Do you believe everything you see on the internet?

“Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but to weigh and consider.”— Francis Bacon

Do you believe everything you see on the internet? I remember that when I was around 18, my mum brought home a magazine with sensational articles about what we don’t know about the world and which people control it and how. I loved it. It was so well written, mysterious and with great illustrations. My mind was blown away and full of emotions. How come I hadn’t come across these things before? The answer was that the “owners” of the world tried to hide the truth. And they were successful. Until now. It all made sense! At that time I started to watch videos with conspiratorial content. It took me a few months to find out that it made me feel anxious, angry and unhappy. Then I stopped following it. At that time I didn’t think of comparing information with other sources or trying to find out who writes these articles and what can be their motivation. Today I know that the main motivation behind spreading misinformation or lies is usually money and/or power and in some instances a lack of critical thinking.

I’ve also been guilty of believing everything that was published in some liberal media and rejecting information coming from conservative ones. Nowadays I try to balance it out and if something doesn’t seem right, I rather read about it from a different source, sometimes even with the opposite point of view. I found out that the more emotional some article or speech is, the more likely I get misled by its content. This is where critical thinking overlaps emotional intelligence. If I am aware of what emotions I feel and why, I can avoid being controlled by them. 

Critical thinking is an important skill which can be learnt and used on a daily basis. I’ve learnt to question information that doesn’t come from a trustful source or which can be potentially dangerous. I am also more aware that the news my friends, parents or neighbours tell me doesn’t have to be necessarily true exactly the way they present it. Critical thinking is one of the topics we cover in our programme ‘Pathways to Purpose’, giving you the essential tools in helping you design a roadmap for finding your purpose.