I am 44 and if I had to sum up what I've learned in my life into one concept it would be this:
The truth, real truth, is EXTREMELY hard to ascertain. Therefore, be open to new ideas, but slow to accept anything as absolute truth. Those in power push narratives. Conflicts of interest make data questionable. "Experts" are just people with their own inherent biases. And often we simply learn new things.
Therefore, I can think of very few things more damaging to society and free speech than "fact checkers". Almost always I find that their "facts" are nothing more than the "opinions" of the most powerful and influential group at the time, and are usually entangled with politics. In short, "fact checkers" don't actually understand the definition of what a fact is, but are quick to declare them, and this is contrary to my experience of real, actual truth.
The truth, real truth, is EXTREMELY hard to ascertain. Therefore, be open to new ideas, but slow to accept anything as absolute truth. Those in power push narratives. Conflicts of interest make data questionable. "Experts" are just people with their own inherent biases. And often we simply learn new things.
Therefore, I can think of very few things more damaging to society and free speech than "fact checkers". Almost always I find that their "facts" are nothing more than the "opinions" of the most powerful and influential group at the time, and are usually entangled with politics. In short, "fact checkers" don't actually understand the definition of what a fact is, but are quick to declare them, and this is contrary to my experience of real, actual truth.