One of the questions I am being asked these days is, "How can I become more propaganda-proof?"
You can start by learning how to distinguish between:
- When you’re being fed selective cherry-picked data and complete data;
- Data and interpretations;
- When someone is trying to inform you and when they are trying to persuade you.
I, for one, welcome complete data, multiple potential interpretations of that data, and explicitly identified attempts to persuade.
What I passionately oppose is today’s rampant blurring of the lines between data and interpretation, and equally rampant covert attempts to persuade that are cloaked under the pretense of providing full and complete facts.
These strategies are being used across the political & ideological spectrums. They are unscrupulous propaganda methods. They are deepening our divisiveness and gridlock when what we need is for people to upgrade their collaboration skills so we can co-creates the sustainable solutions we need to today’s huge challenges.
I’m welcome whatever opinions you have about today’s issues. What I’m not fine with is you or me being manipulated into their opinions, or with these manipulations being so sophisticated that we’re fooled into believing we’re forming our own opinions out of our own free will. This is the manufacturing of consent, not true consent.
Being propaganda-proof is the foundation of healthy social responsibility and mature patriotism. Please join me in these three steps to becoming more propaganda-proof. Seek complete data — don’t be duped by cherry-picked data. Don’t let people get away with mislabeling interpretations as data. Stop tolerating persuasion tactics that are being disguised as well-meaning offers of information.
Thank you for being part of the Integrity Revolution!
