There Is No Truth but My Truth
Certainty is the enemy of critical thinking
Hello again Medium. It’s been a while. It was a classic case of life getting in the way of art; the mundane triumphing over Medium. However sooner or later, one must reconnect with what animates. Hence, my latest offering.
The quest for truth
The quest for truth and certainty has been, and remains, one of mankind’s fundamental pursuits. To answer the questions: ‘Why am I here?’, ‘What am I meant to be?’ is arguably, our raison d’être. Whether as Nick Bostrom suggests, we are part of a computer simulation or whether as religion suggests, we are the children of God, our mental health (sanity) depends on answering these questions. Until fairly recently, most of the information we consumed used to shape our world view was promulgated by a few select institutions such as government, religious organizations, educational institutions and media outlets. The emergence of the internet changed everything. Information can now be obtained from a quasi infinite number sources. We now have access to a myriad of voices, opinions, facts and truths. Finding ‘truth’ has never been so easy and so complicated. The internet was meant to unify us and in some respects it has, but it has also given us alternative facts, information bubbles, created mistrust in science and has contributed to polarisation and exacerbated cancel culture. With the advent of artificial intelligence, it is difficult to see how things can get better. This begs the question: Why?
I feel therefore I am
By suppling an infinite amount of information, much of it appealing to our feelings and emotions, the internet has made it extremely difficult for us to engage in critical thinking. We are a long way from the Encyclopedia which most of us accepted as fact and consulted when researching. Furthermore, the monetization of the internet has corrupted its idealistic promise of unification and has rather pandered to our feelings with the ultimate goal, to make a buck. It has tapped into our anger (outrage), fear (of missing out), insecurities and desires.
Descartes once posited: I think therefore I am. If I may expound on this idea, I would add: I think critically, therefore I am. However, with so much information at our disposal, some inaccurate, some downright deceitful, critical thinking has become an extremely difficult task? Furthermore, many are trapped in an information bubble governed by an algorithm and are victims of confirmation bias.
I believe a consequence of this difficulty to critically think is that action is governed by affect. Polarisation, cancel culture and outrage are the zeitgeist of our times. They have permeated, news, politics, and social media which I consider to be a mirror of society. As we increasingly rely on our devices, we run the risk of overstimulating our limbic system which has a deleterious effect on the mental health of our children and ourselves as well. It is no surprise that we seem to be an increasingly anxious society. So, how can we find truth and meaning in the Digital Age?
Certainty is the enemy of critical thinking
Firstly, I believe it begins with the assumption that although there is an objective truth, in the end, it is of little importance. Whether we are part of a computer simulation or God’s children, we should not shun opinions or ideas that do not ‘fit’ into our bubble. Critical thinking can only occur when we are exposed to a diversity of opinions and ideas. How we govern ourselves in this existence remains largely a choice. Choices are best made when we can sift through a plethora of information.
John Allen Paulos stated that uncertainty is the only certainty which means we must become comfortable with uncertainty. Uncertainty edges us forward, opens our horizons and enables to explore new terrain. Certainty arguably, does the opposite. Once we are certain of something, there is no need to search any further. That being said, uncertainty can be uncomfortable.
Finally, one must do the work (research). The internet provides us with (too much) information, it has become the default research tool. We must not lose sight of the role algorithms play in the way information is provided to us and understand the phenomenon of confirmation bias. Also, many sources of information are profit centers for someone so we must question the objectivity of the information we consume. In the end, it means more diligence or cross referencing is required.
In conclusion, the increasing presence of the internet and its ease of accessibility requires additional prudence and responsibility. It is my opinion that not enough has been done to prepare us against the noxious effects of the internet. Individual responsibility is essential but I must admit that as a parent, I probably did not do enough to educate my child about the perverse aspects of the internet. Given that there is no turning back, it would be wise for our educational systems to offer our children a course on internet awareness to enable them to properly navigate the web. As for the rest of us:
The search for truth and knowledge is one of the finest attributes of man — though often it is most loudly voiced by those who strive for it the least.
Albert Einstein
