“Keep me from lying to myself.” (Psalm 119:29 NLT)
A few months ago, I read an article that stated that the COVID-19 virus was less deadly than the influenza virus. I was relieved. I had enough other things to worry about. The nation’s leaders kept reassuring the public to go about life as usual. I complacently went along with their recommendations.
Then, a few weeks ago, I began reading conflicting messages. There were pundits on the news giving their opinions. Social media was rife with personal stories and disagreements. It was difficult to know which sources to believe. I finally decided that I would go back to the data and study it for myself. I went to many different sources. I looked at global research. I poured over epidemiological graphs and read through scholarly articles on the pathogenesis of different strains of coronavirus.
I discovered that I had lied to myself.
Misinformation is false information that is spread regardless of whether there is an intent to mislead. Disinformation is a sinister form of misinformation that is deliberately spread in order to influence public opinion or obscure the truth. When we accept disinformation, we lie to ourselves. When we propagate it--we become part of the deceit. We become unwitting carriers of misinformation, spreading contagion.
How can we stop lying to ourselves?
Go back to the data and study it for yourself. Look at many different sources from diverse points of view. Check your inherent bias. Filter out opinions from facts. Assess trustworthiness. If someone is a known liar, do not believe what they say. Learn to identify disinformation. Do not internalize it. Be truthful to yourself and others.
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