Truth or Vibes

 

I am dismayed to observe that much of modern discourse unfolds as follows:

1. Someone "reports" on something that is sure to enrage half of America.

2. People see it and become enraged, the rage gets reported on, then more people see it and become enraged, and then the whole thing gets even more coverage.

3. At some point, someone asks, "hey, are we sure that report is true?" That person is roundly ignored and the outrage continues.

4. The conversation metastasizes into memes and other mockery, such that even as the media cycle moves onto other topics, this topic is memorialized in spirit.

I'll be the first to tell you that "truth" is elusive. Context matters, rational accounts may differ on the same event, and our collective understanding evolves over time. 

That said, to me that is different than "the truth really doesn't matter," or perhaps more to the point, "the truth is less important than things that reinforce what I already feel strongly about."

If you're nodding your head in agreement or thinking to yourself, "well, obviously...I would never be such a rube like that," ask yourself: when confronted with a headline or 5-second clip, how often do you yourself jump to the conclusion you've already previously drawn, and how often do you read the whole article or watch the whole video to see if the actual information might broaden or even change your perspective? It isn't easy to do that, but when we fail to we are elevating vibes over truth.

I've used this space often to lament that people no longer desire to keep an open mind, preferring instead to cocoon themselves in tribes that circulate fundamentally different sets of facts and feelings. America as a nation and ideal, and diversity being one of those ideals, depends on differences of opinions - that they are allowed to co-exist, that they are respected, and that we are stronger for the lack of consensus. 

"Vibes" may feel better, but truth, however uncomfortable or inconvenient, is still worth something nowadays. Will we be willing to dig for it, protect it, believe it?