (i.e - the media). Before we can even begin to hammer out solutions, we need to have at least a half decent picture of what exactly it is that we're disagreeing over to begin with. Too often we have dogmatic stances on issues that we don't even have a clear understanding of. I'm convinced that is a large contributor to the "us versus them" mentality that I am determined to defeat.
Now, to be fair, clearly most of us aren't experts, but here's at least my attempt at a practical solution to start promoting unity in this country. First......verify, verify, verify. See, we have this tendency to think that the sources of information that WE agree with are the true and "objective" sources, while we view anything outside of that as "biased". When it comes to the media, how ridiculous it is for us to think that we're getting the REAL inside scoop, while everyone else is just "drinking the Kool-Aid". Unfortunately, all our media is saturated with Kool-Aid, Sunny D, and yes, even "the purple stuff". And though it's not fun admitting our faults, it's important that we recognize this in ourselves if we're to be effective at separating the garbage from the truth.
When we don't guard against this, the result is a distorted understanding. Though we know we shouldn't, we tend not to question information that we already suspect is true. I mean, If I told you that Kanye West interrupted Obama's State of the Union address to say that Beyonce had the best music video of 2009, you'd probably believe me without questioning it, wouldn't you? (ha) The opposite is true as well. If you already question the validity of something to begin with, then you will tend to not accept any information that challenges your current stance.
So, we've got to be cross-checking this stuff that gets shoved down our throats with other sources (that do not share the same point of view). And if you can find the same info in 3 different places, it still doesn't make it completely accurate, but at least you have a much better shot at getting the whole story. As a side note, I'm not opposed to using snopes.com or truthorfiction.com, or any other fact-checking site for that matter. But, you still have to remember that those sites are run by humans, not God. No matter how convincing a site like that is, it is still just one source that also needs to be cross-checked. Even Wikipedia (NOOO!) has been found to have errors on it from time to time. So when it comes to verifying, don't be a one-stop shopper. After all, let's not forget the PRIMARY mission of all news media....to make money. And whenever you mix an incentive (be it making money, getting votes, getting famous, etc.) with information, manipulation ensues. It's just human nature.
Now, if you don't have the time to verify something, that's perfectly okay! I just encourage you not to spread what you read or heard as if it's gospel. Email forwards are a big offender in this area. It too often leads back to the problem I mentioned in the first paragraph of stirring up debates on issues that are about as clear as mud, or worse, don't even exist.
My second and last encouragement is to give consideration to occasionally getting your news from sources you tend to disagree with. Why? Beacause it gives you more perspective (but still, don't forget to verify). Let's say you've decided to buy a new car. You've done all your homework regarding the specs of the car, and you settle on a Toyota Camry. You're absolutely convinced this is the best car for the value. But just for peace of mind, you decide to read some consumer reviews before heading in to the dealership. Well, you run a search and find a site with a thousand individual reviews on the Camry. Which reviews do you think are going to be most helpful in making a good decision: the reviews that say what you already believe?..... "This is the greatest car since sliced bread, it can drive on water, and even has a feature that activates your window wipers everytime you hit the blinker!" (a little inside joke for those that remember my first car). OR, reviews that tell you potential problems with the vehicle? I'm going with the latter.
It's usually not fun when we hear that maybe our ideas and perspectives aren't exactly as "right on" as we'd like. But I think this kind of strategy when applied to receiving information can, at the very least, help guard against intellectual laziness, and at best, help us think more critically and objectively. If we can do that, I think we stand the best chance of winning the information war, and getting our country back.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Information Warfare (Part 1 of 2)
I'd like to begin with an issue I see as a major threat to our nation today. It's a concept I call "information warfare". We all know about it, but I think we tend to get so submerged in it over and over, that we become like the frog in the pot that never knows the water is boiling because the temperature is raised so slowly. We're put into such a trance by the fire hose of information that we get numb and let our guard down. It is the opposite problem that a country like Afghanistan has--where a lot of the population lives in rural villages with little to no access to information. As a result, they live and die with little idea about what is really going on in the outside world.
As opposite as our country is in that arena, I feel like we sometimes are SO inundated with information, that we become vulnerable to the same plight as those rural villagers. Our country is among the global elite in terms of the amount, rate, and scope of information available to us. Yet, more and more it seems that the average American has a considerably low level of awareness and understanding about what's going on in the world. Heck, even "informed" Americans are confused because it's a 40-hour a week job trying to sort through all the information out there and build a big picture to determine what is relevant and who is telling you the truth. And if you just take the easy option and watch major news network television, then if you're honest you'll admit that what you're getting, at best, is a largely varying perspective of the "facts", and at worst, different "facts" altogether depending on the network. This is information warfare. It is the result of money and votes being at stake for the prize of your attention.
But unfortunately, it doesn't just stop there. The internet is even worse. In fact, I'm convinced that the internet has the ability to do much more damage (or good) than most of us realize. As an example, during the riots in Iran this past year, did you know that for a day or two, Twitter was literally the ONLY source of information coming out of that country? I recall during that time seeing Twitter postings serve as the sole basis for major network news reporting--wow. Granted, that's an extreme case. But what about the fact that many news-worthy stories FIRST go public via Twitter? Any information outlet like that carries a tremendous amount of influence. This is because not only is it used by millions of people in this country, but it also is viewed as one of the quickest and reliable sources of up-to-the-minute information. This is okay as long as nothing is tampered with.
But what if that trust were to be sabotaged to spread some sort of major lie and caused a public panic? Sure, probably not one person alone, but I'd wager that if a fairly small group of the "right" mixture of people with influence and access to media outlets decided to pull a fast one on us, I wonder if we'd be more vulnerable than we think. Why? Because if you can control information, then you can control people. And though anyone with a computer can post info on the web, ironically, the internet tends to be the medium many people trust more due to the more perceived "personalized environment" it offers. After all, if your best friend Billy Bob next door heard it and passed it on, and you checked it out on snopes.com then it MUST be true, right? Funny thing is some of the most outrageous boneheaded stuff you ever do get sent to you seems to come from your friends and family. This blog is a perfect example. And that is why I wouldn't believe anything I'm writing right now (ha).
These days, I've even gotten to the point where unless the purpose is simply for entertainment value, ANY thing I come across via email forwards from trusted friends and family, or any other internet source that claims to have the "inside story" on an issue, I automatically assume the info to be either distorted, or just outright false (my experience has shown that to be the case WELL over half the time).
Now, don't get me wrong. When I get stuff sent to me, I definitely read it, ponder it, research it....whatever necessary if it seems worthy of such. But, one thing I refuse to do until convinced of it's accuracy is forward stuff like that to others. I especially make it a point NOT to forward emails that say anything suggesting that the failure to do so indicates that I'm not a patriotic American, or that I'm a bad Christian, or that my guardian angel won't protect me anymore. Simply put, any email that contains a sentence that starts with the words, "If you don't forward this email, then...."--that's an automatic DELETE. Anyway, I think you get the general point that we've got some "squirrel-ly" stuff going down in the world of information. And at least partly as a result, we live in a divided country where each side thinks they have the correct perspective and the other side is full of misguided idiots.
So, as Chris Farley posing as a motivational speaker would say, "Now, you might be asking yourself....Hey Matt, how can we get back on the right track?" [feverishly pumping arms around waist in running motion].....Well, I'm glad you asked. But, in the interest of keeping this to one page, I'd like to plan on continuing this discussion in a Part II post. Please feel free to join in as desired.
As opposite as our country is in that arena, I feel like we sometimes are SO inundated with information, that we become vulnerable to the same plight as those rural villagers. Our country is among the global elite in terms of the amount, rate, and scope of information available to us. Yet, more and more it seems that the average American has a considerably low level of awareness and understanding about what's going on in the world. Heck, even "informed" Americans are confused because it's a 40-hour a week job trying to sort through all the information out there and build a big picture to determine what is relevant and who is telling you the truth. And if you just take the easy option and watch major news network television, then if you're honest you'll admit that what you're getting, at best, is a largely varying perspective of the "facts", and at worst, different "facts" altogether depending on the network. This is information warfare. It is the result of money and votes being at stake for the prize of your attention.
But unfortunately, it doesn't just stop there. The internet is even worse. In fact, I'm convinced that the internet has the ability to do much more damage (or good) than most of us realize. As an example, during the riots in Iran this past year, did you know that for a day or two, Twitter was literally the ONLY source of information coming out of that country? I recall during that time seeing Twitter postings serve as the sole basis for major network news reporting--wow. Granted, that's an extreme case. But what about the fact that many news-worthy stories FIRST go public via Twitter? Any information outlet like that carries a tremendous amount of influence. This is because not only is it used by millions of people in this country, but it also is viewed as one of the quickest and reliable sources of up-to-the-minute information. This is okay as long as nothing is tampered with.
But what if that trust were to be sabotaged to spread some sort of major lie and caused a public panic? Sure, probably not one person alone, but I'd wager that if a fairly small group of the "right" mixture of people with influence and access to media outlets decided to pull a fast one on us, I wonder if we'd be more vulnerable than we think. Why? Because if you can control information, then you can control people. And though anyone with a computer can post info on the web, ironically, the internet tends to be the medium many people trust more due to the more perceived "personalized environment" it offers. After all, if your best friend Billy Bob next door heard it and passed it on, and you checked it out on snopes.com then it MUST be true, right? Funny thing is some of the most outrageous boneheaded stuff you ever do get sent to you seems to come from your friends and family. This blog is a perfect example. And that is why I wouldn't believe anything I'm writing right now (ha).
These days, I've even gotten to the point where unless the purpose is simply for entertainment value, ANY thing I come across via email forwards from trusted friends and family, or any other internet source that claims to have the "inside story" on an issue, I automatically assume the info to be either distorted, or just outright false (my experience has shown that to be the case WELL over half the time).
Now, don't get me wrong. When I get stuff sent to me, I definitely read it, ponder it, research it....whatever necessary if it seems worthy of such. But, one thing I refuse to do until convinced of it's accuracy is forward stuff like that to others. I especially make it a point NOT to forward emails that say anything suggesting that the failure to do so indicates that I'm not a patriotic American, or that I'm a bad Christian, or that my guardian angel won't protect me anymore. Simply put, any email that contains a sentence that starts with the words, "If you don't forward this email, then...."--that's an automatic DELETE. Anyway, I think you get the general point that we've got some "squirrel-ly" stuff going down in the world of information. And at least partly as a result, we live in a divided country where each side thinks they have the correct perspective and the other side is full of misguided idiots.
So, as Chris Farley posing as a motivational speaker would say, "Now, you might be asking yourself....Hey Matt, how can we get back on the right track?" [feverishly pumping arms around waist in running motion].....Well, I'm glad you asked. But, in the interest of keeping this to one page, I'd like to plan on continuing this discussion in a Part II post. Please feel free to join in as desired.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Disclaimer
If you don't already know me, it's important to understand that overall I'm a pretty laid back kind of guy. That is largely evidenced by the fact that no matter how serious or sacred the topic, I always try to find the humorous side of issues to keep things from getting overly serious (see previous post). That approach has not always worked in my favor, but nonetheless it's something that helps me keep the bigger picture in mind. I'm convinced that if you aren't able to make light of issues, or even yourself, then you'll find it much harder to enjoy life. And after all, who doesn't want to do that? (besides maybe Osama bin Laden--unless he just REALLY loves hide and seek)
On the other hand, if you've taken a look around you for any amount of time, you'll probably be able to see where I'm coming from when I say that the environment we live in today is not exactly as the "It's A Small World After All" exhibit at Disney portrays (I mean, the real world is waaay bigger). So, unless we're just going to ignore reality, which is already a fault of ours, just making light of our problems alone won't help any.
If we are to avoid the risk of settling on a life of dry humor to help us cope through existence with a jaded outlook, I say let's start learning from each other so we can begin to lean on each other. Sure, we've got problems and a million conflicting perspectives. But ironically, I would argue that's actually one of things that has historically led to our success as a nation.
Bottom line, my goal with this blog is not to just tell you about my life, my convictions, etc. Though I will talk about those things, my biggest goal is to encourage people. And my method of doing so is to hopefully inspire thought on a wide array of subjects--some low key/humorous topics, and others that are controversial. I'm convinced that if we can reason together with grace about complex issues that we don't agree on, all involved can learn something and be better people as a result.
If you decide to keep reading, I hope you will feel inspired to engage and weigh in with your thoughts as well. But do so recognizing that the goal is unity, not division. Besides, if your hindsight is as good as mine, average at best, then you should agree that's always a better plan.
On the other hand, if you've taken a look around you for any amount of time, you'll probably be able to see where I'm coming from when I say that the environment we live in today is not exactly as the "It's A Small World After All" exhibit at Disney portrays (I mean, the real world is waaay bigger). So, unless we're just going to ignore reality, which is already a fault of ours, just making light of our problems alone won't help any.
If we are to avoid the risk of settling on a life of dry humor to help us cope through existence with a jaded outlook, I say let's start learning from each other so we can begin to lean on each other. Sure, we've got problems and a million conflicting perspectives. But ironically, I would argue that's actually one of things that has historically led to our success as a nation.
Bottom line, my goal with this blog is not to just tell you about my life, my convictions, etc. Though I will talk about those things, my biggest goal is to encourage people. And my method of doing so is to hopefully inspire thought on a wide array of subjects--some low key/humorous topics, and others that are controversial. I'm convinced that if we can reason together with grace about complex issues that we don't agree on, all involved can learn something and be better people as a result.
If you decide to keep reading, I hope you will feel inspired to engage and weigh in with your thoughts as well. But do so recognizing that the goal is unity, not division. Besides, if your hindsight is as good as mine, average at best, then you should agree that's always a better plan.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Getting Things Started
Hmm, what to write about first. Maybe a funny story that relates to the title of this blog might be good to break the ice.... This is a true story. Last spring, I was en route to a far away land where I would spend the next two and a half months living. After buzzing across the Atlantic, we landed in Shannon, Ireland for a couple of hours to refuel our plane. Our "group" was taken inside a passenger terminal to chill out in the meantime. To entertain myself, I decided to grab a couple of things: my travel guitar, a book I was in the middle of, and my laptop that had been donated to me for this very trip by my sister-in-law. Unfortunately, I didn't have the correct electrical adapter required to plug in the laptop. So, upon seeing a duty free shop across the way that had what I needed, I naturally headed in that direction. Since I was carrying a fair amount of gear, I decided not to take the bulk with me, but rather tuck them safely under the seat I had claimed...afterall, my comrades and I seemed to be the only ones in the terminal.
Fast forward five minutes. Having succeeded in the store, I returned to my previous spot ready to overcome my electrical obstacle, when I discovered a new dilemma. "Hmm, I could have sworn this is the seat I put my stuff under. Maybe it was over here. Nope. Oh boy. Five minutes in a foreign country and I'm already getting robbed. Not good."
Trying to maintain a calm disposition, I quickly scanned the terminal for anyone who looked like they had some authority. Across the way, I spotted two guys who fit the description talking to one of the leaders of my group. I headed over and was able to get the attention of the sidekick of the two without interrupting the ongoing conversation. I briefly explained my predicament and got a rather unexpected reaction. He simply turned to his partner, interrupting him with a light smack on the shoulder, and said, "Hey, we found him." Uh oh. I was quickly taken to a back room, where I was padded down and asked several questions as to where I had been and what I had been doing for the past 10 minutes. After filling them in and assuring them that this was all just a misunderstanding, they had one last test. They wanted me to describe the items I was "missing". Easy, right? Well, let's just say had I not been in the middle of reading a book entitled "The Taliban" with a huge token picture of a scary bearded man on the cover that I had stuffed in my laptop case, I might not have wet myself. Yep....all just a misunderstanding.
But, it's all good--after all, here I am alive and well almost a year later. And, more than just a funny story, it does give some food for thought for this inaugural post. In hindsight, what choice was my biggest mistake? Well, I don't know what you think, but I'd say it's a tough call between leaving my luggage unattended in a passenger terminal, OR failing to realize a much more efficient option: instead of checking email first, pull out the guitar, make some friends, and use their tip money to finance the purchase, while THEY watch my stuff for me.
Oh well, it's like my wife always says, "Hindsight is 50/50".
Fast forward five minutes. Having succeeded in the store, I returned to my previous spot ready to overcome my electrical obstacle, when I discovered a new dilemma. "Hmm, I could have sworn this is the seat I put my stuff under. Maybe it was over here. Nope. Oh boy. Five minutes in a foreign country and I'm already getting robbed. Not good."
Trying to maintain a calm disposition, I quickly scanned the terminal for anyone who looked like they had some authority. Across the way, I spotted two guys who fit the description talking to one of the leaders of my group. I headed over and was able to get the attention of the sidekick of the two without interrupting the ongoing conversation. I briefly explained my predicament and got a rather unexpected reaction. He simply turned to his partner, interrupting him with a light smack on the shoulder, and said, "Hey, we found him." Uh oh. I was quickly taken to a back room, where I was padded down and asked several questions as to where I had been and what I had been doing for the past 10 minutes. After filling them in and assuring them that this was all just a misunderstanding, they had one last test. They wanted me to describe the items I was "missing". Easy, right? Well, let's just say had I not been in the middle of reading a book entitled "The Taliban" with a huge token picture of a scary bearded man on the cover that I had stuffed in my laptop case, I might not have wet myself. Yep....all just a misunderstanding.
But, it's all good--after all, here I am alive and well almost a year later. And, more than just a funny story, it does give some food for thought for this inaugural post. In hindsight, what choice was my biggest mistake? Well, I don't know what you think, but I'd say it's a tough call between leaving my luggage unattended in a passenger terminal, OR failing to realize a much more efficient option: instead of checking email first, pull out the guitar, make some friends, and use their tip money to finance the purchase, while THEY watch my stuff for me.
Oh well, it's like my wife always says, "Hindsight is 50/50".
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