anything you hear or read you can find someone with the exact opposite view with so called facts... so why do you believe what you believe? Is it an enharant belief system or something you learned through pressure or exposer..
2006-12-04 05:59:55 · 12 answers · asked by CaptainObvious 7 in Politics & Government ➔ Politics
I would have to answer you with another question. How far are you willing to look to seek the truth? It varies from person to person and culture to culture. Truth is a journey with really no end. Its a quest rewarded richly to those who embark on it.
Happy Holidays.
2006-12-04 06:04:23 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
You don't.
All too frequently what is being debated is not something that can be factually determined (Such as "should we have gone into Iraq").
One of the things than makes the 'truth' hard to sort out is the fact that there is no method of oversight on the news media. While I Iraq I saw the wildest stories being presented as truth by the media because that version provided a more marketable story.
As an example of how your own perceptions about Iraq have been distorted by poor media ethics - look up "Jemil Hussein."
The AP published his stories because they made better copy than the truth. Now the AP is trying to ignore the story into oblivion.
2006-12-04 06:37:59 · answer #2 · answered by MikeGolf 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
you look at who is saying what and the sources... and how it relates to what I have seen of the situations
as far as I'm concerned, I've been at a few events/incidents that the AP has covered, and from what I've seen, they have done a pretty good job at accurately portraying the events at the events/incidents.
so that leads me to trust them to a degree. Does that mean they don't make mistakes and are never bias, of course not.
but it often comes down to what have I had first hand experience with and have had a good track record with.
my trust tends to decrease by leaps and bounds for online sources. I may listen to what they have to say, I may even believe it to a degree... but it's always with a "I wouldn't be my life on it, or even $5 on it" type of situation.
I mean no one knows for sure that anything is correct. the best any of us can do is use our experiences and try to question everything that we read and always ask "is there anything that the writer can gain from this"...
I also tend to shy away from things that make grand accusations that have little evidence, which includes most conspiracy theories
2006-12-04 06:13:04 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Actual FACT is not self-contradicting...in the vast majority of cases, FACT will only support one version of events, answers to questions, or view of a potential course of action.
So the real problem is being able to discern a real fact from lies or misrepresentations of fact put out by others. That's where critical thinking skills and logic are most valuable, as well as a healthy skepticism. If a politician, for example, says "illegal aliens cost us billions per year to support!" -- call him on it. Find out what references he used to make such a claim (the truth in this case is that it's an unsupportable claim, as the vast majority of government services are not available to illegal immigrants, and the few that are specifically do not *ask* if they're legal or illegal, so there's no way to know how much they are taking from support services).
Be skeptical about everything without a solid backing of references. That way you won't have to "believe" anything, you'll know one way or the other. And you can base your decisions on fact and evidence, not emotion.
2006-12-04 06:11:23 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
It is a mix of ideology, personality and what fits. As I ascribe to neither liberal or conservative philosophies, I have much more to choose from when forming a point of view, and having been labeled many years ago as an Alpha type male, I tend to follow a more aggressive stance as far as security and defense go. That's just me though, and I know we run the entire spectrum here. :) Cheers
2006-12-04 06:03:50 · answer #5 · answered by Rich B 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
It starts with a paradigm (world-view).
Information is loaded into our brains through the filter of our paradigm.
Life experience can either make us shift our paradigm or enforce it.
EDIT: Oh, and I think our personalities are inborn and our environment provides our paradigm.
My opinion.
2006-12-04 06:03:08 · answer #6 · answered by ? 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Its a combination of everything.....and most of the time they are both right, they have just pulled bits and pieces to make them sound right and don't mention the other side of the coin....you have to look at both sides and then just follow your heart and mind. That is really all we can do.
2006-12-04 06:03:44 · answer #7 · answered by yetti 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I can't answer your question, but I can recognize it as the best question I've ever seen on Yahoo! Answers. Well done. The question makes people think, and that's generally a good thing.
2006-12-04 06:06:18 · answer #8 · answered by Rusting 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Think it through. Does this make sense? Does everybody really think this is crazy or just me?
These type of questions will help gaurd you against the massive propagnda the government in cohorts with major business is always trying to sell you.
2006-12-04 06:05:18 · answer #9 · answered by mary57whalen 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Very good question.Some sources predict things that happen,they gain credibility.Others tell things that later turn out to be so far from the truth that they loose credibility,remember being greeted as liberators?Mushroom cloud?
That's how I do it,works for me.
2006-12-04 06:04:50 · answer #10 · answered by justgoodfolk 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋