Manipulation and questioning everything. Part I
Does questioning everything make you smarter and less potent for manipulation?
Sounds about right, right? You often can hear that people shouldn’t judge too quickly because they don’t know every (or nearly enough) detail or that what they believe isn’t the same as the real state of things. But that is a core problem with certainty. In many cases, we not only believe, we are right, our point of view is valid, or more valid than others, we know, we always knew. Our vision of the “things” in the world helped us, kept us sane, and allowed us to lead a good life. So we can say that our life is based on few certainties where the rest of it is just build-up on them, or that there are certainties that give our life meaning, shape, and borders. Sounds believable, so what about people who don’t have them, or have them in completely another way (certainties I mean): like the only certain thing is uncertainty, and the fact that you really can’t be 100% sure about anything in the end.
Questioning — is it worth it?
Probably rarely you have thought about it? But really.
Is it worth questioning?
Maybe not everything but most of the things?
Is it even doable?
Let’s break it down a bit.
Questioning is a vital part of the learning process. Since we were kids, at one point we have started to ask our parents fundamental questions about life, the world, reality: like do penguins have knees, how is to be a snail, does snail know more about being a snail than me, why gasoline on the street usually looks like the rainbow drop from the sky? You know…important stuff.
As time flies questions become more complex because our senses are providing more stimulation and data of which we can make no sense. Our parents are the first beings who (at least we think) are providing objective (but we don’t know that yet) truth. While growing up everyone meet other people, read books, and have access to many different mediums which are providing information. And here is where the fun begins.
Questioning and asking are two different things. At a certain age, everyone gains the skill to evaluate data, messages, and “common” knowledge that is reaching them. Then the questioning begins. We hear, receive, and could even think that something is about right, plausible, and probably close to the truth… but no cigar. Somehow new information isn’t convincing. Usually, that first not reliable information came also from parents, so if they could be wrong about “that” then what else they could be wrong about?
Let’s talk more about the worth of questioning. There is much worth in suspecting that not everything we learn, hear, or are talked to is right, just, or even true. Best example — propaganda, but that is extreme.
Questioning isn’t good or bad, we will always question to gain valuable knowledge, so we can grow, learn and be better. Right?
No, not always…
In modern times the share amount of information that reaches us is unbelievable. If we want to verify each and every one of them daily, we wouldn’t be able to do it. And some kind of verification is needed. That is why today we have programs whose sole purpose is to choose valuable, objective information from chaotic media and deliver it in easy to digest package. At this point, many people stop their verification. They forget that this selected package could be wrong, misleading, or shows reality from a different (less plausible) perspective. If that is the case, many people just switch to different mediums, stations, portals, or whatever.
What is the point of those divagations? Simple. Questioning should not stop, but only if it is followed by asking.
Maybe there is something more?
In most cases today, when we receive information or acquire new data about a subject that is fundamental for our lives, we start thinking about what they aren’t telling us. The ominous “they”, who control the flow of data, and keeps all the best parts for themselves. Yeah, I know conspiracy and so on, but that is not the point. The point is that people feel that there always could be (and most probably is) more. We are hungry for knowledge even if we don’t realise it ourselves. But we don’t want any knowledge; we want quality, certainty, something you could lean on, something that will support you through life.
But questioning can lead to many problems. The most common one is not knowing when to stop. If you don’t valuate any information that is reaching you then how can you be certain of anything, and some kind of certainty we need, even the most basic. Looking for answers is easier when some of the questions were answered before. Today getting valuable information is getting harder and harder.
The reason is simple, too much information, too many opinions, and too many people who think they know what is right. In the past few years, you can see that amount of influencers, coaches and many, many more (also bizarre) authorities are getting their spotlight. Those individuals can convince thousands or even millions of people that they know what is going on, share secrets of their success with you, and show you the way through life. They are not suggesting, they are telling. There is no maybe only should, basically they are dealing in certainties.
And that can lead to manipulation. I am not saying that we shouldn’t trust anyone, that way of thinking leads to different kind of problems. But some dose of uncertainty is in my opinion healthy. I understand that most of us during daily struggles with life simply don’t have time to verify everything. It is easier just going with the flow, and gaining information that will empower our belief system, fundamentals, and our way of thinking.
There is still more things regarding this subject I would like to share with you… But soon…
by Leszek Jasiński
