What a great topic to discuss, Michael! As a professor I work with my students regularly to help them learn the difference between opinion and "fact" and they, honestly, have a hard time getting it. I plan to take a detailed look at this topic on my Substack soon. The engineer in me likes to fall back on nature for a fact touchstone. If I drop my pen, it will fall to the ground, whether I agree with it or not. It is a "fact" because it happens every time I drop something.
Was the election lost by the other guy? Over 60 courts have ruled that the election was fair and accurate. (I did some digging to verify to my satisfaction that this claim has merit.) That is a lot of lost cases, sort of like dropping the pen 60 times. In addition, an election consultant hired by the former president to prove there was election fraud found that the election fair and found no evidence of fraud. No doubt this finding cost him a client. The evidence shows that the election was fair, that the former president lost, and that Biden won. Fact.
Here is the problem. Look at all the level of investigation I had to do to come to this conclusion. Most people want simple answers and are not willing to take the time to look beyond the headline. This is where trust in the media becomes sooooooo important! When the general public sees "opinion" which requires no evidence, represented as "fact" which requires evidence, we get where we are.
Facts really do matter if we are ever going to find common ground and make progress. Once we agree that gravity pulls things down we can work together to design buildings and bridges.
What an investment -- and valued one -- of thought and helpful addition to the topic, Ed. Common ground seems elusive and impossible yet maybe, with more cold facts and less opinion (which still has its place elsewhere) we could have clarity of facts, truth and reality. We are such emotional beings that conversing about what is upsetting to us as individuals and groups in a productive way is difficult as it is. With facts and opinion being blurred, it makes understanding and trust (or is it trust and understanding, in that order) harder for problem solving for the collective.
Thanks Michael! The facts in themselves don't have an opinion ... they just are. If we can gain consensus on "Can we at least agree on the facts?" we have a place to start looking for compromise, which I do not think a "dirty" word or a sign of weakness. Compromise is a sign of strength and respect for others and a way to achieve progress towards a shared outcome. Too bad that is lost on so many. Keep up the great work!
What a great topic to discuss, Michael! As a professor I work with my students regularly to help them learn the difference between opinion and "fact" and they, honestly, have a hard time getting it. I plan to take a detailed look at this topic on my Substack soon. The engineer in me likes to fall back on nature for a fact touchstone. If I drop my pen, it will fall to the ground, whether I agree with it or not. It is a "fact" because it happens every time I drop something.
Was the election lost by the other guy? Over 60 courts have ruled that the election was fair and accurate. (I did some digging to verify to my satisfaction that this claim has merit.) That is a lot of lost cases, sort of like dropping the pen 60 times. In addition, an election consultant hired by the former president to prove there was election fraud found that the election fair and found no evidence of fraud. No doubt this finding cost him a client. The evidence shows that the election was fair, that the former president lost, and that Biden won. Fact.
Here is the problem. Look at all the level of investigation I had to do to come to this conclusion. Most people want simple answers and are not willing to take the time to look beyond the headline. This is where trust in the media becomes sooooooo important! When the general public sees "opinion" which requires no evidence, represented as "fact" which requires evidence, we get where we are.
Facts really do matter if we are ever going to find common ground and make progress. Once we agree that gravity pulls things down we can work together to design buildings and bridges.
What an investment -- and valued one -- of thought and helpful addition to the topic, Ed. Common ground seems elusive and impossible yet maybe, with more cold facts and less opinion (which still has its place elsewhere) we could have clarity of facts, truth and reality. We are such emotional beings that conversing about what is upsetting to us as individuals and groups in a productive way is difficult as it is. With facts and opinion being blurred, it makes understanding and trust (or is it trust and understanding, in that order) harder for problem solving for the collective.
Thanks Michael! The facts in themselves don't have an opinion ... they just are. If we can gain consensus on "Can we at least agree on the facts?" we have a place to start looking for compromise, which I do not think a "dirty" word or a sign of weakness. Compromise is a sign of strength and respect for others and a way to achieve progress towards a shared outcome. Too bad that is lost on so many. Keep up the great work!