The Baseline News
Facts first. Bias removed. Form your own judgement.
To find yourself, think for yourself.
Why It Matters.
We truly live in the age of information. We all have access to an unlimited number of studies that took years to produce, we all have the luxury of reading back on every article or news column ever published, and we all have unfettered access to almost every book ever written.
Everything is simply made available to us all by the touch of a button on devices we can’t go anywhere without.
In this age of information, we’re all experts, scholars and journalists. But when we’re all ‘experts’, no one truly is.
However, whilst this unlimited source of information is at our fingertips, do we actually utilise it?
We find ourselves ‘doom-scrolling’ and stumbling upon hundreds of opinions daily. We digest snippets of news, only catching a fraction of the context and forming snap judgements on how the world really works. We read news articles plagued by opinions and bias. We lean on AI as the arbiter of truth and all knowledge, without using our own brains to create our own unique thoughts on issues that really impact us.
In a world where everyone is an expert, forming our own thoughts and opinions on important issues is difficult, confusing and frustrating. Rather, we live in the age of misinformation. We must learn to think for ourselves. Not just to make our lives richer, but to positively impact those around us with empathy, sympathy and fresh ideas.
Step One: Observe
We need to first take a step back, separate facts, interpretations, opinions and perspectives. Observe what is being said, who is saying it, why they are saying it and what the overall context is.
When you hear something from a friend or family member, when you read the news or a post on social media and even when we experience something firsthand, choosing to observe helps us form whole picture ideas, allowing us to make our own judgements.
Try asking yourself the following questions:
What has actually happened? Focus on facts. Perhaps what actually happened differs based on different perspectives- explore other perspectives?
What is the other side of the coin? Remember, there’s always two sides to a coin, and sometimes there’s 3 or 4! Broaden your horizons.
Do I have the full context? It’s so easy to make snap judgments when we have only snippets of the total context. (No one would like me if they judged me by my bad days…)
Why does this matter? Think about how it affects you. What changes? What doesn’t change? Who does it affect?
Whilst these questions aren’t an exact science, they certainly help us observe what is going on and act as a great first step in helping us think for ourselves.
Step Two: Understand Incentives (Especially Our Own)
As humans, we all naturally have our own ‘best interests at heart’. Incentives, whether conscious or subconscious, drive almost every human action. Given this, it’s important we evaluate the incentives of those we listen to (especially ourselves).
Media Incentives: What incentives do the media you listen to have? The media functions on bad news. Our brains are wired to focus more on the negative in life- Media capitalises on this. Attention, outrage and views put money in their pockets. Important note- don’t let this make you cynical or think everything is out to get you- but be mindful of it.
Political Incentives: What incentives do politicians have? They want to remain in power; they want their party to survive. Why have they said certain things? Who funds them? What sort of people vote for them? Keep these in mind!
Personal Incentives: This surely has to be the trickiest one to spot. “We possess an identity-protective bias that causes us to reject information threatening our self-view, even if that information is accurate.” Just because we want to believe something to be true doesn’t mean it is. We’re incentivised to follow the crowd, think like the majority out of a fear of being wrong or criticised. Think about your identity- your religion, socio-economic background and upbringing. Just because something may (in the short-term) help you, is it right in the long-term? Question why you think the way you do, and how thinking that way helps?
Normalise incentives, we all have them, its how the world works, its how you work, but learn to recognise it as a step to understand why people say what they say and do what they do. Learn to pull back, see the big picture and begin to question narratives or spin.
Step Three: Seek Friction
We all hate to feel uncomfortable. Especially when someone tells us something we believe is wrong, even more so when it’s something we deeply believe or care about.
However, it’s that very discomfort that helps us grow. It challenges our beliefs, and it makes us think deeper about what we truly believe. Sometimes this friction helps strengthen our own convictions, and other times it helps us adopt new ideas and perspectives. We are never truly static, and to convince yourself otherwise would be foolish!
Confirmation Bias is the cognitive tendency to search for, interpret, favour, and recall information that confirms one's pre-existing beliefs or hypotheses. It is a mental shortcut that leads people to disregard contradictory evidence, leading to biased decision-making and reinforced stereotypes.
We need to encourage our exposure to disagreement, which will help us ‘shake off’ our confirmation bias. The moment you feel defensive is often the moment your judgment is actually being tested. Instead of shutting the argument down, it can help to ask a few simple questions:
Am I reacting to the argument or the person making it?
Am I rejecting this because it’s wrong, or because it’s uncomfortable?
What exactly in this claim do I disagree with? - Is it the facts or the interpretation of the facts?
Can I see why they would think that? - Why is it wrong, partially right or potentially right?
Think For Yourself - A Recap!
Observe - Take a step back to look at the whole picture
Recognise Incentives - Question the incentives of those dishing out information
Seek Friction - “No pain. No Gain.” Seek alternate views and perspectives to build your own critical judgment and broaden your horizons.
Whilst many may think we live in a world out to get us, trick and deceive us, it may not be so sinister. Yes, misinformation freely flows, and incentives to alter truths may be at an all-time high. But use this as an opportunity to build and challenge yourself, form your own thoughts about the issues that impact you and those around you.
You either think for yourself or let others do it for you.
We hope you enjoyed reading! Feel free to subscribe to receive daily fact-driven news, allowing you to focus on what’s really happening, expose yourself to fresh perspectives and form your own thoughts on what’s happening around the globe.
This process is building your political judgement.
— The Baseline