So many times people repeat things over and over again until it’s become a mantra that they are beholden too. This is akin to training the brain to think a certain way so as to exclude all other data so that one does not alter their viewpoint. For many people, this is common because they simply don’t have the time or desire to actually dig into data, they would rather believe what they already think to be true. If something matches their world view and their preconceived notions, and a story comes from a source they have grown to trust, then of course it must be true. This is then re-enforced when they see the same information repeated from numerous sources all coming to the same conclusion.
This could be easily illustrated in many ways, every single day I come across examples, but we will start off with one topic: Global Warming.
Global Warming is a big topic. All we are going to focus on is a little sliver of it, which gets repeated time and again throughout all media: There are more Hurricanes and big storms than there has ever been before.
You’ve heard that right? You may even believe it yourself. A majority of people in the USA certainly do believe it. Every time there is a big storm we hear that Man-Made Global Warming is to blame and we have more storms as a result. So, why focus on this one thing? Because, it’s an excellent example of how actual data doesn’t matter, only the narrative matters. On top of that, it’s a great lesson on how conclusions can be made based on little to no evidence simply because people “believe” or “want” something to be true.
So, let’s get to today’s lesson! Below, I’ve included a link to an article written in July of 2021. To summarize for you (but please read yourself):
- Frequency of hurricanes are within historical norms
- The data shows no increase in hurricane intensity
- The IPCC noted in 2012 that there was “low confidence” in increased cyclone activity
- Regardless of the data they try to push the “greater intensity” theory
You will note, after reading it, that the writers and scientists that are quoted are openly suggesting that the hurricanes are of greater intensity and cause greater damage today, due to global warming – even though in the article itself it says that there is zero data to support that conclusion. The reason they support a conclusion that isn’t based on data is because of assumptions they have made that go into all the climate models they use.
So, instead of modifying their assumptions based on new data, they stick to their assumptions because they “believe” in them. This belief in assumptions is very prolific today and has infected the scientific community to such a degree that they find it very hard to accurately analyze issues and one of the core tenants of scientific learning – “questioning” – is being left in the dust.
My point in sharing this isn’t to debate global warming, it’s to get people to realize that what they are being told on a daily basis is littered with inaccuracies, lies, and total fabrication. Unless you do the hard work of actually looking at data yourself, you are being lead like a puppy dog on a leash. I love dogs, but I’m not a dog. I’m a rational human being and I don’t like being continually lied to and manipulated into thinking something is true when it clearly is not.
I chose this particular story because it’s written by climate change activists and scientists that are working, supposedly, on the problem. I’m not going to send something from the Petroleum Institute or on the other side, the Sierra Club. Anything from those two groups, or naturally biased groups like them, would be discounted by a lot of people I’m trying to reach, on both sides of this debate. This article I chose, even with it’s poor assumptions I noted earlier, is an excellent piece because you can follow up on it and do some digging of your own and hopefully, just maybe, you might learn something.
If “they” lie about things like this, what else are “they” lying to you about? This one little illustration shows the length that people will go to in order to protect a narrative.
Get out of your comfort zone and go do some digging!
Now, here is the link:
