(8 minute read)

Your Life Depends On It

“To say of what is that it is not, or of what is not that it is, is false, while to say of what is that it is, and of what is not that it is not, is true.”

Aristotle, Metaphysics

This quote is quite the mind and tongue twister, wouldn’t you agree? What in the world does it mean?

It has to do with telling the truth and is the cornerstone for Western reasoning was built upon. It simply translates to the modern vernacular this way:

If ya say that something is false when it’s true, or if ya say that something is true when it’s false, ya be a lying punk. Conversely, when ya say something is true when it’s true, or say something is false when it’s false, well, then ya be a truth-teller.

Creative license at work, but you get the picture.

The bedrock of nearly all civilizations has been trust. We rely on the person next to us to be truthful. It was true when families developed into tribes. Tribes evolved into communities. Communities grew into civilizations. Civilizations transformed into nations, and nations expanded into worldwide communities.

At some point during early civilizations it was determined that there would be strength in numbers. Not necessarily for being the biggest and baddest warriors out there, although that was certainly a byproduct.

The idea that there would be overall safety in numbers offset the risk of living in larger numbers. More people more problems. The chances of survival and thriving together was an idea worth pursuing. It worked.

For these communities to thrive, they relied on trust. It was essential for their survival. Those communities that equally upheld the value of trust lasted. Those that didn’t, killed each other off.

In the end they would up helping humanity. The lesser thinkers made their human gene pool that much shallower. Of course today one can make the argument that there is still enough DNA swimming around in the shallow end.

In those early days how would one know who they could trust and whom they could not? Throughout time we developed many customs and one has stuck around a long time.

The handshake is one of those customs early leaders used to build that trust. Today we use it as a cordial greeting. Business people shake hands when meeting each other or conclude the ritual of making a deal by celebrating with …a handshake.

A leftover from early civilizations, anthropologists tell us that the handshake was developed early on to build trust. It showed the person being met that they were not carrying any weapons.

“I come to you with open hands bearing no weapons. See. You can trust me?”

Overall, we’ve gotten a lot better in the truth telling game, but we’re far from perfect. The sincerity of the modern handshake is not about showing weaponless hands. We still put an awful lot of instant translation into them.

A strong grip but not too strong is preferred. A sweaty palm tells us something about the negotiator before going into the conference. Too soft a handshake shows less confidence. And a grasp them by the hand and arm pull the person into you …well, we will leave that one alone for now.

What do we do when the information we are receiving is more tricky? Depending on the research human beings are bombarded with thousands of messages a day (2,000-7,000).

Cable TV, social media, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, newspapers, magazines, billboards all vying for our attention. On top of that we are hit with accusations of fake news, alternative facts, alternate realities. It can be exasperating to say the least.

(By the way, how were your holidays with the fam?)

Long way to go. But we are getting better.

Cognitive scientist Steven Pinker has pointed out an important fact. Judging the progress of the human race the emphasis has been all wrong. He claims that “the bad stuff” doesn’t happen as often as it has in the past. See Pinker on the decline of violence, for example.

The “bad stuff” is the amount of violence human beings have used against one another. For Pinker, the numbers don’t lie. Faced with daily images of school shootings, assassinations, genocides, war, disease, etc. over history we have been killing each other in horrible numbers.

If violent killings are the worst in human behavior, then we are improving as a species. How could this be true given what we see everyday? Because compared to history the numbers of violence against humanity is way down according to Pinker.

Our Internal Bullshit Detectors

The next few articles will be based on a subject that is right in my wheelhouse. Not that the previous articles haven’t been, but this is a topic that I have spent decades studying and teaching. It’s an expansive subject. Time and space will limit me.

Let’s start out with a question. How do we know when someone is telling the truth? Do we rely on our gut instincts? Do we watch body behavior or scrutinize the language used? Vocal inflections? Changes in breathing patterns? These are not far-fetched ideas. Law enforcement officials are equipped with interrogation techniques and look for such “tells.”

But all of us are not all privy to that training. Nor do we want to approach everyone and everything as if we were. Sometimes circumstances call for longer evaluation periods. Other times we have to make a quick decision.

When trying to decide whether something is true or not, we start with the obvious questions and observations first. Then we circle in on the more nuanced information we need for our evaluation.

Body language is the first thing we notice. Do they seem tense or relaxed? Confident or uneasy? Voice infliction plays an important role. Does it match the body language? Are they formal in their speech or more common? As we continue our interaction we evaluate, judge, reevaluate, and so on.

There are ways in which we instinctually try to figure out whether something is true or not. It’s what Harry Frankfurt of Princeton University calls the “inner bullshit detector.”

Where does it come from? Well, if you will, it got handed down from our ancestors (more on the later).

The process of evaluating information is hardwired into our DNA. This helps in determining the judgments we make about everything from the moment we wake up. It is used whether we realize it or not. The good news is that we can improve this process. We can recognize it for what it is and understand how we process information.

Let’s slow down the process and take a critical look at each of those steps. This will help us to hone our bullshit detector.

You are in for a treat. The majority of my college freshman loved these lectures. Hearing the word “bullshit” being bantered about by a college professor was especially entertaining.

Our bullshit detector begins to power up when we start to ask some general questions. Is the statement being made based on fact, opinion, or bias? If so, how do I know which one? Indeed, what facts are truly needed and what “noise” can I just throw away? And, even more importantly, how are we receiving the information? What personal biases are in action when we filter and decipher the information?

Unconsciously we ask these and many more questions and deliberately slowing down this process helps tremendously.

Let’s start out by looking at that last question.

Everyone has a worldview. Our worldview is like putting on a pair of glasses. It is the personal “lens” we look through when defining the world in which we live. Simply put, a scientist looks at the world through the lens of logic and reason. A priest views the world through the lens of faith and hope. A politician …well let’s leave them alone for the moment.

Worldview does not mean the ability to see things physically. It is not about seeing the sky, grass, trees, and dirt. It is the bigger picture. It symbolizes our overall view of the world. It explains how we define life. It reflects what we base our judgments on. We use it to form our values and, ultimately, decide how we live in the world and with one another.

As you can imagine, worldviews are vital. They determines the “how” or “why” someone lives their life the way they do. Each worldview is as unique as every person.

The first step in determining fact from fiction is knowing that you have a worldview. You must find or determine what that worldview is (all a part of “knowing thyself”). Later, I will recommend a method to turn it on and off when needed for those big decisions.

If you are unsure about your specific worldview, several online resources can help you figure out it. Be diligent. Look for information coming from reputable websites, people, or organizations. I assume that at some time you have looked inward to define who you are. See my previous work Know Thyself for more information.

(Read Decoding Lies: Pt. 2)