If you’re looking for a lecture on ‘post-truth’, stop – then move on quickly to avoid wasting your time!
I’ve been reading around the concept of post-truth for some time. I made passing mention of it here on 25th December 2019. There are several books on the topic, out there.
I recently came across Lee McIntyre’s book on Post-Truth. I find that it gives the best 
explanations with some graphic real-world examples. I usually go for audiobook versions which I’ve why explained before. Immediately, I need to say that I don’t know Lee McIntyre from Adam and I couldn’t care less what his credentials are! In addition I derive no advantages from mentioning the book – and this is not a recommendation to purchase.
From the book summary at MIT press:
How we arrived in a post-truth era, when “alternative facts” replace actual facts, and feelings have more weight than evidence.
Are we living in a post-truth world, where “alternative facts” replace actual facts and feelings have more weight than evidence? How did we get here? In this volume in the MIT Press Essential Knowledge series, Lee McIntyre traces the development of the post-truth phenomenon from science denial through the rise of “fake news,” from our psychological blind spots to the public’s retreat into “information silos.”
All this is nothing new to me. I’ve often said that people believe what they want to believe, what they are ‘told’ to believe, and what the crowd believes.
The pandemic era has brought out more the whole issue of post-truth. Some people continue to be victims of post-truth – of course to themselves, they are unknowing victims. They believe that they are educated and can think for themselves.
Other people are confused by the panoply of competing ‘facts’. Actually these ‘facts’ are reported facts twisted by opinions. With shoulders shrugged they go, “I don’t know what to believe anymore.. I’ll just have a cup o’ tea – thank you very much.” I would classify those as lazy people who expect the whole truth to just land in their laps. Yes – they are lazy – cuz they do not want to take the time to find the truth or if they go searching, they’d find the ‘a truth’ that serves them – hence still remaining victims of post-truth. They often go, “Life’s too short – sorry..” – but never too short of time for searching Amazon, doing keyboard-junkie stuff on the likes of Facebook, or aimlessly watching serials on Netflix etc.
If you thought I was gonna tell you who reads this, what the book is all about you may consider finding a wall and banging your head on it! Off you pop!
Disclaimer & Guidance
The reading of posts on this blog is subject to the Terms & Conditions. Unpalatable truths and personal experiences may be told. Nothing posted on this blog is directed at any identified person. On occasions individuals are quoted anonymously. That does not mean that they have been identified to the world. Should any person or organisation reading this blog find something that makes them feel or know that they are being referred to – any such perceived identification does not mean ‘identified to the world’. ‘Stupid‘ is an impish figment of my imagination who occasionally is allowed to pop up – and does not represent any known individual, individuals or groups. The treatment of ‘Stupid‘ is not representative of the way people are treated in real life. Adverse inferences made are dismissed in advance.
