I have been thinking about the concept of truth lately.
I overheard a conversation at an airport recently, and even though the guy talking seemed like kind of a dick, he did say something that I think is worth reflecting on. He was talking about politics, but the concept really expands into every corner of our lives if we open our minds and let it happen.
“People believe that because one candidate is lying, the other must be telling the truth”
He said “People believe that because one candidate is lying, the other must be telling the truth.”
This is clearly not true, if you think about it. Both candidates could be lying, both could be truthful, or one (or the other) could be lying. Either of them could be truthful on one subject but not on another
Life is not automatically binary. There is not a clear either/or for every situation. You can’t assume that because there is a bad option, the other choice is automatically good. Resist believing that the alternative that *you* selected is RIGHT, or GOOD – and that by extension, all other choices are WRONG, or BAD. You’re not that cool and you’re not that smart.
This extends well beyond politics. A little bit of critical thinking would go a long way toward making our society a lot more civil.
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