Today's post is a minimalist linguistic comparison of meaning and belief. As despite popular misconceptions currently promoted by the ignorant and misinformed, opinion isn't fact, rhetoric is not discourse, understanding isn't agreement and knowledge is not empathy. If you doubt these grammatical facts, read on, scroll down, or consult the nearest dictionary for confirmation.
Fortunately, appreciating the difference between the aforementioned nouns requires only enough intelligence to also accept life as both complex and subject to change. And though blessed with a species-wide and often beneficial instinct to join and belong to tribal groups, the needs and freedoms of the rational individual must not ever be sacrificed to the populist mob if we are to eventually build a just and sustainable community. The increasing worldwide popularity of various internet based 'social' media platforms, however, continues to magnify an insidious existential threat to civilisation's future.
For as software
algorithms replace the feedback cycles once provided by communities of friends
and neighbours in forming the personalities of tomorrow's society, immediate and
long-term damage resulting from their influence is effectively disguised. Among
the largest transnational commercial organisations on the planet nowadays, the
oligarchies composed by these opaque media giants also routinely operate above
the law in societies worldwide. With few, if any, rules to govern either
business or personal conduct online, the rapid evolution of supposedly 'free'
software platforms into conglomerates generating billions in profits annually
has impacted societies worldwide. Their more rapid devolution into weaponized
dissemination outlets for organised racism, bigotry and terrorism, meanwhile,
has been little short of astonishing, and represents a significant threat to
people around the globe. And despite widespread knowledge of their platforms
use by foreign governments to interfere with political sovereignty around the
world, denial of responsibility continues as the primary response from
corporate leaders.
Also worthy of note
is this delightful irony; many of those able to understand the previous
statements can provide no rational explanation for denial of widely published
facts about the Covid-19 pandemic, the reality of institutionalised racism or
the man-made sources responsible for accelerating planetary climate change.
Instead, when confronted by the tremulous anxiety of self-inflicted cognitive
dissonance, the parroted echo of a nonsensical falsehood promoted by online
groups devoted to hatred or ignorance will most often substitute for a reply
grounded in reason. It's also best to remember friends, that language is
culture and culture is language, making your ability to know and communicate
the facts of life vital to our society's long-term survival.
By now, history has
made clear that to be better, we must do better. One way we can start as
individuals is by consciously and continually reminding ourselves to beware of
the real difference between proven fact and partisan fiction when engaging with
online sources. Another is acknowledging our fascination with 'social' media
and accepting there are many unknown and dangerous consequences resulting from
its widespread use.
As result of unregulated
growth and the abundance of human rights, political and legal abuses attributed
to their operations worldwide, however, we must also demand public debate and
discussion regarding the future place of these 'social' Media Giants in our
society. To enable ourselves to engage in them, we must understand and accept
these conversations as among the most historically significant of our time, and
worthy of both legal and political discourse.
For those who made
it this far, as promised, the noun comparisons follow. The definitions are
provided courtesy of the Oxford online English dictionary. Enjoy.
Opinion: a view or
judgement formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge.
Fact: a thing that
is known or proved to be true.
Rhetoric: the art
of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, especially the use of figures
of speech and other compositional techniques.
Discourse: written
or spoken communication or debate.
Understanding: the
ability to understand something; comprehension.
Agreement: harmony
or accordance in opinion or feeling; a position or result of agreeing.
Knowledge: facts,
information, and skills acquired by a person through experience or education;
the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject.
Empathy: the
ability to understand and share the feelings of another.
If you enjoy
reading these existential missives and want me to write more of them, remember
to demonstrate your interest by purchasing one of my five novels. Available
everywhere on Amazon as well as direct from the author here, I have been told
they make excellent gifts. Thanks again for being here, for sharing the blog
and most of all for your support.
- TFP
