Misinformation, Disinformation, Voting, Etc.

Especially now, with the United States presidential election at hand, we are assailed by a never-ending barrage of comments about misinformation and disinformation. So, I wonder, what is the difference between the two and what are the implications?  One way to differentiate is to say that misinformation is merely something objectively wrong.  Whereas disinformation is objectively wrong and vigorously, manipulatively propagandized. Both definitions lead to further questions.  First, how can we be sure that we know what is objectively wrong?  Second, what does the propaganda promote?  An in-depth discussion of these questions is far beyond the scope of a modest blog post such as this.  However, the fact that I’m writing about it means that I think I have something useful to contribute. 

Let’s presume for the moment that you are confronted with information, and have access to the source (s) that will allow you to identify and determine relevant objective truth.  Equally important, you resolve to accept the relevant objective truth when you find it.  Persons who are mindfully reading will realize that nothing that I’ve said so far is easy. Some might say that much of what I have said so far is virtually impossible. For both groups, I hear you.

How do we proceed, then, to assess the proffered information?  An initial consideration is to decide whether it is “mal-information”—implying the possibility of bad or evil influence. Of course, what is bad and evil require value judgement.  For instance, murder is abhorrent, but it would neither be bad nor evil, I think, to murder someone who is about to slaughter an innocent family. 

Human beings naturally default to what Daniel Kahneman (2011) called “System One” thinking, by which he meant thinking that requires the least amount of effort. Accordingly, I’m asking you to resist the natural inclination to default to System One, but to put forth more deliberate mental action than usual.  I justify my request by returning to the mal-information concept. Since mal-information deals with values, you need not burden yourself by ruminating about each piece of new data that you encounter, only about what you truly value.  Complicating things, however, is the uncomfortable truth that I mentioned earlier—that deciding what you value is itself a value judgment.  Then gather as much objective, relevant data as possible, and mindfully process it to the extent that you’re able.  All this requires commitment and independence of thought that enables you to resist exogenous influences

When you’re in a reflective mood and have the time available, I suggest that you sit down and list your core values. You might do so in a kind of hierarchy. For instance, you could list the values that you have for yourself as an individual, the values that you have for your children—if you are a parent— and for your family—if you have one—the values you have for your friends and neighbors, and the values that you have for your town, state, and country.  After that exhausting exercise, you will appreciate the difficulty of determining your values, and—more important—of deciding what to do about the values that you truly embrace.  Ideally, going forward you will be less inclined to disparage others and slander them with ad hominem attacks whenever they make some non-valued comment at odds with your System One beliefs.  That stance will help combat the rampant contemporary interpersonal conflicts plaguing us and our nation.

Earlier, I asserted that your ability to assemble objective, relevant data and to mindfully process it requires you to value independent, autonomous thought that resists exogenous influences.  In other words, after adequate reflection, you must VALUE and TRUST yourself above all outside implicit and explicit pressure.  For many of us, that means that the values are solidly based on the best authentic data that we can find, and, importantly, that we do not mindlessly succumb to our “tribal” standards to earn social approval. Resist the "bandwagon effect" by which you simply jump aboard the latest and/or loudest group-promulgated ideas.  By default, assume that virtually your entire tribe is using System One—not having mindfully thought through whatever they are endorsing.  Your own value-guided research alone ultimately should determine what is and is not mal-information. If you do that and vote accordingly, you need not answer to anyone. 

Reference

Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, Fast And Slow.  New York: McMillan 

Be Quiet !

Since Socrates lived from about 470-399 B.C., one reasonably can assume that many deep thinkers have valued and practiced what we presently call the Socratic Method for at least the last 2500 years.  You no doubt know that the method employs a questioning and answering format, frequently called dialog-based inquiry.  The process can be slow and even tedious.  Is it worth the effort?  Hopefully, yes.

When conducted properly, the Socratic Method enables both questioner and answerer to learn. And that learning is not limited merely to acquiring objective information.  Both also learn about themselves, about each other, and about the way they think, as individuals and as a dyad.  Ideally, their ideas are critically examined, reflected upon, and refined.  It’s no secret that often the putative experts learn as much or more than the novices with whom they are dialoging.  So, those are some benefits to dialogic discourse. 

Non-dialogic discourse, then, produces one-sided communications or actions that inhibit both objective learning and mutual understanding. Before you can avoid `those problems, of course, you first must be mindful of the most common dialogue impediments.  Among these are:

Monologue: One person dominates the conversation without allowing others to contribute.

Authoritarianism: Imposing one's ideas or viewpoints without considering or engaging with others’ perspectives.
Interruptions or Dismissals: Cutting someone off before they can fully express themselves or dismissing their opinions outright.
Lack of Listening: When one party does not actively listen or show genuine interest in the other person's point of view.
Ignoring Feedback: Failing to respond to or acknowledge the other person’s input.

There is another very critical issue that I never have seen or heard anyone explicitly raise.  It is one that I introduced and discussed at length in my Questioning & Answering book.  In brief, I suggested that one can have discussions that pose as dialogic but clearly are not.  I have termed one of these as “incompatible message and/or relationship pseudo-dialogue” (IMRD). These occur when interlocutors’ talk masquerades as dialogue, but really is non-dialogic attack.   Often the topic is a proverbial hot-button issue, such as political, religious, or racial opinions.  The varieties of assault also are discussed in my Questioning & Answering book.  Two common ones are the “ad hominem” attack wherein a derogatory claim is lodged against an interlocutor rather than commenting on the objective topic being addressed.  Another is “guilting” in which the attacker tries to make the counterpart feel solely responsible for a problem. Both these IMRD attacks explicitly or implicitly weaponize message and relationship emotion to win a battle rather than rationality to argue an objective point.

 You know that you are in a IMRD relationship when any single or combination of he following obtains:

1. The talk is primarily parallel monologue instead of reciprocal dialogue.
2. There is lack of emotional or intellectual intimacy.
3. The focus is transactional, based only on practical or superficial needs.
4. You perceive lack of empathy and responsiveness.
5. One person employs significantly more power or authority during the encounter.

To facilitate dialogic discourse, be responsible and proactive.   Ensure that you are not weaponizing.  Do your best to promote authentic dialogue.  Refuse to participate in IMRD.  When it begins, label it immediately and explicitly. Invite a restart, but with the stipulation that honest, open, objective dialog scrupulously must be maintained.