These days truth seems to be highly questionable. We are bombarded with information from all over the world, but a lot of it is contradictory. How do we decide what to believe when there are so many options?
Science is a wonderful thing... when it is true science. All too often studies are done with agendas and bias, so how do we know which ones we can trust? The one that confirms what we already believe to be true? I'd bet that is what most of us do.
We all live life and experience a variety of events. Our experience forms and molds our beliefs. That's the best we can do. Personal experience and observation is the best place to start. The problem is, we can't all experience everything for ourselves. What do we do then? We have to rely on others' research and second-hand experiences. This is where truth gets murky.
We see "scientific reports" in the news constantly, but how do we know if they are true and unbiased? The 30 second news spot doesn't tell you the method used for the study, who did the study, the pool of people used, or what their original hypothesis was. They just say "scientists have discovered." And we're supposed to just believe it. Sorry, too many "scientific studies" contradict what I already believe to be true based on my own personal experience. That's a problem.
I've reached the point of ignoring all "news articles" about most topics. I have lost all faith in the news agencies to report truth. (Not to mention the disgusting nature of the comment section on everything these days.) All I see is their information leading to fights. People everywhere are digging in their heels and fighting against those perceived as 'other.' There is no science anymore. The search for truth has ended. What we are left with is war.
The only solution is for everyone to lay down their pride and enter into open minded discussion. Hold your truth loosely. Be willing to look at another idea, another point of view. Be willing to listen to someone you have labeled as a "truth-denier." Stop thinking of others as 'evil idiots bent on destroying the world.' Think of them as a human being like yourself that has different experiences than yourself and thus, a different set of beliefs. See their heart, see their character, see them as more alike than different. Constantly attacking and mocking the beliefs of others is destructive to the peace we all claim to seek.
I have friends on the other side of the aisle in some areas. They voted differently than I did in every election I'm sure. People I worked with. People I like. People I respect. I can't suddenly think of them as evil when I learn how they voted. I choose to remember what I know of them from personal experience instead of applying the ENEMY label to them and assuming they are pure evil. I have to conclude that they are good people who care about the world, they just have a different set of beliefs on how to get to a better place. If we sit down and talk about why we believe the way we do, keep our minds open and listen to understand, not to argue our point, we may just learn something. We may be exposed to new ideas, new evidences, new ways of looking at situations. That is the only way to find TRUTH. Be open to new ideas.
I have had my long-held beliefs challenged a lot over the last 5 years. Some things I've kept the same, but others I've had to shift my perspective and allow my understanding to grow as people around me shared why they held the beliefs they did. Stubbornness gets us nowhere. Labeling other people as the enemy only leads to war and destruction. Assuming what other people believe based on a label they wear is a great way to stay ignorant and lose out on knowing a potentially great person. We can't let the media tell us what is true. We have to get out there and experience life personally and interact with people who we thought were so different. Maybe, just maybe, we can actually find a better world that way. :)
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