From the point of view of the grass, goats and cows are mass murderers while lions and tigers are genteel souls.
Facts matter, but perspectives matter too. This is because we don’t see fact with our naked eyes. We see them through the prism of our life experiences. Facts don’t care for our feelings, but feelings care for the facts. We give greater importance to facts which align with our beliefs, while discounting those that don’t. This problem is only worsened by social media — which allows algorithms to show us what we want to see and hides from our view, what we don’t want. On top of this automated layer of curated “reality” , we also form friendships with people who are very similar to us — in thoughts and deeds. The end result is a distorted reality that is hard to escape, unless we actively seek to build cognitive agility.
One way to do it is to expose ourselves to different perspectives — political, social and even scientific. Luckily, if we want, we can make the social media work for us. We can take control — instead of being passive automatons, at the mercy of algorithms. It isn’t easy. But then nothing worthwhile comes easy.
As we step into a new year, here’s to hoping that this new year brings decency and nuance to our discussions. Let’s say no to tribalism, say yes to thoughtfulness. May the force be with you !
Happy New Year !
