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Modern politics irritate me to no end.
Why?
Quite frankly, it’s because of the incessant and often blatant lies that politicians and campaign officials perpetuate to brainwash and mislead the general public.
They do this because, as they have discovered, the first rule of politics, though never articulated, is that a lie repeated a sufficient number of times will be perceived as the truth.
Politicians rely on this simple mathematics of deception: if they repeat their lies enough times, many people will steadfastly believe them, no matter how much sound evidence is presented to contradict the misinformation.
Politicians also rely on the fact that most people don’t question what they hear on TV or radio or spend time researching assertions to assess their validity. That requires too much work, and who has the time?
Trouble is, these days, our information base is filled by sound bites that mislead us on many issues. Put another way, our positions on countless issues are cemented by misinformation, skillfully fed to us by spin doctors — radio personalities, ad writers, and politicians themselves.
Consequently, most of us are woefully misinformed on the issues. And what is more pernicious is that most of us mistake our ignorance for perspective.
We think we are well informed, to be sure, but we are not. Sadly, our beliefs are founded on a flimsy foundation of misinformation.
So widespread is this phenomenon that our society becomes paralyzed at times. Congress can’t move forward because we are so divided on the issues. We are so divided because we don’t know the truth.
We need a cure for the mistaken ignorance trap, and it’s critical thinking. We can begin by questioning our beliefs, not just in political arena, but all areas of our lives. Start asking, is that really true? Am I looking at this issue realistically?
To dispel the ignorance that grips us so powerfully, we need to read and explore other avenues. By reading with an open mind, we can find the truth and live a more mindful and fulfilling life. A sense of peace comes over us as we separate ourselves from the ignorant masses being manipulated by the media and all sorts of others. Wisdom has a settling influence on us.
Contributing editorDan Chirasis a renewable energy and green homes expert who has spent a lifetime learning life’s lessons, which he shares in his popular blog,Dan Chiras on Loving Life. He’s the founder and director of The Evergreen Institute and president of Sustainable Systems Design. Contact him by visitinghis websiteor finding him onGoogle+.
