The Fact About Facts

Information is the new opiate of the people, but it’s also their saving grace.

Like most things in life, information can be extremely helpful and it can also undermine our very core beliefs and everything we hold dear. The quality of our information is critical, and discerning good information from bad is a responsibility that we all share.

Solve It!, one of the puzzle books by M.C. Tillson, has a page dedicated to the distinction of opinions, facts, and truths. Do you know the difference? Take the quiz here.

With so much information available to us in today’s super-saturated, interconnected world, how are people who do NOT make their living as investigator reporters figuring out what is important, what is true, and what best represents their values? It’s difficult, not to mention time-consuming, so most of us rely on the judgements and credibility of a surrogate.

Back in the days of TV with only three (perhaps four) channels, choosing from whom you received your information was a matter of choosing between Cronkite and Huntley & Brinkley. Dan Rather was in the mix as was Gwen Eiffel, and most of your local reporters. These days it’s simply not possible to read, much less understand, the information we need to know to make good choices for ourselves, our families, and our country. While showmanship is exciting and and even entertaining for some, it cannot compare or take the place of cold hard facts.

The search for truth is a universal quest. It doesn’t stop when lies and misinformation prevail although it may appear to do so. The quest for truth continues, unabated. Slower at times and sometimes traveling down rocky roads, it still continues and will as long as the human spirit survives.

Celeste Tillson, owner of A&M Writing and Publishing, offers writing and editing services on a contract basis. Contact info@amwriting.com for more information.