There really seem to be two solitudes here,
one seeing a Nazi riot
and the other Woodstock with diesel fumes.
– John Robson on Twitter
As I look at the conflicting and irreconcilable coverage about the truckers’ Freedom Convoy and/or outrageous occupation of downtown Ottawa, now getting notice in international media where it serves some local interest, today’s post on Seth’s blog is timely.
Falsehoods, spin and legends can be tweaked and tested and changed to exactly match the dreams and desires of the people they’re aimed at.
This is why manipulative stories are so much stickier than what really happened.
Telling news from fake news hasn’t gotten any easier in the last five years. Claims and counter-claims seem to just get more and more ridiculous and, as Seth notes, to “stick” better than the truth.
So Seth’s reminder is useful. If a reported event matches my dreams and desires amazingly well, or uncannily reinforces my fears and preconceptions, then maybe it should be parked (no pun intended) in the to-be-confirmed file. At best.
As his post title says: Reality isn’t optimized. If it seems to be optimized for me, I’m well advised to take another look.
Isabel – after having just finished my daily one-hour or more walk through Ottawa’s downtown core, Woodstock on diesel fumes is the more accurate description IMHO
John – Good to have a report from the front lines. I hope you tried the bouncy castle.