Thanks David Brooks and Braver Angels

Before you go on, an article in the May 8 & May 22, 2021 issue of Science News ran with a cover "Awash in Deception: How science can help us avoid being duped by misinformation." In the lead article titled: "The Battle Against Fake News," Alexandra Witze presents five suggestions on how to debunk bad information. They come from the News Literacy Project (see the above link).

How to Debunk:

1. Arm yourself with media literacy skills, at sites such as the News Literacy Project (newslit.org), to better understand how to spot hoax videos and stories.

2. Don't stigmatize people for holding inaccurate beliefs. Show empathy and respect, or you're more likely to alienate your audience than successfully share accurate information.

3. Translate complicated but true ideas into simple messages that are easy to grasp. Videos, graphics and other visual aids can help.

4. When possible, once you provide a factual alternative to the misinformation, explain the underlying fallacies (such as cherry- picking information, a common tactic of climate change deniers.

5. Mobilize when you see misinformation being shared on social media as soon as possible. If you see something, say something.

"Misinformation is any information that is incorrect, whether due to error or fake news.

"Disinformation is deliberately intended to deceive."

"Propaganda is disinformation with a political agenda."

Sander van der Linden
Social Psychologist
University of Cambridge

Source: Science News/May 8, 2021 & May 22, 2021

Update: September 22, 2023: This is more important now than ever. Be vigilant and speak in your own way. Love Wins.

Wherever you see text underlined, you will find links to supplemental materials that I recommend for reading or listening.

Just in case you hadn’t noticed, I am quite strident in my opinions about MAGA, Donald Trump and Facism. That has not and will not change under any circumstances. I will continue to contribute where I can to making sure Trump is not reelected to his previous elected office (calling the office by it’s name and putting Trump in the same sentence is just not something I want to do. It doesn’t do justice to the office).

The denizens of disinformation provide the vilest, divisive, hateful speech since Joseph Goebbels did it for Hitler in the 1930s and 40s.

But, New York Times Columnist David Brooks has provided me with a new and positive way to approach conversations on difficult topics with people that disagree with me. I can’t do much about those “denizens of disinformation” (mostly, but not entirely, from the political far right) that has being foisted on the American people over the past eight years since Trump was imposed on us in 2016, but I can do something about how I approach individuals on a one-to-one personal, real world, mano-a-mano context.

Brooks’ new book “How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen” is my next read in parallel with Rachel Maddow’s “Prequel.” If you can spare hour or so over the holidays, here is Brooks talking about the book. If you only have five minutes or so, here is an abridged version from the PBS NewsHour where Brooks is a regular guest commentator,

The place where I learned about this book was on a podcast called “A Braver Way” produced by a group called “Braver Angels.” In this episode of “A Braver Way,” Brooks is interviewed by Monica Guzman. If you have about a half hour to spare, listen to this discussion between two people that we could stand to listed to in these difficult times about how to be with each other.

Some things I learned about from them are USA Facts, informal helping, being an “illuminator” instead of a “diminisher,” being a LOUD Listener, approaching people with your heart instead of your head and to avoid labels because “labels make you invisible.”

May we all go into the New Year by leading with our hearts.

Peace and have a wonderful holiday season and opening of 2024,

Bruce