Meditation for March 22nd
Knowledge Makes You Dumb
People are thirsty for knowledge. For us, more enlightened creatures, we absorb as much as we can from books, teachers, and by just observing the world around us. We want to understand what is happening, why it is happening, and how it might end. We look for patterns both now and in the past so we can learn to make better decisions in the future. Knowledge, someone once said, is power.
The Internet is making us dumb. Despite the promise of all of human knowledge being in our pockets, we can’t just take everything we see as the gospel truth. Anyone can post whatever they want on the Internet, and if you are an idiot, you’ll believe it—not going to fact-check anything because you are going off how you feel about the article. Does it prove your opinion right? Then the article is factual. Knowledge isn’t power anymore; in fact, being smart is increasingly important nowadays, but it’s rarer. These articles prey on our biases, like political and religious beliefs.
Just look at what people share on their Facebook page. Opinionated people will read articles as fact, looking for something to back up their unfounded sentiments. They are either riled up by the article’s message or smugly presenting themselves as a ‘professional’ writer who shares their vision. Either way, it’s confusing feelings with thoughts.
Almost all the ‘articles’ on the Internet are written by a blogger who has no oversight or any repercussions for being caught lying. In fact, people who believed the article will never see the news that the article lied. Newspapers that had strict parameters on what went in the paper are going out of business, and the ones that are still around are behind paywalls. So instead of getting news from trusted sources, they have to go online. From where? Vice? Huffington Post? The Blaze? The Brietbart News Network? Fox News? They are feeding you emotions, not facts. Because you’re a little cry, cheap, baby, news is going away, and emotionally charged blogging is taking its place.
Just watch what happens if you post an emotionally charged article that tarnishes a favorite politician. Oh, the reactions will all be emotional and will get personal. They treat politics like an intense college football rivalry instead of using facts to decide which candidate best suits the job being run for. They will ignore the sins of their favorite politician, blinded by emotion rather than facts.
Prayer
Athena,
I need to attack this article with my own.
It would help if it weren’t too long,
That it has a list of facts,
Hopefully under ten if possible,
If not a list,
Than a really well-designed chart,
So well designed that it can’t be argued with.
Also, a really well-written open letter,
that smashes a person or idea.
Maybe by a celebrity,
The best would be a simple meme.
A funny or unflattering caricature,
With a take-down or a ‘no-duh ’ statement.
I need something that is from a recognized website,
But I don’t want actually to read the whole article,
So please make the worst-case scenario headline say it all.
Amen.
CrDo you
You wanna have fun? Do you have some money at your disposal? You do?!? It’s time to make whacky shit up! Buy a website name like hillarysleptwithjanetreno.com, bernieoncekilledandateahumpbackwhaleinrenojusttowatchhimdie.org, donaldtrumpisactuallyjohnfitzgeraldkennedythiswholetime.edu, tedcruzishillaryclinton.com, or something like that.
Write fun and amazing lies that would make someone who likes these candidates, dates, really mad or sad, and make people who hate the candidates really happy.
Post on your Facebook as if you are posting an article you found. Watch as hilarity ensues.
Here is a quick example:
Bernie Sanders Is Anti-Bank, But Wait Till You Hear How Much He Made At A Bank of America Dinner
Earlier this year, while pointing his finger at Hillary for speaking at Goldman Sachs, Bernie Sanders (VT I) was speaking at a Bank of America-sponsored gathering for $250,000.
While Sanders, the Independent Senator from Vermont, has been stumping for the little guy, making Hillary look like the establishment status quo, and even asking that she release her transcripts from her paid speeches, he has been keeping his own transcripts under wraps as well.
On February 5th, 2016, Bernie Sanders attended a town hall meeting in a get-to-know-the-candidate forum where people could meet him and ask him questions. Bank of America, along with Comcast and major financial institutions such as Fidelity Investments, Liberty Mutual, and Lincoln Financial Group, sponsored the meeting.
The Bank of America, along with other financial institutions, has been a constant target of Sanders for causing the financial downturn. Sanders would not comment.
Goal
If you want facts, you are going to have to read more than a silly little blog from a questionable source.