Wise people change their minds
Thomas Sowell said many people today confuse feeling with thinking. Many Americans live by their feelings today and suffer accordingly. We expect that from teenagers and those who never grow out of their teenage minds.
Today more than ever we need to think critically first and then let our feelings follow. The New York Times and Washington Post earned Pulitzer Prizes for their years of covering Former President Trump’s alleged collusion with Russia. People believed NYT and WAPO reporting … for years! Many still believe the outright lies, misinformation, and disinformation about that tainted news from 2016 on.
People have strong feelings about Covid-19. The same news media that spread lies about Trump also spread lies about Covid-19. The same people who were deceived about Trump were deceived about Covid-19 because the same media reported what the government and “science” said. Many continue to believe the lies about masks, vaccines, and mandates, in spite of evidence proving that that “science” was false.
Martin Luther King, Jr., said, “Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.” No doubt, those who live according to their feelings are sincere and conscientious, and not likely to change their minds because their beliefs are based on feelings. Obviously, feelings are very personal. They are who we are. Disagreeing with someone else’s feelings has become an irrevocable personal attack.
For whatever reasons social wars have invaded politics which naturally infect laws, ordinances, and governance. Under the Biden Administration EDI (equity, diversity, and inclusion) has essentially become the law. EDI is based on feelings, not facts. Those who advocate for equity are calling for equal results regardless of performance. Diversity and inclusion also trump meritocracy.
Do people change their minds? Hopefully yes! A wise person changes his mind. A fool never does. Those whose beliefs are based on feelings rarely change their minds, because their feelings would have to change first. That’s not likely since feelings are not subject to the will. Feelings drive the will.
We need to think critically about news we see and hear every day. Are our news sources generally accurate and true? Or, have our news sources misled us a number of times? Maybe we should make time to consult multiple sources of news? What is true and accurate?
Americans are so divided these days because we have believed lies for years. Why did the media lie for years about Trump? They don’t like him. Why has the media lied for years about Covid-19 protocols? The Biden administration politicized Covid-19 into a woke issue. No matter how many corrections come out about all the lies and deceptions associated with Covid-19, woke folks will continue to deny the truth about masks, vaccines, and mandates.
America is weaker than we were two years ago. We are no match for Russia or China. Our disastrous exit from Afghanistan proved to our allies we will not keep our word. That exit also emboldened our enemies to become more aggressive militarily and economically. And, the multi-millions who have crossed our borders illegally include terrorists and criminals who intend to destroy us.
What can we do to reverse directions? Seek out true and accurate information. It’s hard to find, but worth every effort. Wise people will change their minds. Foolish people never will.
•••