Pronouncements don’t create facts.
Please discuss. How does this play out in life?
I’ll start us out. Recent events have clearly shown the risks attendant to making public statements of opinion. People will tend to believe what we say—factual or not—if we repeat it often enough. The more we reiterate these declarations, the more widely they may be accepted as truth.
There certainly is responsibility for us to be factual and accurate in our pronouncements. We also accountable when we’re listening. Does the speaker have credibility or credentials on the topic? Are they providing supporting data or only empty rhetoric? Why are they trying to persuade us? Are they making broad sweeping statements that are possibly more emotionally than factually based?
When we share another’s opinion, in these days of bot farms and political mouthpieces, we also need to ensure what we’re repeating is factual. Search engines make it relatively easy to verify the accuracy of most statements. A bit of research may help safeguard us against spreading rumors instead of sharing information.
Today’s message cautions me to be aware of how I give and receive communications. If I’m merely stating my or someone else’s opinion, I’ll want to identify it as such. Accurately stating facts and statistics will ensure I share data responsibly. Fact checking will prevent me from thoughtlessly believing or sharing others’ statements. I am—as we all are—accountable in my communications.
How about you? How do you separate facts from opinions?