If we abolish slavery, our economy will collapse. Draining our blood cleanses us of our sicknesses. If we travel too fast, we will blow up. Oh, and the infamous: the world is flat.
Since the beginning of time, we have “known” many things that have been debunked over the years. Be it through science, economic experts, social professionals or politicians, there are many “truths” from the past that we have quietly tucked away in a back drawer as they have been debunked through the centuries. This pattern is not isolated, it is not unique. Mankind continues to progress and learn, and this means that through science and other intellectual tools, truth evolves. The more we learn, the more we discover we have yet to learn.
And yet, despite this glaringly obvious trend, we continually assume that the “truth” modernly defined by science is irrefutable. Sure, the leech doctors thought they were saving lives, and were wrong, but we are experts now. It may have once been scientifically believed that if you sailed long enough you would fall off the planet, but those guys were dweebs. We’ve got it all figured out now.
Are we that arrogant?
I see you rolling your eyes. “Of course we know we have more to learn, duh Monique.” Well, if that is your thought, I commend you for your humility, but I must point out that this attitude does not translate into real life concepts. Let me give you some example of absolutes we have created. Abortion is OK because a fetus isn’t actual human life yet; it feels and understands nothing. Children aren’t affected negatively by having a PT mom because social science just knows it. Studies have proven that people don’t really want to have children and they have become delusional and only think they are happy. Global warming is happening because science says so. Global cooling is happening because science says so. Vaccines kill babies and studies prove it. Vaccines don’t kill babies and studies prove it. Statistics prove that red meat causes cancer and should not be consumed. Statistics prove that red meat is an excellent source of protein and should be consumed frequently. Polls verify that most of the American people don’t approve of Obama’s job. Polls prove that most Americans approve of Obama’s job. And on and on it goes.
The point here is this: You don’t have to be right to win an argument. You don’t have to speak truth to be perceived as being right. I was once a hired actress for a fancy dinner event at a high end restaurant. It was a networking party for various successful entrepreneurs. My fake husband and I mingled with the guests, posing as entrepreneurs. Our business plan you ask? Biodegradable fuel. We had, through scientific research, discovered that hair could be used in place of gasoline. That’s right, stick a lock in your gas tank and walla. Save the Earth, get a haircut! By the end of this event, we had highly intelligent people giving us their business cards and excitedly promising that their connections with friends who ran salons would be beneficial to us. “Call us; we can get hair supply!” Now, perhaps this is a tribute to my awesome acting skills, but more than likely, this is a testament to just how easy it is to convince someone of a lie.
Of course, that isn’t to say that every scientist, sociologist, politician and so forth are lying. Plenty of them think they are onto something. But frankly, everyone can’t be right. Abortion can’t be all right and all wrong. Global Warming can’t be happening and not happening. The world can’t be round and flat. So, how do we find truth, if we can’t rely solely on the “facts?”
The answer is God. The answer is faith. The answer is that we have to trust in our inner ability to feel what is true, not just believe what we are told. We have to have a moral compass and a value for such morals. We have to be strong enough to stand up for what we know is true, even when the “experts” are telling us it isn’t true. We have to be courageous enough to stand up to the scientists who said that washing hands before surgery was a joke, and those judges who said the Salem girls and woman were practicing witchcraft and needed to be hung, and those who claim that a life of an unborn child is less valuable than the wishes of a mother to be.
We have to be willing to fight the hard fight in the name of actual truth, rather than the latest fad.
We don't need more information in this "tidal age" of info. overload. We don't need more reports. We don't need more knowledge. What we need is wisdom: the moral application of the knowledge we have. You didn't hit the nail on the head, you hit the "Go" button.
ReplyDeleteIt's a tough balancing act I think. We need to look to the physical and social sciences because they debunk a lot of myths. But they can also be used to try to shut down the debates of those who oppose us. We should never allow that. Science is only as good as the assumptions it is based on (as you showed in your examples). And most times what we the public are told is not actually the cold hard facts of the scientific studies but rather someone's convenient interpretation of such. We should not shun scientific information. But we should equally not take it simply at face value because there is usually so much more to the story.
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