Misinformation refers to false or inaccurate information, and it can be caused unintentionally, or intentionally. When intentional, it is often described as disinformation.
When you are misinformed, you think you know something, but you really don’t, because your beliefs are based on false or inaccurate information, and that can be a real problem. You end up believing and acting in ways that normally you would have rejected if only you had known better.
Misinformation can corrupt the way you see things and the integrity of your choices. You think you know what is going on and what you are doing, but instead your beliefs, based on false and inaccurate information, lack a firm foundation of reliable and accurate information, and you end up on the wrong side of the truth and sound values.
Getting Personal
From your own experience, what is the major source of misinformation in today’s society? Give an example.
What, if any, is the most effective way to protect yourself from becoming a victim of misinformation? Give a personal example, if possible.
I do know that if you can name certain things and understand them, it allows you to make better choices. Unfortunately, there’s so much misinformation that towers over a person’s head, it’s really difficult to make the right decisions.” (Jimmy Santiago Baca, American poet)
“To kill an error is as good a service as, and sometimes even better than, the establishing of a new truth or fact.” (Charles Darwin, English biologist and naturalist)
“Although it is easier to find information these days, it is easier than ever before to find misinformation, pseudo-facts, unsupported and fringe opinions, and the like. Children should be taught at an early age what constitutes evidence, how to detect biases or distortions in newspaper accounts, and that there exist hierarchies of information sources.” (Daniel Levitin, American-Canadian psychologist)
….Top of post image (Misinformation), from depositphotos.com
