Your Quote is Meaningless to Me

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Just because someone wrote something down, doesn’t mean it’s true.

Just because someone said something, doesn’t mean it’s true.

Doesn’t matter if that person is:

• An influencer,
• A public figure, or
• Even an expert

“Experts” once thought the earth was the center of the universe. “Public figures” are motivated keep their own power. “Influencers” are just trying to make money.

So how do we know what’s right? How do we know what is true?

When evaluating a potential truth, ask these questions objectively:

• If everyone accepted or rejected this, would the world be better or worse?
• What are the motivations of the people telling me this?
• Why am I naturally inclined to accept or reject this? Am I taking my biases into account?
• Is this universally applicable? Or situationally applicable?
• Is it directionally correct? Is there harm in trying it for a bit to test our assumptions?

Public discourse often dissolves into bickering and fighting — often for subtle differences of opinion that don’t really matter.

Check yourself with the questions above — have an open mind and, most importantly, an open heart.