There's Something Wrong with Me

"Truth, justice, and the American way."

Anyone remember that quote from Superman? I've always liked that line. I like the virtues listed. (Just what is the American way these days? It seems to have gone astray.) Truth has always been big on my list.

I think it's the pursuit of truth that gave me such an interest in journalism and computers. I like knowing the facts. I hate liars. (Politicians? Not very high on my list of people. Neither are car dealers.)

People sometimes say they have to see it to believe it. As if seeing something was proof of something. As if they were in direct contact with reality. But we aren't, really. Our senses pick up signals, interpret them and send a vague abstraction to our brains, where a model of the world is reconstructed in our head. We aren't seeing the world, we're seeing the model of it we've built in our minds. It's not complete, and it's not accurate, but it's the best that we can do.

If insanity is being out of touch with reality, then we're all insane. Especially those who aren't good at observation, or those who believe things that aren't true. When someone lies to me, I feel as if they're trying to make me insane. They are misrepresenting reality. That's why I like to check the facts, find the source, confirm what I'm told. The more I believe things that aren't true, the more insane I am. "A rabbit's foot will improve your luck? Are you insane???"

So why is it that I love hoaxes? I'm always amused when people pull pranks and the public goes gaga, going nuts over bigfoot and crop circles and perpetual motion machines. I hate when pranks are pulled on me, but I love it when others fall for pranks.

I'd love to pull a big prank sometime, but it goes against the grain. I'll say things that aren't true, to tease my wife or daughter or someone, but I don't let it go for more than a minute. I just can't stand to distort reality. Because as humans, perception is reality. What you say changes people's perceptions, changes how they view the world. Changing perception is a powerful thing, not to be misused. Just look at our world today.

Bottled water, anyone?


Blog Tag: Chatter