Besides not believing anything you read on this day of pranks and hoaxes, what can you do to avoid being taken in by people who play fast and loose with facts and arguments? How can you reliably separate truth from falsehood, reality from illusion? There are of course many useful techniques for thinking logically and spotting verbal snake oil. But the most important thing to do when you're not sure what to believe is not to believe anything—that is, to suspend judgment and admit you don't know.
Easier said than done, though. I've read that suspending judgment is psychologically difficult, and I can believe it. Not knowing is uncomfortable, and knowing sometimes requires a lot of time and effort. Sometimes, knowing is downright impossible. What can we do instead? One option is to jump to conclusions, believing the first things we read, or the first things that fit neatly into our worldviews and flatter our egos. See? We understand the world. We get it. We're smart. Accept us! Love us!
Hey, there's certainly nothing wrong with wanting to have knowledge. Nor is there anything wrong with wanting to be seen to have knowledge, either—unless it interferes with actually having knowledge. Getting suckered by a prank today is probably no big deal. Getting hoodwinked by homeopathy or an anti-vaccine conspiracy theory, however, can have very serious consequences, above and beyond being parted from one's money.
Suspending one's judgment may be uncomfortable, but it's a discomfort that's worth bearing. Being willing to say "I don't know" when you really don't know is a mark of courage and integrity—and the indispensable first step to actually knowing.
Hey, there's certainly nothing wrong with wanting to have knowledge. Nor is there anything wrong with wanting to be seen to have knowledge, either—unless it interferes with actually having knowledge. Getting suckered by a prank today is probably no big deal. Getting hoodwinked by homeopathy or an anti-vaccine conspiracy theory, however, can have very serious consequences, above and beyond being parted from one's money.
Suspending one's judgment may be uncomfortable, but it's a discomfort that's worth bearing. Being willing to say "I don't know" when you really don't know is a mark of courage and integrity—and the indispensable first step to actually knowing.
