We said it all the time when I was growing up – garbage in, garbage out. That could mean what we read affected how we wrote. It could mean setting up a math equation incorrectly would yield an incorrect answer. It could mean that if we entered meaningless data, the computer would spit out garbage results.
We often learned the hard way just how true the statement was. What is startling to me currently is that we don’t seem to recognize garbage as garbage. And when someone questions the garbage, we double down and choose fantasy if it serves our purpose. This is concerning.
I’m not saying people can’t view things differently or have a different opinion about things. Each of us will naturally perceive a given situation in a slightly different way. But I’m seeing people detaching their realities from documentable facts.
If you’re five and still have an imaginary friend, that may be okay. But if you’re an adult making life altering decisions, we’re in a dangerous ballpark.
Skepticism is good. Discernment is critical!
Want to tell me to hush, you’ll just use AI? Think of it this way. If you are not discerning, you can’t use AI well. You’ll be fooled when it fails a task only slightly less complicated than the car wash test. https://cybernews.com/ai-news/ai-car-wash-test/
If friends, instructors, or mentors keep harping on you learning critical thinking, they may believe you lack discernment. If you’re making life decisions then suffering consequences others deem predictable, you may need to improve your insight and judgement.
The good news is, discernment can be cultivated.
Start carefully observing what’s around you in real life. In other words, open your lying eyes and believe them.
Get as close as you can to the facts. When someone in your circle starts ranting about a person or event, before forming an opinion, get information directly from the source or a source as close to the facts as you can get.
Dig deep. Let curiosity take you to find background information that gives context or history.
Read widely. Whether or not you agree, it’s good to explore different trains of thought. If you read something that seems plausible, vet some sources and explore it further.
Put your feelings aside. Just because you feel a certain way about them doesn’t affect the facts. Don’t ignore a field expert just because you don’t like their life philosophy unless you can document that that philosophy is prompting them to spread misinformation.
Ask questions. Consult friends, colleagues, or acquaintances who are not in your primary circle. Do they have additional information you can explore? What are their thoughts on the issue?
Be skeptical about everything including your motives. Sometimes, we allow ourselves to be led astray because we don’t want to challenge long-held beliefs or because we’re having an intellectually lazy moment.
Read old books and documents. It may be hard to gather facts in this age of misinformation. Reading a variety of old books and studying historic documents in museums can help inform your opinion. Use what you learn as a standard for judging new information.
Accept that you can’t always get what you want. Life is hard and tough decisions are sometimes required.
Reject hubris. Recognize that whether or not you have influential friends, hold a position of power, or can buy anything you want, you are not more deserving than anyone else. This will help prevent you from amassing facts solely to support your self-importance.
Yesterday, I read 3 or 4 recently published articles and realized when I finished I had learned exactly nothing. These articles weren’t harmful, but they also weren’t helpful. Sometimes things that waste your time are garbage too.
There’s a wealth of learning to be had. There’s important work to be done. And there’s tons of fun along the way. But it’s safest if you avoid consuming garbage.
