When you were little, did your parents tell you that Santa Klaus was on his way to drop off some presents under the Christmas tree?
When you lost your first baby tooth, were you told to put it under your pillow, so that the Tooth Fairy would come and exchange it for a dollar?
These are some of the white lies we were told as children, arguably to create a sense of magic and wonder in our small worlds.
For better or worse, eventually we were faced with some unpleasant truths. There is no jolly Santa Klaus, nor any mystical Tooth Fairy.
The truth stings a bit when you first hear it, especially if it counters what you've been led to believe your entire life.
That said, the silver lining is that you learn to question your beliefs, think more critically, and make better decisions in the future.
You would think that as we transition into adulthood, we would be less gullible and more willing to accept the truth. But is that actually the case?
As adults, we are repeatedly told half-truths by the media. "The people control the government through democratic elections", "terrorism is caused by Muslims who hate freedom", and "your money is safely stored at the bank", for example.
While not as far-fetched as Santa Klaus or the Tooth Fairy, these are some of the myths presented to us as adults, and sadly most of us gobble them up without a second thought. Why?
At a superficial level, these narratives make sense, and they save us from having to think too much or question our beliefs.
After all, who really wants to know about the foreign influence our politicians are under, where global terrorists actually get their funding, and how fractional reserve banking works?
Comforting lies make our lives a lot easier.
While the majority of us have been living in deception, it would seem the truth is finally starting to get out...
New information on uncensored social media like X (and Hive) is starting to wake up a small and receptive portion of the population - a cohort who tend to value truth over sugar-coated falsehoods.
Crypto Twitter is filled with users who tend to process information rationally and analytically, and are therefore less susceptible to emotional manipulation relative to the masses.
X and Hive give truth seekers a place to gather, share this unpleasant yet vital information, and support one another.
Although there is this growing trend of "noticing" going on, the majority of the population still chooses to avoid these controversial sites. Why?
If new facts contradict what we've been led to believe since we were young, we often reject it due to cognitive dissonance:
Cognitive dissonance is the psychological discomfort experienced when holding two or more conflicting beliefs, values, or attitudes simultaneously.
Mark Twain's famous quote makes more sense with the concept of cognitive dissonance in mind:
It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled.
Hoping that everyone will one day acknowledge the truth is unrealistic. As Jack Nicholson alluded to in the movie "A Few Good Men" most people can't handle the truth.
That said, perhaps a small portion of the population waking up to some critical information is all that is required to see some major changes in the world.
Until next time...
If you found this article interesting, be sure to check out my other posts on crypto and finance here on the Hive blockchain. You can also follow me on InLeo for more frequent updates.
Resources
- Head In The Sand Image
- Can't Handle The Truth Image
- Cognitive Dissonance Image