Blog #23--Details Aid Understanding

As I describe in my book “It’s a Secret, So Pass It On: a Toolbox For Life,” our brains do opposite things simultaneously. While part of us is truthful, the other part lies. Actually, even truths are relative rather than absolute because we must use both opposite energies within us to say or do anything. Thus, it is impossible to make a direct statement that is 100% truthful and 100% understandable by everyone who hears it.

Those who prefer to distort the truth find myriad ways of doing so. For example, the shorter the message, the greater the chance of misunderstanding. That is why I don’t use certain social media. The less space provided for a statement, the greater the chance it will be misunderstood. Plus, liars use brief messages for their own unique agendas since they can be interpreted in various ways. It is extremely hard for an honest person to make any statement that will be understood as intended.

I used to work as a sports journalist for a college recruiting website. I had to communicate with high school athletes regularly. At first, phone calls allowed for decent interviews. But little by little, more athletes insisted on texting to communicate. It is much easier to understand what is said when communicating directly than by using texting.

If I had continued as a journalist, I would have needed even more social media to communicate. In fact, some athletes now refuse to answer their phone for interviews. Journalists are left with typed messages that may or may not be understandable or accurate.

And now, some people are creating false social media accounts using athletes’ names as their sources. Those who follow recruiting may get suckered into what is stated on these false messages and believe things that are patently false. But word of mouth sends the lies over the entire internet, and many people can suffer from the consequences.

In recent years, we have discovered we cannot trust any photo or video because people are able to photoshop changes that turn truths into lies. It may be fun to see a person’s head on an animal’s body, but those with an intent to deceive can make a guilty person look innocent and an innocent person appear guilty. How can we ever know if a photo or video is accurate?

The same is now true with at least some of the social media options available to us. Do we really want to know the truth, or would we rather listen to those who say what we want to hear despite their falsehood? Frankly, I’m not sure how many people who use social media regularly care whether messages are truthful or not. That is, until they are burned by someone else’s deceit.

I try to do the opposite. My book is lengthy in part because I endeavored to provide sufficient detail to clarify concepts and help more people understand my perspective on the world. But there is no amount of detail that will prevent the twisting of words and ideas by someone bent on doing so. Hopefully, by erring on the side of commission rather than omission, I have helped to share my vision with a larger number of people.

There will be misunderstandings regardless. Some will attack my premises. Some will attack me as a threat to their own cherished beliefs. But hopefully some will decide to make up their own minds. That is when a book is superior to social media. The greater detail is more likely to benefit those who are ready for it.

Comments and questions can be directed to dreamtime@insight-books.com.

http://dreamtime3.wix.com/jacktuttlebook