Like you I believe everything the Internet says…well almost everything. There are three sides to any story as you may know. Two people can have two different views on something and then there is what the Internet says.
In this era of discrediting what the media says and “fake news” it’s really hard to figure out what and whom is right. Too many times good old-fashioned gossip means facts are distorted or even turned into lies. Classic rock group The Doobie Brothers sing a song “What A Fool Believes” and sometimes we are the fool and other times others play the role of a fool. What we accept as truth is sometimes a reflection on our life experiences and education
I believe that much of what you see online is opinion, like this post you are reading now. Sharing opinions is a freedom many enjoy but speaking truth does require more of a challenge. People will believe whatever makes them comfortable even though it might not be so right.
Of course its a trusted source thing. Where do you get your information from. Not every source comes from an agenda but a desire to offer perspective from a human place. So we have to determine what our values are and what to believe. There is value in what the Internet says. I would say in more ways it’s on point but there are other times it gets things wrong.
Conspiracy is a part of the culture and the mythos of our lives. There are people who will theorize about something they doubt happened. Theorists will bring up their perceived truth and will advance that story. Everything from the Lunar Landing to the assassination of President Kennedy to even the events of September 11, 2001 have some conspiracy attached to them with some dark, sinister event that has some people’s imagination peaked to a hyper level.
The truth is important. Everyone is entitled to it. However some who advance conspiracy theories in my opinion come across as a know-it-all. They want to spread rumors and sometimes that slanders people and they propagate lies and do more harm than good. Everyone enjoys the intrigue of a mystery but conspiracies can just be that conspiracies.
Facts are facts but sometimes facts can be altered to advance an agenda or something more nefarious. In news the journalist should never make themselves a part of the story and the same should be said for someone who wants their lives to be a part of a thing bigger than them. Perhaps it’s a bit of narcissism or low self-esteem that causes people to say something didn’t happen the way everyone else remembers seeing it. Maybe there is a trust thing too.
P.T. Barnum once said there is a sucker born every minute and to those who advance conspiracies perhaps there is something to that.
The Doobie Brothers once sang a song “What A Fool Believes”, and when it comes to Facebook it seems there are many of them including yours truly. One amazing thing about social media is how hoaxes spread like wildfire. All it takes is for someone with a devious side to post something that will be picked up by other users, and it just gets viral. I guess when you are just sitting there scrolling through your feed, anything that looks legit, becomes legit whether its true or not.
Fortunately for us all there are people who are vigilant to keep us from treading into the social darkness of someones wicked sense of humor. People who perpetrate such things should be ashamed of themselves but as PT Barnum once said there is a fool born every minute…sometimes every 30 seconds online.
My friends, don’t be foolish. Be smart about what you see and where you see it coming from. Don’t distribute anything that looks dubious and always be on guard. Enjoy the times you have online but be careful.
The Tony Burgess Blog 