One of the first things we learn is how to learn: how to teach ourselves.
Opinion by Dave Glover
From the moment we exit the womb, our lives are consumed by learning. In the beginning, it’s about survival. We learn from our parents who clothe, house, and feed us. After them comes our formal education in learning.
We learn in school how to communicate, how to think, and how to become functioning members of society. Schools teach us mathematics, spelling, and essential skills necessary to communicate with others along with what’s right and wrong.
If we’re lucky, we learn how to learn.
Most are not aware of the process. It’s a skill many still haven’t mastered even in adulthood.
Learning about the process of learning is more than memorizing facts. It’s about understanding.
Reading and comprehension are essential to understanding what is being taught. Knowing how and when to ask questions and what the right questions to ask are to advance one’s knowledge and understanding, is an invaluable skill. Not only for the child, but for life in general. Being aware of the process of learning works means that the world becomes an open book, where what is learned is the gateway to understanding and survival.
In the beginning, we learn why we should avoid a hot stove and how to tell time. Simple tasks. As we become familiar with the process of learning, we realize we can teach ourselves, we can learn about many things.
In life, the only dumb questions are ones not asked. Not asking, you will never know if a stated claim or theory or supposed fact is true or false, or just hyperbole.
We know the earth’s not flat because that question has been asked and answered.
In fourth grade, I was fortunate enough to have a teacher who taught us to think critically. She encouraged us to question everything, including confirmation bias— the need to understand the world in way that doesn’t challenge one’s already held opinions.
Each morning she brought in the daily newspapers. She asked us to read them to determine if we could figure out what they were trying to say beyond the headlines. Why reporters wrote stories the way they did. What was their point.
We learned to see that the separate publications were very different in they way they presented the news and facts. Toronto’s daily papers were quite varied even then. The Toronto Daily Star, The Toronto Sun & the Globe & Mail displayed different biases in their reporting that mirrored their target audiences.
We would note how front page stories from one might not appear in the others. The Sun was and still is a working-class paper, more than the Star or the Globe. The headlines in the Globe & Mail didn’t appear in the Sun. And if they were similar, their stories were written from a different point of view.
Learning about their differences, we became aware of biases in national media. We also learned how readers could be manipulated to share a specific ideology.
This is when I first became aware of how confirmation bias works when stories are written in such a way as to affirm or undermine specific points of view.
One of the reasons our teacher taught about the differences between the papers was so we would learn to be less willing to believe what we were being told. So we would question everything, because biases are everywhere.
She would ask us to try and figure out, what wasn’t being said, what angle they were working towards.
I’ve heard it said, all media is propaganda. There’s almost always a desire on the part of the writer or presenter to guide the reader or observer to their way seeing things. Be it the truth or their version of it, it’s about an end result. Whether it’s an ad for the latest consumer item or a particular view on a specific issue, the goal is the same. The writer seeks a buy in.
When it comes to the news, the end goal can be more nuanced. Some call it spin, but the goal is the same.
For example, writing this piece, my goal is to get you to think about it. I’ve never claimed to know all of the answers, but I believe by presenting my opinions in a clear and cogent fashion I hope I can influence your thinking to consider confirmation bias looking at events and the news. Hopefully, this article will encourage you to ask questions.
Propaganda is powerful term that conjures up many negative images, but it’s a part of our lives. It needn’t be nasty, in fact, the most successful propagandists are the people who use common tropes to support for their particular narrative, the way they see the world.
Donald Trump comes to mind, but so too does David Frum. One man used his talents for propaganda to get elected, the other, to get us to accept the war in Iraq.
Repeat any message often enough, and it can pass for truth in the minds of many.
If we want to avoid being caught by confirmation bias, we have to find the truth. This appears to be a skill many are lacking. Confirmation biases are literally everywhere. It’s much easier now than ever to be locked into a silo of seeing the world in only one way, or tuning into an echo chamber of only thoughts that confirm one’s point of view.
Critical thinking is now more important than ever.
If we don’t question what we read and simply follow along those who agree with our ideas and opinions, our ability to separate fact from fiction, truth from lies, becomes increasingly difficult.
Which brings me to why I have written this article. There are an alarming number in my white, male, middle-age demographic caught up in the idea that we are being replaced by immigrants and people of other races who seem to be classic examples of citizens who have substituted confirmation bias for critical thinking.
This replacement theory is claimed to be a concerted effort undertaken by mysterious powers who want to replace middle-aged white men.
A classic us-versus-them narrative that never seems to disappear.
Most of this outrage and upset is manufactured, driven by the idea that the world is changing for my particular demographic, that we are losing out. However, what is actually happening, is the world is changing, middle-aged white men are no longer in control of everything.
Societal change is not a new phenomenon. Baby Boomers replaced their elders with new ideas and ways of doing things that upset the generation before them. Each new generation that gets a chance at the helm of society when it replaces the one before it.
Unfortunately, for some in my demographic, replacement is all about race and religion.
Nobody likes change, and for some middle-aged white men, apparently it is particularly difficult.
Adapting seems to be particularly challenging for those who have never had to adapt. According to their understanding, the world is supposed to bend to their will, not the other way around.
But change is usually for the better. If we don’t utilize our skills, and learn new facts, new theories, new ways of seeing and doing, we will be left behind and yes, replaced.
Awareness of one’s own confirmation bias is a challenge. Read news through a critical lens. Ask yourself what is not being said, and what the message is that underlies the facts that are presented.
Challenge yourself. What silo or echo chamber do you live in?
The voice in your head is your own. It says what you want it to, to soothe you. It is not always correct.
If you really believe that there is a conspiracy, then prove it. The scientific method works and still is the best way we know to affirm or deny any hypothesis.
Confirmation bias, adhering to a particular point of view that you do not allow to be challenged by alternative facts, is very dangerous and can lead to catastrophic outcomes. Every act of terror, every mass shooting, and even the latest Convoy disruption in Ottawa was driven by it.
Be a critical thinker, never stop learning and never stop asking questions. Remember, the only dumb question is the one not asked.
Dave Glover is one of Northumberland’s well known cultural and political commentators. Thousands of listeners, both locally and around the world, know Dave’s because of his more than eight years on air delivering his “Drive Time” radio broadcast and over 15 years hosting political programs on a local community cable channel.
Listen to/Contact Dave
Twitter: https://twitter.com/legant66?lang=ar-x-fm
Online: https://holisticpoliticalchat.com/
Email:HolisticPoliticalchat@gmail.com
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by our guest columnists are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policies, opinions, or decisions of the News Now Network.
#daveglover, #opinion, #local, #northumberland, #politicalcommentator, #newsnownetwork, #guestcolumnist
Dave Glover On Not Believing Everything You Read
One of the first things we learn is how to learn: how to teach ourselves.
Opinion by Dave Glover
From the moment we exit the womb, our lives are consumed by learning. In the beginning, it’s about survival. We learn from our parents who clothe, house, and feed us. After them comes our formal education in learning.
We learn in school how to communicate, how to think, and how to become functioning members of society. Schools teach us mathematics, spelling, and essential skills necessary to communicate with others along with what’s right and wrong.
If we’re lucky, we learn how to learn.
Most are not aware of the process. It’s a skill many still haven’t mastered even in adulthood.
Learning about the process of learning is more than memorizing facts. It’s about understanding.
Reading and comprehension are essential to understanding what is being taught. Knowing how and when to ask questions and what the right questions to ask are to advance one’s knowledge and understanding, is an invaluable skill. Not only for the child, but for life in general. Being aware of the process of learning works means that the world becomes an open book, where what is learned is the gateway to understanding and survival.
In the beginning, we learn why we should avoid a hot stove and how to tell time. Simple tasks. As we become familiar with the process of learning, we realize we can teach ourselves, we can learn about many things.
In life, the only dumb questions are ones not asked. Not asking, you will never know if a stated claim or theory or supposed fact is true or false, or just hyperbole.
We know the earth’s not flat because that question has been asked and answered.
In fourth grade, I was fortunate enough to have a teacher who taught us to think critically. She encouraged us to question everything, including confirmation bias— the need to understand the world in way that doesn’t challenge one’s already held opinions.
Each morning she brought in the daily newspapers. She asked us to read them to determine if we could figure out what they were trying to say beyond the headlines. Why reporters wrote stories the way they did. What was their point.
We learned to see that the separate publications were very different in they way they presented the news and facts. Toronto’s daily papers were quite varied even then. The Toronto Daily Star, The Toronto Sun & the Globe & Mail displayed different biases in their reporting that mirrored their target audiences.
We would note how front page stories from one might not appear in the others. The Sun was and still is a working-class paper, more than the Star or the Globe. The headlines in the Globe & Mail didn’t appear in the Sun. And if they were similar, their stories were written from a different point of view.
Learning about their differences, we became aware of biases in national media. We also learned how readers could be manipulated to share a specific ideology.
This is when I first became aware of how confirmation bias works when stories are written in such a way as to affirm or undermine specific points of view.
One of the reasons our teacher taught about the differences between the papers was so we would learn to be less willing to believe what we were being told. So we would question everything, because biases are everywhere.
She would ask us to try and figure out, what wasn’t being said, what angle they were working towards.
I’ve heard it said, all media is propaganda. There’s almost always a desire on the part of the writer or presenter to guide the reader or observer to their way seeing things. Be it the truth or their version of it, it’s about an end result. Whether it’s an ad for the latest consumer item or a particular view on a specific issue, the goal is the same. The writer seeks a buy in.
When it comes to the news, the end goal can be more nuanced. Some call it spin, but the goal is the same.
For example, writing this piece, my goal is to get you to think about it. I’ve never claimed to know all of the answers, but I believe by presenting my opinions in a clear and cogent fashion I hope I can influence your thinking to consider confirmation bias looking at events and the news. Hopefully, this article will encourage you to ask questions.
Propaganda is powerful term that conjures up many negative images, but it’s a part of our lives. It needn’t be nasty, in fact, the most successful propagandists are the people who use common tropes to support for their particular narrative, the way they see the world.
Donald Trump comes to mind, but so too does David Frum. One man used his talents for propaganda to get elected, the other, to get us to accept the war in Iraq.
Repeat any message often enough, and it can pass for truth in the minds of many.
If we want to avoid being caught by confirmation bias, we have to find the truth. This appears to be a skill many are lacking. Confirmation biases are literally everywhere. It’s much easier now than ever to be locked into a silo of seeing the world in only one way, or tuning into an echo chamber of only thoughts that confirm one’s point of view.
Critical thinking is now more important than ever.
If we don’t question what we read and simply follow along those who agree with our ideas and opinions, our ability to separate fact from fiction, truth from lies, becomes increasingly difficult.
Which brings me to why I have written this article. There are an alarming number in my white, male, middle-age demographic caught up in the idea that we are being replaced by immigrants and people of other races who seem to be classic examples of citizens who have substituted confirmation bias for critical thinking.
This replacement theory is claimed to be a concerted effort undertaken by mysterious powers who want to replace middle-aged white men.
A classic us-versus-them narrative that never seems to disappear.
Most of this outrage and upset is manufactured, driven by the idea that the world is changing for my particular demographic, that we are losing out. However, what is actually happening, is the world is changing, middle-aged white men are no longer in control of everything.
Societal change is not a new phenomenon. Baby Boomers replaced their elders with new ideas and ways of doing things that upset the generation before them. Each new generation that gets a chance at the helm of society when it replaces the one before it.
Unfortunately, for some in my demographic, replacement is all about race and religion.
Nobody likes change, and for some middle-aged white men, apparently it is particularly difficult.
Adapting seems to be particularly challenging for those who have never had to adapt. According to their understanding, the world is supposed to bend to their will, not the other way around.
But change is usually for the better. If we don’t utilize our skills, and learn new facts, new theories, new ways of seeing and doing, we will be left behind and yes, replaced.
Awareness of one’s own confirmation bias is a challenge. Read news through a critical lens. Ask yourself what is not being said, and what the message is that underlies the facts that are presented.
Challenge yourself. What silo or echo chamber do you live in?
The voice in your head is your own. It says what you want it to, to soothe you. It is not always correct.
If you really believe that there is a conspiracy, then prove it. The scientific method works and still is the best way we know to affirm or deny any hypothesis.
Confirmation bias, adhering to a particular point of view that you do not allow to be challenged by alternative facts, is very dangerous and can lead to catastrophic outcomes. Every act of terror, every mass shooting, and even the latest Convoy disruption in Ottawa was driven by it.
Be a critical thinker, never stop learning and never stop asking questions. Remember, the only dumb question is the one not asked.
Dave Glover is one of Northumberland’s well known cultural and political commentators. Thousands of listeners, both locally and around the world, know Dave’s because of his more than eight years on air delivering his “Drive Time” radio broadcast and over 15 years hosting political programs on a local community cable channel.
Listen to/Contact Dave
Twitter: https://twitter.com/legant66?lang=ar-x-fm
Online: https://holisticpoliticalchat.com/
Email:HolisticPoliticalchat@gmail.com
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by our guest columnists are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policies, opinions, or decisions of the News Now Network.
#daveglover, #opinion, #local, #northumberland, #politicalcommentator, #newsnownetwork, #guestcolumnist
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